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All iPads iPad Mini Retina or iPad Air??

B

boombox15

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jun 17, 2013
272
22
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Ok, so now there are 2 amazing iPads to buy. But my only question is, what iPad do I get?? Last year, it was an obvious choice to get the iPad 4, but now, the iPad Mini Retina and iPad Air are the same, with the only difference being the iPad Air's larger size.

I have always wanted a Retina iPad Mini, and I think it is better than the air because of it's higher pixel density and cheaper price. ( I will order from day 1 if i chose that)

But, the iPad Air is larger, and that's the only difference.

I use a lot of apps, play a few games, and use everything that comes pre loaded on the iPad.

Thanks!!
 
At a comfortable distance I find everything too small on the mini screen compared to the full ipad. For me there is more eye strain when using the mini. I also think the keyboard is a bit small and harder to type on.
 
boombox15 said:
Ok, so now there are 2 amazing iPads to buy. But my only question is, what iPad do I get?? Last year, it was an obvious choice to get the iPad 4, but now, the iPad Mini Retina and iPad Air are the same, with the only difference being the iPad Air's larger size.

I have always wanted a Retina iPad Mini, and I think it is better than the air because of it's higher pixel density and cheaper price. ( I will order from day 1 if i chose that)

But, the iPad Air is larger, and that's the only difference.

I use a lot of apps, play a few games, and use everything that comes pre loaded on the iPad.

Thanks!!
Click to expand...

I originally considered the Mini Retina but then reading about the supply constrains and the difficulties the screen manufacturers are having with the new screen, I decided to go with the Air.

The first batches of the mini 2 will very likely have tons of screen related problems and it will probably take them a good couple of months to optimise the manufacturing process. First batches will be hurried and the way QC has slipped lately I really don't want to risk having to go back and forth and possibly also having to wait for a replacement.

The iPad air screen technology is much more mature right now and I'd rather fork out the rest and get one of those. Also, according to Apple Portugal website, the retina Mini is to be expected in late november (either that or whoever translated the website mis-translated "Later in November")
 
RJCP said:
The first batches of the mini 2 will very likely have tons of screen related problems and it will probably take them a good couple of months to optimise the manufacturing process. First batches will be hurried and the way QC has slipped lately I really don't want to risk having to go back and forth and possibly also having to wait for a replacement.
Click to expand...

As we've all heard, supplies are constrained, presumably due to QC as mentioned. I would hope that the two are correlated, meaning that the ones that do get to the consumer do meet quality standards.
 
I have both mini and 4 and the mini is a consumption device.

I love the mini to death but typing on the keyboard in landscape is cramped.

My iPad 4 is normally what I use when I don't want a lap top, but want to be able to do some work.

I'd say define the apps you use.

If you are note taking, or developing spreadsheets or presentations, or spend any important time remoted into another computer to get work done then the Air is a no brained.

If your usage is more web browsing, typing on it like you do your phone, and playing games then the Mini is a really good option.

One thing to note, you can get a keyboard if you need one for either.
 
1251division said:
As we've all heard, supplies are constrained, presumably due to QC as mentioned. I would hope that the two are correlated, meaning that the ones that do get to the consumer do meet quality standards.
Click to expand...

Yes, but eventually they will have to hit the shelves in November so I fear they'll eventually set for a few perfect units with most being crippled with issues such as dead pixels and stuff.
I'm not incredibly optimistic...
 
I still am at a dead end for my choice. I know for sure that I will buy on November 29, (Black Friday) but I don't know what model to get.

The iPad Mini Retina seems very tempting, but I have been reading about the supply concerns, and I think that getting one during the holiday season will be very hard.

The iPad Air looks like it would be better for me, because of it's bigger display, but I don't know.

I did have a 4th gen iPad from June-September 2013, now I can't decide.

iPad Air owners, just how much different is the iPad Air compared to the 4th gen? Is the weight difference noticeable? Are the smaller bezels better?

The 4th gen was a great device, but it was very heavy and thick.
 
This is a TOUGH choice. I played with the Air today at the Apple store and the entire time I did was very decided on it. Then I went one table over to the Mini and was instantly enamored with that form factor as well. Whichever unit I was currently using was the one I wanted. Made it impossible to choose. I even started thinking I'll get both.
 
Its not really a tough choice since the only tangible difference now would be the screen size. I personally do not like the smaller screen. But, you have to decide on that. Can you live with the smaller screen with a little better portability or not? THAT is the question ;)
 
s2mikey said:
Its not really a tough choice since the only tangible difference now would be the screen size. I personally do not like the smaller screen. But, you have to decide on that. Can you live with the smaller screen with a little better portability or not? THAT is the question ;)
Click to expand...

Its not the only tangible difference, the form factor is another. Not to mention the $100.

So I stand by it being a touch choice.
 
docprego said:
Its not the only tangible difference, the form factor is another. Not to mention the $100.

So I stand by it being a touch choice.
Click to expand...

Yeah - I didnt think $100 bucks was enough of a cash difference to make it a major part of the decision. If money was truly tight for someone then the Mini is the hands-down choice.

Form factor all ties in with lightness and "holdability", IMO.
 
Maybe the iPad Air is better for me. It's sounding like the iPad Mini Retina is already having burn in issues, and it's not even out in the market yet. Also, supplies will also likely be very tight and I want it in Early December. Ordering November 29 on black Friday. And the iPad Air is in good supply now but high capacity models are taking a while to ship but I think they should improve. Apple has about $40-60 discounts so I will save some money.

I am going to best buy soon to play with it, I think I will love it. I loved my iPad 4, but it was just so heavy and bulky!!

Not saying I am getting the iPad Air for sure, but it appears likely.
 
I'm in the same boat as OP, however I am leaning towards the Air because I am now without an iPad for the first time in several years and I am getting a little antsy without one. I am not certain that I can hold out until late November, or later in a worse case scenario.

A friend is getting an Air on Monday, so I will get a chance to play with it and make a decision at that point.
 
I waffled like a nut job because this is my first tablet and I had no experience to pull on as to where my preferences.

I see pros and cons to both sizes. Reading posts here just confused me more, lol. There are so many posts adamantly proclaiming one over the other. After several trips to the Apple store for test drives, I ultimately went with the Air and have never looked back. You need to consider your usage and portability needs while weighing how much the screen size difference affects how you plan to use it.
 
Already have a MBA Air so having an iPad Air seems a bit redundant.

I can't see myself doing any productivity work on an iPad Air without a bluetooth keyboard, stylus, actual multitasking, etc. My MBA is powerful, I can pull up two, three, four screens at once do write papers, do keynotes, email, web browsing etc. Plus with Haswell it lasts more than all day and with Parallels 9, I have access to Windows 7 as well.

That being said, I hate watching videos on my MBA especially YouTube videos. Browsing iTunes, App Store, iBooks also isn't really good. With my iPad 1 I liked reading books and pdfs on it a lot more.

It seems that iPad is for consumption and entertainment while MacBook is for productivity.

I would probably go for the iPad Mini 32GB.
 
I sold my iPad 3 to get a 1st generation Mini, and I loved the light weight and the ease of carrying. It was great for reading books. However, there are some things that are simply better and easier to do on the full-sized iPad, such as typing, web browsing, and reading magazines. I subscribe to a few digital magazines, and reading those on the Mini was frustrating, not just because it was non-retina, but because of the medicine bottle-tiny text that I was constantly having to zoom in on to read comfortably. The Mini w/retina will make everything sharper, but tiny text is still tiny text. Since getting the iPad Air, I've rediscovered the joy of magazine reading without zooming constantly, as well as web browsing. The display on my Air is beautiful.
 
I'm torn on this as well. I have a MBA 13" and currently an iPad 3. I don't use my iPad as much anymore but the new weight and size of the Air is tempting me. My main concern is battery life. I've heard amazing things about the Air getting way more than 10 hours and I'm curious as to how the rMini will perform. I think that will be the key in deciding.
 
I use a MBA11 2012 for photo edits right now which is my main form of work. I purchased the Air this past week and compared to the mini I have, the screen just seems much larger and more comfortable for typing. I'm a touch typist so using the onscreen keyboard is a breeze and is actually faster than typing on a traditional keyboard. I have had every generation of iPad before except for the 4 since the 3/retina was almost the same thing except for power which I already thought was plenty fast. The mini was fast enough and convenient enough due to the size but with iOS7 now, I'm getting a lot of memory issues and just general lag. It's not that it's unusable, it's just that it's a little more clunky. Email is better on the iPad than on the MBA and most basic functions I need such as word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, web browsing, music, videos, and apps are all done on the iPad since it's just faster and smoother. What I really need is Aperture and Thunderbolt2 storage on a Pro iPad to really have a better editing machine which is just fast. Everything else can get differed onto a Mac Pro, iMac, or a Retina MBP which are all now stationary for me. So if you need a full sized iPad, the Air is right now the best option while if you need to fit the iPad into a purse or a small bag or you are using an iPad for extended periods of time, the mini Retina will be better. The PPI of the screens won't really make that huge of a difference in real life usage even if you are a photographer.
 
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Both, if you have the cash. Air for home and Mini for mobile. If not, then depends what you need it for more. Unless you know you value a larger screen, the Mini is probably more versatile.
 
g808 said:
Both, if you have the cash. Air for home and Mini for mobile. If not, then depends what you need it for more. Unless you know you value a larger screen, the Mini is probably more versatile.
Click to expand...

Two iPads are just inconvenient and a bit ridiculous even if an individual had the excess amount of money to waste. If one was a work iPad, and one was personal then maybe it could be justified. It just doesn't make sense in my opinion.
 
stephen1108 said:
Two iPads are just inconvenient and a bit ridiculous even if an individual had the excess amount of money to waste. If one was a work iPad, and one was personal then maybe it could be justified. It just doesn't make sense in my opinion.
Click to expand...

Unless you're DetriotBorg. That guy has EVERYTHING!!
 
stephen1108 said:
Two iPads are just inconvenient and a bit ridiculous even if an individual had the excess amount of money to waste. If one was a work iPad, and one was personal then maybe it could be justified. It just doesn't make sense in my opinion.
Click to expand...

That's your opinion and of course you are free to express it. Some of us rather have different tools for different use cases (not necessarily work and personal) and value our time and convenience more than the cost of an iPad. We don't share your opinion that this is ridiculous or a waste.
 
Having two "different" iPads is not inconceivable. Different applications/usage for both. Especially with the way cloud sync works for most everything, it can make sense to have a iPad Air for at home and take an iPad Mini on the go.

That said, my intention was originally to get myself a rMini when it came out. My mother bought a Mini (1st gen) about two months ago. When she comes over to watch the kids she brings it and so I got to play with it. Having owned all the beefier iPads, it was a welcome change, except for reverting back to 1024x786 resolution; rMini solved that issue. When the Air released, I checked it out in store and immediately knew I wanted to get that instead. Even with every intention of getting the rMini up to that point, I just felt that the Air had given the full-size iPad enough of a diet that it was much easier to manage. It had also solved every issue in one way or another that I had with the full sized iPads -- Pointy tapered edges, mono speaker, weight, bezel size.

The iPad Mini still wins out in size and portability, but it was really a wash for me since I carry my laptop briefcase everywhere, with my 15" rMBP and the iPad (whichever one I chose to go with) was going into one of the side pockets.

Really, it comes down to preference because they are essentially the same device, except for the (nearly) 2" screen difference.
 
Well, the Retina iPad Mini is now available much sooner than I thought it would be, and the shipping times aren't that bad. 13 days left to decide. I heard that the iPad Mini screen is very sharp, but that the colors are not very vivid, and I think that's because Apple did not mention that the screen has 44% greater color saturation like they did back with the 3rd gen iPad and iPhone 5.

Does anyone expect the Retina iPad Mini to have a small discount on Black Friday?
 
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