iPad Mini Display Judged 'Very Capable', But Falls Short of iPad and Android Competitors

surprisingly?

It was no surprise.
We knew the specs didn't even come close to what's already out there.
BTW- Nook HD beats all of these and is one heck of a 7 inch tablet.
And when you add in the benefit of the external storage slot on the NookHD at the price- I don't get why anyone would choose a mini at this point in time.

"While the iPad mini's display falls short of its larger sibling and more direct competitors on pure specs, Soneira does note that the display holds up fairly well in real-world usage due to excellent calibration and color management processing."

This pretty much sums it up. we're all tech junkies and we're all blinded by spec's - it's the nature of the beast. The factor of the matter is, the screen holds up very well in "real world" usage. I took a very close look at each new product this weekend and by the reports and reviews here - i fully expected the screen on the Mini to look like total garbage and I couldn't have been more surprised by how well it actually looked.

For 99.8% of the people who are in the market for one of these, it will look fantastic. To the very small percentage of people - they're get lost in the spec's and refuse to see the great usability that this device offers.

I'll be picking one up soon.

Just the display?

I've said this in the very beginning, the competitive Android offerings are pretty good, they have the edge in many areas when compared to the iPad Mini, especially when you consider the price..

Yes there is more usable area on the iPad when compared to the Nexus 7, although the Kindle Fire HD has more usable screen real-estate then the Nexus 7, which is why I think Apple did not do a Kindle comparison in the keynote..

The $130 price difference make up for few areas the Kindle Fire & Nexus 7 are lacking in..

Kadman said:

I could see a very significant difference. Are you possibly borderline ready for reading glasses by chance? I don't say that being rude, but something like that can possibly explain differences in reactions to these two side by side. It's very noticeable to me. Maybe something else was in play during your comparison, maybe finger print smudging from others playing with the devices before you?

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Actually, I wear glasses and can see well with them on. It could have been the lighting in the store.

Bokes said:

surprisingly?

It was no surprise.
We knew the specs didn't even come close to what's already out there.
BTW- Nook HD beats all of these and is one heck of a 7 inch tablet.
And when you add in the benefit of the external storage slot on the NookHD at the price- I don't get why anyone would choose a mini at this point in time.

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It is somewhat surprising. We knew resolution was not there but most people still expected it to have "the most accurate colors", low reflectivity etc. Now we know that the panel sucks in all regards.

There might be one unknown variable here though. Perhaps some panels (if they still buy panels from Samsung) are better than others.

mac4good84 said:

I totally agree but I really wonder how much thicker or heavier it will get because of those upgrades. I find the current thickness and weight to be fantastic.

That's a very good point. I'm hoping by the end of next year or 2014 they will be able to develop the product so that it can utilize the screen and handle the power it needs while keeping it thin, we'll see though.

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I think this is reason enough for me to justify selling my iPad 2 now, making a small profit (iPad 2 is 32GB, Mini will be 16GB) or breaking even on the deal and getting to enjoy the smaller Mini until they make it retina BUT also keep the weight the same or less.

If what happened to the bigger iPad from 2 to 3/4 where it got thicker and heavier that would be a huge negative for me when considering in the future of switching from the current Mini to the retina Mini. Realistically I don't like to upgrade every year anyway.

wovel said:

I believe any devices with carriers would be counted as channel inventory. Apple (alone) distinguishes customer sales from channel inventory.

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This is interesting... Too many people claiming one thing or another on how they calculate their numbers. I know one thing though, The Best Buy's in my area were sold out of the Mini...

Also, I wonder what the percentage is of Apple products that are sold by an Apple store compared to other retailers such as Best Buy, Walmart, AT&T, etc.

Same for the Kindle Fire on Amazon vs Box Stores.

I think it's awesome!

I bought one and am patiently waiting to receive it on or around the 26th of November. I also used it in Best Buy and I can tell you that I was impressed with the screen and the quality in general.

I also previously owned an iPad2 and can honestly say that the screen is better and the fact that it has other improvements makes it a very easy buy.

Yamcha said:

I've said this in the very beginning, the competitive Android offerings are pretty good, they have the edge in many areas when compared to the iPad Mini, especially when you consider the price..

Yes there is more usable area on the iPad when compared to the Nexus 7, although the Kindle Fire HD has more usable screen real-estate then the Nexus 7, which is why I think Apple did not do a Kindle comparison in the keynote..

The $130 price difference make up for few areas the Kindle Fire & Nexus 7 are lacking in..

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My grandfather used to say "The world need ditch diggers to"

Some are meant for a more menial life.

Bokes said:

surprisingly?

It was no surprise.
We knew the specs didn't even come close to what's already out there.
BTW- Nook HD beats all of these and is one heck of a 7 inch tablet.
And when you add in the benefit of the external storage slot on the NookHD at the price- I don't get why anyone would choose a mini at this point in time.

Click to expand...

Its a shame barnes and noble didn't give it stock android out of the box and bundle some exclusive b&n apps with it instead of using their forked android. It could have destroyed the competition if it was.

grassfeeder said:

"While the iPad mini's display falls short of its larger sibling and more direct competitors on pure specs, Soneira does note that the display holds up fairly well in real-world usage due to excellent calibration and color management processing."

This pretty much sums it up. we're all tech junkies and we're all blinded by spec's - it's the nature of the beast. The factor of the matter is, the screen holds up very well in "real world" usage. I took a very close look at each new product this weekend and by the reports and reviews here - i fully expected the screen on the Mini to look like total garbage and I couldn't have been more surprised by how well it actually looked.

For 99.8% of the people who are in the market for one of these, it will look fantastic. To the very small percentage of people - they're get lost in the spec's and refuse to see the great usability that this device offers.

I'll be picking one up soon.

Click to expand...

To most people the quality of the display is not a "spec" in the traditional sense of the term. It's something you directly interact with, not something "under the hood". Anyone on the street can plainly see the screen lacks clarity/sharpness.

You say that you will be picking one up shortly. Have you actually seen one? I have.

Dr McKay said:

Do you have any proof for that? Until this was leaked Steve Jobs was declaring that a 7 inch Tablet would not work, that it had to be at least 9.7 inches. Steve slammed the 7 inch, as for "long before the Fire" are you suggesting that Apple had a 7 inch model planned right after the original iPad?

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There's a reason this is an 8 inch tablet and not a 7" tablet.

Yamcha said:

I've said this in the very beginning, the competitive Android offerings are pretty good, they have the edge in many areas when compared to the iPad Mini, especially when you consider the price..

Yes there is more usable area on the iPad when compared to the Nexus 7, although the Kindle Fire HD has more usable screen real-estate then the Nexus 7, which is why I think Apple did not do a Kindle comparison in the keynote..

The $130 price difference make up for few areas the Kindle Fire & Nexus 7 are lacking in..

Click to expand...

Is there a fragmentation problem with the Android tablets like with the phones?

grassfeeder said:

For 99.8% of the people who are in the market for one of these, it will look fantastic. To the very small percentage of people - they're get lost in the spec's and refuse to see the great usability that this device offers.

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I honestly think you're 99.8% is very close to a real world number (we'll never know obviously). If I had to guess myself I'd say it's maybe more like 90-95% but even that is an insane number when you think about it.

iChrist said:

.

Why ANYONE would buy a mini iPad is beyond me. Unless you are girl with small purse, why buy tiny, fuzzy, washed out screen??

Defeats the purpose of iPad.

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Have you even used it? It certainly doesn't sound like it.

First of all, it is not actually washed out (a color gamut of 62% is actually not bad....low perhaps coming from someone who is in the industry a little disappointing, but still quite usable).

Second of all, the contrast is only noticeable in high ambient light areas, not in typical use cases. This also doesn't constitute "washed out".

As for "fuzzy"....have you ever used an iPad2? It certainly is not fuzzy and the mini has a higher (this means sharper) pixel density than the iPad2.

And last of all, "Tiny"....this is larger than the Kindle fire and Nexus 7....unless you think of those as really tiny....then the iPad mini is really not that small.

Aside from your comments...there are several reasons to buy one (not for everyone, of course, but these apply for many):

1) Lower weight: My wife really could use this as her hand hurts while holding the iPad2 right now while reading in bed.

2) Easier to carry around (fits more places and is even more portable).

3) Has the full iOS ecosystem available. I know this is not for everyone, but for me this is important as is works with all my current apps, iPads, and iPhones in the family and I do not have to reinvest.

4) Works good enough for what a lot of us need it to do.

Bokes said:

surprisingly?

It was no surprise.
We knew the specs didn't even come close to what's already out there.
BTW- Nook HD beats all of these and is one heck of a 7 inch tablet.
And when you add in the benefit of the external storage slot on the NookHD at the price- I don't get why anyone would choose a mini at this point in time.

Click to expand...

The OS. iOS is much more open to different task. B & N's is focused on reading first.

I have a Nook Tablet and Samsung Galaxy Tab 2, and iOS is just so much more user friendly.

The build quality on both is nice and very nice looking screens but I still gravitate to my iPhone over them and an iPad when i replace the one my wife has taken for herself lol.

gott2go said:

um, you folks need to get over yourselves. I bought one this weekend as i needed to replace my 2nd gen ipod. As someone who doesn't have an iphone (gasp), it's a great way to take advantage of the iOS world. When you hold it at a proper distance and you aren't looking at a retina screen directly next to it, it provides a great experience in a nice, extremely light size.

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Couldn't tell the sarcasm there, I see...

grassfeeder said:

"While the iPad mini's display falls short of its larger sibling and more direct competitors on pure specs, Soneira does note that the display holds up fairly well in real-world usage due to excellent calibration and color management processing."

This pretty much sums it up. we're all tech junkies and we're all blinded by spec's - it's the nature of the beast. The factor of the matter is, the screen holds up very well in "real world" usage. I took a very close look at each new product this weekend and by the reports and reviews here - i fully expected the screen on the Mini to look like total garbage and I couldn't have been more surprised by how well it actually looked.

For 99.8% of the people who are in the market for one of these, it will look fantastic. To the very small percentage of people - they're get lost in the spec's and refuse to see the great usability that this device offers.

I'll be picking one up soon.

Click to expand...

I don't think people are blinded by specifications, but I think It's hard not to consider the Android offerings when they are starting at $199, theres no question people will be happy with the iPad Mini, but there are those who will also be super happy & pleased with the Nexus 7 & Kindle Fire HD since they only paid $199..

Yes you get what you paid for, but the Nexus 7 & Kindle Fire HD are arguably one of the best tablets for the price.. Just look at all the customer reviews for Nexus 7..

latestmonkey said:

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This, in my humble opinion, has got to be the wittiest post i've ever seen you ever create. I'll probably think about it all day.

Bokes said:

surprisingly?

It was no surprise.
We knew the specs didn't even come close to what's already out there.
BTW- Nook HD beats all of these and is one heck of a 7 inch tablet.
And when you add in the benefit of the external storage slot on the NookHD at the price- I don't get why anyone would choose a mini at this point in time.

Click to expand...

Because it's not all about hardware - comparing the content available (and quality of said content) to the Nook vs that available to the iPad is a huge win for Apple and a main reason why so many people continue to buy Apple.

If I wanted a one-off device that had a limited amount of content spread over numerous distributors (get my books from B&N, music from Amazon, apps from Google) then sure, let's go with the Nook HD. But that's not what I'm looking for.

I want a device that integrates seamlessly with my iMac, iPad w/ retina and iPhone - so all the data and info I have (different types of data on each) can be easily accessed from any of them without having to store it locally on each device all the time. I can also wirelessly stream movies, music, photos all from one location (iCloud) to any of those devices or from those devices to my AppleTVs hooked up to my big screen TVs. All of my data is saved and backed up nightly (without me having to do anything) and moving to a new device is simple and only takes as long as my internet connection allows. And Apple offers huge libraries of movies, books, music and the best app store on the market.

I also know that if something goes wrong with my device (which isn't often) I can take it in and receive customer service that is second-to-none (replaced devices on the spot, comp'ed AppleCare+ are some of my experiences).

Not to mention the devices look nicer and are built better than any others on the market - but sure, why do the countless millions keep choosing an inferior product?

nuckinfutz said:

The mini's form factor is just crushing the competition. The Fire HD and Nexus 7 look like fat and cheap knockoffs.

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I agree with you 100%, but I think the mini's screen isn't great, and at the tablet's price it should.

RedCroissant said:

I bought one and am patiently waiting to receive it on or around the 26th of November. I also used it in Best Buy and I can tell you that I was impressed with the screen and the quality in general.

I also previously owned an iPad2 and can honestly say that the screen is better and the fact that it has other improvements makes it a very easy buy.

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I own am iPad 2 and have compared the screens side-by-side. The mini does not have a better screen. And why are you waiting for November 26th to get it. I bet you can get one much sooner by walking into an Apple Store.

I was at an Apple Store today, and saw the iPad mini. Responsiveness is great. Size is great to be portable. Screen not good for me. I will wait, using my iPad 3rd gen for now.