If you want to get your hands on a new iPad Mini, you'd better not waste any time. A report indicates that the new iPad mini is in ridiculously tight supply and that the number of iPads is nowhere close to being enough to meet the demand. Tens of millions of people are hoping to buy an iPad Mini but only about 3 million are going to be available for purchase. This has sparked concerns around Apple that customers will be turned away in favor of pursuing a different brand of tablets.
Features
Apple reckons the iPad Mini 2's 7.9in, 2048x1536 screens packs a resolution of 326ppi, the same as that of a modern iPhone. Although not quite as sharp as the latest Android handsets, this is as crisp a screen as we have ever seen on a tablet.
iPad Mini 2 screen
The incandescent bulbs of the test area did not provide the best environment to appraise the screen's quality, but from what we saw, it is a bit of a stunner. Colors look as rich and accurate as they do on the iPad Air, and the difference in the quality of rendered text between this and the previous generation of the iPad Mini is vast. That is what comes from increasing the resolution by 300%. The screen was always a point of contention for us the one spec that prevented us from whole-heatedly recommending the Mini over its cheaper Android rivals such as the Google Nexus 7 and Asus Memo Pad. There's no such problem anymore.
iPad Mini with iPad Air
The big surprise for us was that the new Mini has the 64-bit A7 chip made famous by the iPhone 5s. The experience is universally slick and fast, and Infinity Blade 3 didn't miss a beat in our play through.
There is no discernible difference between the operation of the Mini 2 and the iPad Air. In the demo area conditions web pages seemed to load at the same pace, even though the Mini lacks the Air's performance-boosting WIMO Wi-Fi antenna.
iPad Mini camera
It was impossible to test the 5MP camera in the demo environment of the Apple event, but what we did notice was a couple of missing functions you might expect given the presence of an A7 chip.
The iPhone 5s uses the A7 for speedy image processing, which means it can do 120fps slow-mo video and fast burst mode photography. No such luck in either case here, and we are not sure why the Mini is just about small enough to encourage owners to use it for the odd photo or two. We think Apple should man up and give the camera app just a few more tricks.
Price
If it’s somewhat bigger screen doesn't put the Mini out of the running to pick up sales from cheaper Android tabs, the price will: £320 is 60% more than a Nexus 7 or Kindle Fire HDX. Of course, the original iPad mini is more competitive at £230, but as far as our Top 10 rankings are concerned, it is beaten by its cheaper rivals.
Latest product
The iPad Mini is just the latest of many new products. It all started when Apple rolled out for the first time two new iPhones at the same time in the iPhone 5s and the cheaper iPhone 5c. Since then, Apple also has released the new, revolutionary iOS operating system, iOS 7 as well as the new iPads. Its biggest competition actually comes from it is big brother, the Air: now it is just as gorgeous, not all that much bigger, and provides the additional screen estate it forefathers always did.
Releasing date
With all of the new updates and releases, Apple CEO Tim Cook said this week that Apple is "turning the industry on its ear”. Rumors have floated around about a potential Apple TV release in 2014, but the company has confirmed nothing.