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?

It definitely does. I just charged from 38% to 49% in 10 minutes using my 18w USB-C PD charger with my Apple USB-C to lightning bolt cable. I then depleted the battery back down to 40%, plugged in the included 12w iPad charger, let it charge for 10 minutes, and it went from 40% to 46%. So with my 18w USB-C PD charger it charges almost twice as fast.

 

[iSayuSay]

It definitely does. I just charged from 38% to 49% in 10 minutes using my 18w USB-C PD charger with my Apple USB-C to lightning bolt cable. I then depleted the battery back down to 40%, plugged in the included 12w iPad charger, let it charge for 10 minutes, and it went from 40% to 46%. So with my 18w USB-C PD charger it charges almost twice as fast.

In a short, quick battery top up, yes you may see a faster recharge rate, it's 18w vs 12w anyway. But in a full cycle, the difference may be negligible. After 80% the rate is slowing down, no matter how big your brick is.

If you have a 18w USB-C brick laying around well great! But a 12w should also doing a good job charging up the Mini. I wouldn't deliberately buy a 18w just for a quick charge. But if I have a Macbook brick somewhere, I would use that indeed.

This is a good testing video, if you want to watch it?

 

[NickName99]

In a short, quick battery top up, yes you may see a faster recharge rate, it's 18w vs 12w anyway. But in a full cycle, the difference may be negligible. After 80% the rate is slowing down, no matter how big your brick is.

If you have a 18w USB-C brick laying around well great! But a 12w should also doing a good job charging up the Mini. I wouldn't deliberately buy a 18w just for a quick charge. But if I have a Macbook brick somewhere, I would use that indeed.

An 18w USB-C PD charger will charge it from 0 to full in a bit more than half the time as the included 12w charger. Charging from 0 to 80% is more than twice as fast using an 18w USB-C PD charger. Here’s a site where they tested it thoroughly using a larger capacity iPad Pro:

http://www.chargerlab.com/archives/1195.html

I’m sure for most people the included 12w charger will be just fine, but it’s great to know there’s an option that’s twice as fast. I spent about $10 on my 18w USB PD charger, and another $19 for the cable. In their testing at the site I linked, they found that there was only an 18 minute improvement in full charge time from 18w to 61w, so I wouldn’t worry about going higher than 18w.

 

[iSayuSay]

An 18w USB-C PD charger will charge it from 0 to full in a bit more than half the time as the included 12w charger. Charging from 0 to 80% is more than twice as fast using an 18w USB-C PD charger. Here’s a site where they tested it thoroughly using a larger capacity iPad Pro:

http://www.chargerlab.com/archives/1195.html

I’m sure for most people the included 12w charger will be just fine, but it’s great to know there’s an option that’s twice as fast. I spent about $10 on my 18w USB PD charger, and another $19 for the cable. In their testing at the site I linked, they found that there was only an 18 minute improvement in full charge time from 18w to 61w, so I wouldn’t worry about going higher than 18w.

Well that’s great to know. I do hope upcoming iPhones and iPads ditch USB-A and going with at least 18w USB PD charger in the box.

Though I still have some doubts given how Apple still giving a meagre 5w brick on a $1299 iPhones LOL.

 

[NickName99]

Well that’s great to know. I do hope upcoming iPhones and iPads ditch USB-A and going with at least 18w USB PD charger in the box.

Though I still have some doubts given how Apple still giving a meagre 5w brick on a $1299 iPhones LOL.

Oh man, right? iPhone XS Max, 5w charger? That’s nuts. I mean, I guess if you can afford a $1299 phone, you can afford to spend another $30-$50 to get nice charging speed. It just seems so petty though.

I was thinking about the video you linked, and I get the impression that the charging time improvement is bigger for iPads than it is for iPhones. With a 12w charger, it’s pretty good on an iPhone. But USB-C PD saves so much time on an iPad! This is my first iPad, so this is all kind of fun and new for me.

 

[efktd]

Not sure if this comment has appeared on any of the new iPad Air threads, but it's basically what we expected for the second generation 10.5 iPad to be, right? I mean, they weren't going to release a 10.5 design and not milk it for a couple of years?

 

[iSayuSay]

Oh man, right? iPhone XS Max, 5w charger? That’s nuts. I mean, I guess if you can afford a $1299 phone, you can afford to spend another $30-$50 to get nice charging speed. It just seems so petty though.

I was thinking about the video you linked, and I get the impression that the charging time improvement is bigger for iPads than it is for iPhones. With a 12w charger, it’s pretty good on an iPhone. But USB-C PD saves so much time on an iPad! This is my first iPad, so this is all kind of fun and new for me.

LOL I know right?? I guess the real question is if I already spent $1K ++ for a phone, why would I have to spend another $$ for a better charging? That should be a given. In most Android phones, a 10w brick is standard. Some includes a nice freebies like a soft case, cleaning cloth and all those amenities out of the box.

I've even seen a Xiaomi phone that costs less than $500 and it comes with a wireless charger IN THE BOX!
https://www.gizmochina.com/2018/10/...-mix-3-show-it-comes-with-a-wireless-charger/

I know we wouldn't see these things with Apple stuff, but a higher powered charger shouldn't be that difficult.

 

[kazmac]

I love the Mini.

A minor hiccup (the on screen keyboard won’t always collapse in Safari when I press the keyboard icon so I have refresh the web page to get rid of it), but it does just about everything I want an iPad to do, so I am happy.

 

[Wokis]

Picked up the mini 5 this weekend. The touchID is near instantaneous and behaves like other touchID2 devices I own.

Best sized ipad also Im so glad the line got refreshed. I gave up in 2017 and went for the new 9,7 inch model, but while the performance was decent the size has always hindered me from wanting it to bring it anywhere.

 

[Loucifer]

I had a an iPad Mini, which I felt was an indulgence: I only really bought it for reading the Guardian (UK Newspaper) on public transport! I gave it to my mum as a present, and we can FaceTime now, which is great. However, I have missed my Mini a lot: iPhone X is too small for reading, and MacBook Pro 13'' too cumbersome on crowded tubes (underground trains for North American cousins), so I am going to get a new Mini. It's definitely the best size for reading, especially newspapers, and academic papers saved as PDF's on Books. I love its weight and size.

 

[lyngo]

I have an iPhone 6S and I LOVE the clicky button. It feels great. My friend has an iPhone 7 and the not pressable "button" feels just wrong, outright "hurts" to press down on.

Hurts? How? Like sliver in your finger hurts? I tend to think an observation such as this is a little bit extreme.

 

[Stoianski]

I have a very old iPad (3), so it is about time for an upgrade. A question to the owners of mini 5 and air 3: do these Pads support a split keyboard? I know this function is lost on the 11 And 12.5 Pros

Another question, re the Kindle app. The Kindle app on my iPad is not the latest version and that is why I am asking about this. The integrated dictionary in the app is The new Oxford American dictionary. In my (old) version, the dictionary has in addition to the word explanations some thing called "the right word". See below, for example for the word 'get'. It is at the end of the word explanation, after 'Origin' and 'Usage', and it is kind of comparison of several words meanings that are synonyms. In this example for acquire, attain, gain, get, obtain, procure, secure. Does this still stay in the latest updates of the Kindle app? I am asking, because I see that it is gone for the kindle app on Android using the same dictionary. The word explanation simply ends with the Usage. Can someone please check?

Thanks

 

[geekiemac]

I have a very old iPad (3), so it is about time for an upgrade. A question to the owners of mini 5 and air 3: do these Pads support a split keyboard? I know this function is lost on the 11 And 12.5 Pros

Another question, re the Kindle app. The Kindle app on my iPad is not the latest version and that is why I am asking about this. The integrated dictionary in the app is The new Oxford American dictionary. In my (old) version, the dictionary has in addition to the word explanations some thing called "the right word". See below, for example for the word 'get'. It is at the end of the word explanation, after 'Origin' and 'Usage', and it is kind of comparison of several words meanings that are synonyms. In this example for acquire, attain, gain, get, obtain, procure, secure. Does this still stay in the latest updates of the Kindle app? I am asking, because I see that it is gone for the kindle app on Android using the same dictionary. The word explanation simply ends with the Usage. Can someone please check?

Thanks

View attachment 829594

I'm afraid that's gone on the iPad too. There's no longer "Usage" either, by the way.



(click on the thumbnail for the full view)

EDIT: I'm not (yet) on my (ordered) Air 3, but still on my iPad Air 2. But the Kindle app is the latest version.

 

[Darmok N Jalad]

Just ordered the Air 10.5. I’ve been using the 2017 12.9 pro for most of a year, and I think I’m ready for something much lighter (50%) and easier to wield dimensionally. Having the largest screen is nice at times, but I think I can live without it. The 12.9 is just too awkward for typing and one-handing. Heck, it’s almost too much for even two handing, I usually rest it on my lap. The Air 2 was my favorite iPad form factor so far—I loved the thinness and lightness, and it never felt fragile. I just can’t bring myself to pay for the new Pros (which might not be strong enough anyway), so the 2019 Air looks to be the answer I was waiting for. I think it will be a very good seller for Apple, and I think it and the new mini will raise Apple’s average iPad selling price.

Waze doesn't need much hardware power -- if you mostly wanted to use this in your car, you'll be able to find iPad Mini 4 for half the price very soon.

That's a good idea to use mini to supplant the built-in nav unit. The nav unit in my SUV sucks too and for the price I paid for it I should get my money back. The only thing useful is it tells me upcoming Rest Areas which my portable Garmin does not do that.
[doublepost=1553946903][/doublepost]
I agree and this is where Apple make their money, pay a lot to upgrade on memory.
[doublepost=1553947039][/doublepost]I'm going to wait until the next holiday sale but if the Air was $100 lower I would buy today.

I also recommend HERE Maps—you can download the map files for your state/country, so you will have a working GPS whether you have cellular service or not. It updates those files over WiFi.

Oh man, right? iPhone XS Max, 5w charger? That’s nuts. I mean, I guess if you can afford a $1299 phone, you can afford to spend another $30-$50 to get nice charging speed. It just seems so petty though.

I was thinking about the video you linked, and I get the impression that the charging time improvement is bigger for iPads than it is for iPhones. With a 12w charger, it’s pretty good on an iPhone. But USB-C PD saves so much time on an iPad! This is my first iPad, so this is all kind of fun and new for me.

Personally, I’m not a huge fan of fast charging. I don’t need my phone to charge quickly, and my past experience is that fast charge really heats up the battery. Maybe it doesn’t matter, but I’d rather not stress my phone in that way if I don’t need it. I do, however, have iPad chargers in use, so I think those charge quicker anyway. I don’t notice heat, so maybe this process has improved?

 

[MiamiC70]

WTF, is there no 128GB option? God damn Apple constantly trying to **** over it’s customers over. $130 for cellular, $130 for 256GB by the time your done it’s an $800 iPad mini. 64GB is too little, 256GZb is not needed by most so the correct size is 128GB which of course is not available.

 

[EugW]

WTF, is there no 128GB option? God damn Apple constantly trying to **** over it’s customers over. $130 for cellular, $130 for 256GB by the time your done it’s an $800 iPad mini. 64GB is too little, 256GZb is not needed by most so the correct size is 128ZgZb which of course is not available.

That's why I did not buy the iPhone XS Max.

I got a 128 GB XR for the wife though.

Luckily, 64 GB on the 2017 10.5" iPad Pro is good enough for me for the time being. The entry level iPad's 32 GB is woefully insufficient, but there is no 64 GB option. (Not that I would have gotten the entry level anyway, since it's a pretty limited machine by 2019 standards.)

 

[josephebacon]

I got the new iPad mini on Friday. Do notice the speed improvement with the A12 chip. One thing I am noticing is that it doesn't jump to AT&T's 5E network like my iPhone and iPad Pro do. It only shows the LTE network.

 

[Stoianski]

I'm afraid that's gone on the iPad too. There's no longer "Usage" either, by the way.

View attachment 829608

(click on the thumbnail for the full view)

EDIT: I'm not (yet) on my (ordered) Air 3, but still on my iPad Air 2. But the Kindle app is the latest version.

Thank you!

 

[tt061282]

When the 2019 iPad Air 10.5" was announced, I thought it was a decent product, but really just a 10.5" iPad Pro Lite. Then I checked the refurb store and discovered Apple was selling the 2017 iPad Pro 10.5" for even less money, so I bought the iPad Pro instead.

The iPad Pro has a slightly slower SoC (A10X), but it has a better screen with ProMotion for 120 Hz and lower latency, quad speakers, higher resolution rear camera with larger aperture + Focus Pixels + optical image stabilization + 4K recording, rear flash (and flashlight), and 4 GB RAM.

In Canada, the best deal on the 2017 iPad Pro 10.5" is Apple's refurb store, but in the US, there are some excellent deals at retails stores. Also, for those looking for Face ID and screaming fast SoC, the 2018 11" has also gone on sale in the US at some retailers.

At first I was going to reply to your post and completely disagree, but after comparing the 2 side by side I think I pretty much agree. In all honesty the only place the iPad Air 3 trumps the 10.5” pro is in the SOC. However, as I have tried to explain for a few days.. the A10 and A10X series chips were so good that it still has better benchmarks than some 2019 Android devices. That tells me that Apple is so far ahead in the chip game that he performance difference would be less noticeable. What would be noticeable however would be the picture quality, the display difference as far as the 120HZ screen.

If you take the pros and cons and the fact that Apple is selling the Pro at $469 compared to $499 for the Air 3, I think the Pro is the actual better buy. Which if thought about is kinda crazy.

 

[mike9449]

Your review and the plethora of positive comments have convinced me to add the Mini5 to my Apple road warrior tool kit consisting of a 15” MacBook Pro, iPhone XR, And iPad Air2.

Thanks.

 

[EugW]

At first I was going to reply to your post and completely disagree, but after comparing the 2 side by side I think I pretty much agree. In all honesty the only place the iPad Air 3 trumps the 10.5” pro is in the SOC. However, as I have tried to explain for a few days.. the A10 and A10X series chips were so good that it still has better benchmarks than some 2019 Android devices. That tells me that Apple is so far ahead in the chip game that he performance difference would be less noticeable. What would be noticeable however would be the picture quality, the display difference as far as the 120HZ screen.

If you take the pros and cons and the fact that Apple is selling the Pro at $469 compared to $499 for the Air 3, I think the Pro is the actual better buy. Which if thought about is kinda crazy.

AppleInsider agrees too.

Why you should pick up the 2017 10.5-inch iPad Pro instead of the new iPad Air

 

[Darmok N Jalad]

At first I was going to reply to your post and completely disagree, but after comparing the 2 side by side I think I pretty much agree. In all honesty the only place the iPad Air 3 trumps the 10.5” pro is in the SOC. However, as I have tried to explain for a few days.. the A10 and A10X series chips were so good that it still has better benchmarks than some 2019 Android devices. That tells me that Apple is so far ahead in the chip game that he performance difference would be less noticeable. What would be noticeable however would be the picture quality, the display difference as far as the 120HZ screen.

If you take the pros and cons and the fact that Apple is selling the Pro at $469 compared to $499 for the Air 3, I think the Pro is the actual better buy. Which if thought about is kinda crazy.

I’m using Apple’s trade-in program to get the new Air. For some reason, Apple doesn’t seem to allow you to use trade-ins on refurb store purchases. I know I could sell my IPP elsewhere, but I just don’t like the hassle of that process and dealing with flakey buyers. Otherwise I might get the 10.5 pro as well.

EDIT: Nevermind. It looks like I can still do it, but I have to send in my old device first, get a store credit, then order. I guess if the old 10.5 Pro sells out, I'm no worse off, so I'm going with Plan B. Plus the Air 2019 is listed as not shipping until mid-April, but they are available in-store.

 

[RicD]

I'm buying the iPad Mini for sure! But IMHO the 64GB base model is a travesty. Someone at Apple who decided this was acceptable should be buried alive in Steve Jobs' grave.

Wow, that is a tacky statement.

Now, I will address your “travesty”. Those using Cloud web services storage, 64 GB is more than enough space. Since the release of the iPad Air 2 mine has been in constant use. Though my physical iPad has 128 GB of storage, of that space only 37.5 GB is used accessing my gazillion files, thousands of photos, and the like, all from the Cloud.

Reason my data is on the Cloud is quite understandable, safety. If the iPad goes South, accidentally I break it, is stolen, my data will neither be lost nor compromised. Purchase a new device, log in with my Apple credentials, all is back to normal. Having files locally and the above occurs then all is lost. As you can see, having 64 GB storage is not a travesty.

 

[phusaicr]

I love the Mini.

A minor hiccup (the on screen keyboard won’t always collapse in Safari when I press the keyboard icon so I have refresh the web page to get rid of it)

Same here on a 2017 10.5 Pro, since having updated to iOS 12.2.
I guess it is a software bug, not a hardware or model-specific issue.

 

[psac]

Wow, that is a tacky statement.

Now, I will address your “travesty”. Those using Cloud web services storage, 64 GB is more than enough space. Since the release of the iPad Air 2 mine has been in constant use. Though my physical iPad has 128 GB of storage, of that space only 37.5 GB is used accessing my gazillion files, thousands of photos, and the like, all from the Cloud.

Reason my data is on the Cloud is quite understandable, safety. If the iPad goes South, accidentally I break it, is stolen, my data will neither be lost nor compromised. Purchase a new device, log in with my Apple credentials, all is back to normal. Having files locally and the above occurs then all is lost. As you can see, having 64 GB storage is not a travesty.

Not the previous poster, but that's still using almost 60% of the available storage on a brand new device. I also agree the 128GB of the Mini4 was a much better option than either going down to 64 or paying $150 more (+50% of the device cost) for 256GB.