Hands-On With Apple's New iPad Air 3 and iPad Mini 5

[NickName99]

Question to anybody with the new mini. Does it support fast charging?

Thanks!

Great question. My iPad Mini isn’t low enough on battery yet to test, but I’ll post back when it is. I fast charge my iPhone X using USB-C PD.

 

[Crowbot]

Noooo! I always liked the Apple case in the first gen iPad. I want one of those too.

Me too but I'm not letting my mini go around neckkid. I may go for a more rugged back case.
[doublepost=1553962150][/doublepost]

Mini Pro feature, I am curious if the screen will be enlarged or the physical body shrink.

iPad line up is looking like a mess.

I'm hoping that if the mini 5 is popular Apple may go for a mini pro.

 

[macsforme]

With devices that have the glass laminated to the screen, I assume you are looking at replacing the LCD too if you crack the glass?

I’ve replaced the glass a couple of times on my iPad 2. Cracking the glass seems to be one of the more prevalent ways of damaging these devices.

 

[SSDGUY]

I bought an iPad Mini yesterday. It's great, very comfortable for doodling on, and a great reader. And the first iPad I've bothered to set up Touch ID on. People who hate on "but the bezels" can go suck an egg - this is very comfortable to hold. I'm sure Apple will provide a Pro version in a few years if you REALLY want to spend a few more hundred for bezels and a flat clip-on pencil.

I don't get the fuss about bezels. In my experience you need a non-active area around the screen for holding the device comfortably and securely. As soon as bezels go away, some UI designer will put a button right near the edge that will be accidentally touched; or worse – a clickable ad on the side column of a web page.
[doublepost=1553965202][/doublepost]

The physical-click Home button is what baffles me. I wonder if they are recycling these components from older devices? I'd be surprised, since this clickable button does tend to wear out. The haptic Home button was a smart upgrade, so it's confusing why Apple didn't standardize on that. Maybe the haptic feedback is not as effective on a tablet vs a phone?

I prefer the caveman-esque physical button. I know a lot of people have had trouble with them, but after four iPhones and an iPad I've never had one go bad. Lucky I guess? #backtomycave

 

[otternonsense]

Only thing I see that’s recycled are your comments. At least you’re consistent.

iPad Mini has never had a P3 display with TrueTone. It’s never supported a stylus. And Apple shipped it with their latest SoC (meaning these new iPad will absolutely and totally obliterate any Android tablet in the world).

Sure, they plugged a new screen component into a 4 year old chassis and that's not considered recycling somehow. Sure.

I don't care about Android tablets. I'm happy with my 10.5" Pro. But for 2019 releases I expected more.

 

[ZivaD]

I had the 11” pro, new pencil and a keyboard case in my cart the day of launch but decided that I just didn't want it, the big iPads are a pain to hold and use (typing this on my pro now) I missed the new mini being released, ordered it as soon as I spotted it was already out on macrumors, can’t wait, the mini is perfectly sized.
Never had any problems with the physical buttons, even my day one iPad mini 2 is still going strong.

 

[iSayuSay]

I agree. I own both the iPad Pro 10.5” and the iPhone 7 Plus, the latter I purchased on day 1. I’m used to the haptic pseudo-button of the iPhone 7 Plus now but the physical button in the iPad Pro 10.5” still feels better after all these years.

In contrary I love the haptic touch of iPhone “fake button”. It’s light and just a subtle click that feels satisfying. That is of course just my preference.

In any case, the mechanical home button is the point of failure and so I learn to navigate my old 10.5” without ever pressing the home button, or at least trying to. That is very doable with iOS 12 on my iPad. The gestures are similar to the newest pro.

Strangely enough the iOS 12 on the 7+ wouldn’t let me do it, it keeps forcing me to make use of the home button.

 

[jonnysods]

Good to see the Mini display getting an update too...

 

[subjonas]

Why no mention of touch ID 1 or 2? Especially if it’s been upgraded to 2, that’s a huge selling point to leave out.

 

[EugW]

Why no mention of touch ID 1 or 2? Especially if it’s been upgraded to 2, that’s a huge selling point to leave out.

98% customers wouldn't know the difference anyway. I personally do like to know these things, but I can understand why Apple doesn't bother mentioning it.

But yes, it's Touch ID 2.

 

[Solomani]

Well , am waiting for the mini to release in India , except for Pencil 2 support rest of my requirements have been ticked....How quick is charging ? Have read reports that the charging on mini is slow ...

It might be faster if you use (optional buy) the compatible Apple 18-W USB-C charger with the USB-to-Lightning cable. Apple's website states that BOTH are compatible with the iPad Mini 5 (2019).



[doublepost=1553970767][/doublepost]

98% customers wouldn't know the difference anyway. I personally do like to know these things, but I can understand why Apple doesn't bother mentioning it.

But yes, it's Touch ID 2.

Can you point to somewhere that makes the distinction?

 

[EugW]

Can you point to somewhere that makes the distinction?

It's been mentioned in some reviews, and it's on Wiki already.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Touch_ID#Generations

 

[subjonas]

98% customers wouldn't know the difference anyway. I personally do like to know these things, but I can understand why Apple doesn't bother mentioning it.

But yes, it's Touch ID 2.

Thanks, I heard from several users that it’s Touch ID 2. And I understand why Apple doesn’t mention it, but I’m wondering why it’s not mentioned on a tech site like MR.

 

[Nobbynobbs]

Thanks, I heard from several users that it’s Touch ID 2. And I understand why Apple doesn’t mention it, but I’m wondering why it’s not mentioned on a tech site like MR.

I went to the Brighton Apple store today and on the specs sheets it states that the Air 3 has Touch ID 2 but the Mini 5 has Touch ID 1.

I thought that it was odd and spoke to a genius who confirmed it..

Why would Apple not put Touch ID 2 in the new Mini???

 

[EugW]

Thanks, I heard from several users that it’s Touch ID 2. And I understand why Apple doesn’t mention it, but I’m wondering why it’s not mentioned on a tech site like MR.

Since you mentioned MacRumors: They also said that the Air and mini have the same SoC as the iPad Pros, which is of course false.

At 4:52 in this video:

I went to the Brighton Apple store today and on the specs sheets it states that the Air 3 has Touch ID 2 but the Mini 5 has Touch ID 1.

I thought that it was odd and spoke to a genius who confirmed it..

Why would Apple not put Touch ID 2 in the new Mini???

If true then the initial reports and Wikipedia are incorrect. I haven’t seen ant complaints about Touch ID speed/reliability on the mini though, so I’m skeptical.

 

[subjonas]

I went to the Brighton Apple store today and on the specs sheets it states that the Air 3 has Touch ID 2 but the Mini 5 has Touch ID 1.

I thought that it was odd and spoke to a genius who confirmed it..

Why would Apple not put Touch ID 2 in the new Mini???

What?? That’s the first I heard that it’s Touch ID 1. If true, wow that is very disappointing.
Can anyone else confirm?

Since you mentioned MacRumors: They also said that the Air and mini have the same SoC as the iPad Pros, which is of course false.

At 4:52 in this video:

Yeah that’s not good...

What do you make of the user’s comment above about it being Touch ID 1 according to the Apple store?

 

[cristianvaldez]

The physical-click Home button is what baffles me. I wonder if they are recycling these components from older devices? I'd be surprised, since this clickable button does tend to wear out. The haptic Home button was a smart upgrade, so it's confusing why Apple didn't standardize on that. Maybe the haptic feedback is not as effective on a tablet vs a phone?

I’ve been using ipads since forever and never had a problem with a clickable home button ..

 

[Joniz]

I went to the Brighton Apple store today and on the specs sheets it states that the Air 3 has Touch ID 2 but the Mini 5 has Touch ID 1.

I thought that it was odd and spoke to a genius who confirmed it..

Why would Apple not put Touch ID 2 in the new Mini???

May require retooling the manufacturing, which, it seems, Apple's trying to avoid with these two.

I wonder if people are getting the impression that it’s TID 2 because the screen seems to unlock faster, but it only appears to unlock faster due to the much faster A12.

 

[Mimiron]

Why not mention that both don’t have screens with 120 Hz refresh rate in the video compared to the older model? Seems like an important thing to me.

 

[Mendota]

My birthday is Monday, (no jokes please) and I am picking up my new Air. I already have the first Apple pencil and this is just what I have been waiting for! Perfect to go with my 12.9 inch iPad pro.

 

[subjonas]

Why not mention that both don’t have screens with 120 Hz refresh rate in the video compared to the older model? Seems like an important thing to me.

Well, the mini never had promotion, and it depends on how you look at the new air—as an air 2 replacement or a 10.5 Pro replacement. I know it’s the same form factor as the 10.5 pro but I think most would say it’s not meant to replace it (that would be the 11” pro), only meant to replace the air 2.

 

[NickName99]

May require retooling the manufacturing, which, it seems, Apple's trying to avoid with these two.

I wonder if people are getting the impression that it’s TID 2 because the screen seems to unlock faster, but it only appears to unlock faster due to the much faster A12.

That’s a good point about the A12 possibly speeding it up. My iPad Mini 5 TouchID feels pretty much instant, so I don’t care which version it is. I remember TouchID feeling much quicker going from my iPhone 6 to my iPhone 6S back in the day, and my iPad Mini 5 feels more like the iPhone 6S did.

 

[EugW]

I went to the Brighton Apple store today and on the specs sheets it states that the Air 3 has Touch ID 2 but the Mini 5 has Touch ID 1.

I thought that it was odd and spoke to a genius who confirmed it..

Why would Apple not put Touch ID 2 in the new Mini???

Touch ID is faster on the iPhone 6s (Touch ID 2) than it is on the iPad Air 2 (Touch ID 1).

However, the CPU performance between the two devices is about the same.

 

[JetTester]

Looking forward to getting my hands on the new Air!

 

[Lozza013]

Can't wait for my Mini, although I have to wait another week. Oh well.