Click on an app in the App Store on your mini (portrait mode) and check out the small text which appears (e.g. in the Ratings and Reviews section) - is it me or is this really nice quality compared to Safari say at a similar font size? 
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iPad mini Excellent Quality Text in App Store App Summary?
- Thread starter AndyGarton
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I'm not sure I noticed a huge difference, but I do think Apple needs to optimize the font size for this device. I use the Atomic Web browser because it allows me to change and save the font size for individual websites. The Safari font size is just too small for comfortable reading.
I think/hope this means there is potential for an OS update to improve the quality of small text.
Just found out about the mercury browser. Try it out. Better font rendering and can change the default font size.
Instead of improving the quality of small text then how about eliminating it all together?
My opinion has always been that the lack of retina isn't what hurts the screen experience, it's the lack of a default for minimum text size.. Throughout the Mini you can see the UI and 1st party apps are ideal for a 9.7" tablet but a bit too small and jagged when scaled down for a 7.9".
Many 3rd party apps allow users to adjust text size so in apps like Kindle, Pocket, Flipboard etc then the default text is a bit small but the next size up looks great even without retina. So the fix isn't in new hardware, but an OS update that addresses text size.
This is a picture of the app store on the iPad Mini (back) vs iPhone 5 (front) where the iPhone text is actually bigger than the tablet text. Yes, the text is readable on both but it's far from ideal to have a 4" phone easier to read than a 7.9" tablet.
Attachments
Yes. The next iOS update should have the UI settings.
For default button icon size:
small, medium, large
For default text size:
9pt to 24pt
Eliminating small text is certainly an option, but if it can work acceptably in the app store (it's never going to be as great as a retina display of course), why not everywhere else?
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I did already try it, it helps in some sites for sure, but breaks others (especially forum post lists where text starts to overlap buttons) - as above though, just making the text larger may not be the answer.
I think there is a potential, but not sure if it's going to happen. It would mean the built-in app behavior is changed depending on whether it's running on a mini or not, and that kind of ruins the original argument of "iPad apps run unchanged on the mini"
I think the observations here are correct, and instead of everyone posting "iPad mini screen sucks" threads, it would be much wiser if everyone would start posting "Default text font and size in Safari on the iPad mini is not optimal for the screen" threads. Who wants to be the first to start?
last time someone tried (KittyKatta who posted here, in this thread, too), people were not getting the point.I think the observations here are correct, and instead of everyone posting "iPad mini screen sucks" threads, it would be much wiser if everyone would start posting "Default text font and size in Safari on the iPad mini is not optimal for the screen" threads. Who wants to be the first to start?
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1483173/
maybe a merge to not disseminate infos/posts?
I'd be disappointed to see this thread merged with that as my point is really different - the small text in the app store info section looks good. I don't know why, but it does! Obviously larger text looks better but I see "making everything larger" as a workaround rather than a real solution (apart from a retina display of course ).
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I am using Mercury browser because as you all have said Safari text is just too small. The fonts look not only bigger but a bit smoother to me using Mercury. I left feedback with Apple about this problem.
http://www.apple.com/feedback/ipad.html
http://www.apple.com/feedback/safari.html
http://www.apple.com/feedback/ipad.html
http://www.apple.com/feedback/safari.html
I don't have an iPad at hand... one question: is it true in landscape too?
It could be related to the text anti-aliasing tactic used for iOS, or this specific app.
Landscape is much better generally, even in Safari, so the difference between the app store and Safari is much less noticeable.
no, I mean,
you're talking about the app store. I ask you if the size of font is the same in landscape for the reviews.
because of orientation changes capability, sub-pixel anti-aliasing isn't used on iOS.
text in Safari could be anti-aliased differently than in the app store (not even talking about orientation).
I think it is anti aliased differently. The font in the App Store looks identical to me in portrait and landscape. As you say, Safari doesn't seem to have the same capability.