iPad Air 2 Display Praised for Antireflective Coating, but iPad Mini 3 Display Still Lags

[KPOM]

I normally rush out to buy each new iPad, and for the first time I'm skipping one. I don't understand Apple's approach these days. WTF happened to leading a category, not simply "catching up to the competition"??

The Air 2 is class-leading. Its processor is significantly better than any other competitor (even faster than the 64-bit 2.5GHz Tegra K-1 that Google is using in the Nexus 9, by virtue of being triple-core). As for the display, the differences between the iPad Air 2, and the Samsung and Microsoft tablets is very minor. Once you get to full or near-full color gamut and a bonded screen, there isn't much more that's possible.

Apple went ahead and boosted the processor and RAM, and made the device even thinner, which makes a difference. The next steps are likely software-related (better multi-tasking, more use of Metal and the new APIs).

Apple rarely has "led" the competition in a raw spec contest. The iPhone was the one of the last to get 3G, LTE, and NFC, for example, and to go large-screen. The iPad was the first, but its UI was largely a carryover from the iPhone.

 

[Crosscreek]

Real shame about this, which seems to be another issue added to Apple's growing list of half-assed product updates. It's saddening because you can feel they're getting complacent. In an ideal world they'd give every product the best possible update so that people feel the full benefit of the 'flawless Apple experience' that they can't stop talking about.

I'm really losing a lot of love with Apple recently.

I was planning on replacing my iPad 2. I'm not so sure now. I was planning on replacing my Mac Mini and there is no way I'm going to pay for a performance downgrade at twice the price.

 

[dannys1]

I agree on the iPad mini's poor screen (although that never stopped me enjoying it's use for one second this year) but not the Air not being as good as the Tab to my eyes at least.

 

[jm001]

The need for iPad Mini 3 decreased significantly with the introduction of iPhone 6 Plus and thinner, lighter iPad Air. And looks like apple lost faith in it too.

Maybe they'll abandon the 6+ next year and simply make the mini the new 6+ with new up to date specs. Now that would be a killer phablet.

 

[tattooedyuppie]

Gotta be honest- there's absolutely no noticeable difference with regard to reflectivity.

 

[KPOM]

Apple moves in mysterious ways. Goodness knows what they were thinking with the Mini 3, but it probably has something to do with maximizing sales of the Air 2. Once they have a nice impressive "x million sold" slide for the next keynote, I'm sure the Mini will quietly catch up.

In the meantime, the Mini 2 is a pretty good buy, if you're not too fussed about TouchID.

Remember that the original iPad mini was a generation behind the larger iPad when it first came out. It had the A5 while the iPad 4 had the A6. So Apple actually surprised everyone in 2013 when they released the iPad mini 2 with the A7, skipping the A6 altogether. I guess they really wanted iPad developers to move to 64-bit as soon as possible. (The $249 iPad mini is just there as a draw or for those who want an Apple but aren't going to use it for more than just web browsing and e-mail).

I wouldn't be surprised if this was the last time there was a special event for an iPad release. Already it was combined with the Yosemite event. Apple has released new MacBooks on several occasions with just press releases. They may do the same next year with the iPad. I think the original mini will be quietly retired soon after the holidays (just like the iPad 2 was quietly retired this February and the iPad 4 temporarily reintroduced).

 

[kemal]

Apple had to compromise on display efficiency (and battery capacity) to make it how much thinner?

 

[Rogifan]

Why would anyone buy a mini 3? If Apple didn't want to give it everything the Air has then just give the current mini Touch ID and drop the price.

 

[Traverse]

I want one....I want one real bad...

Can't wait for Halloween so I can get me one!

 

[keysofanxiety]

I was planning on replacing my iPad 2. I'm not so sure now. I was planning on replacing my Mac Mini and there is no way I'm going to pay for a performance downgrade at twice the price.

100% agreed on the Mac Mini. It's disgraceful what they did to it. They killed it.

...then they'll discontinue it, quoting 'poor sales' for the reason.

Sadly I'm too ingrained in the Apple ecosystem to make the effort to jump ship again. Bought my first MacBook in 2009 and first iPhone in 2010 and it's been poverty since then. Apple's recent laziness with product updates has a sniff of the '90s about it and I just really wish they made the effort to make each product as good as it can possibly be.

People aren't going to get Apple quality when buying the base products. "Products we'd use ourselves" my butt, Tim Cook.

 

[KPOM]

I was planning on replacing my iPad 2. I'm not so sure now. I was planning on replacing my Mac Mini and there is no way I'm going to pay for a performance downgrade at twice the price.

If you are upgrading from an iPad 2, the Air 2 is a significant improvement. You'd be going from the A5 to the A8X, plus getting the Retina screen, and getting a smaller, lighter device with the same size screen. Heck, even the mini 2 would be a significant improvement.

Gotta be honest- there's absolutely no noticeable difference with regard to reflectivity.

It appears to be similar to the anti-reflective coatings on eyeglasses. It makes a little bit of a difference, but mostly just dulls, rather than eliminates reflectivity.

 

[keysofanxiety]

Why would anyone buy a mini 3? If Apple didn't want to give it everything the Air has then just give the current mini Touch ID and drop the price.

They'd buy the Mini 3 because they trust Apple and see it's a 'new' iPad. To paraphrase Steve Jobs: "Customers trust us, and we make the decisions for them. They don't need to know about specs because they know we'll always make the best possible product."

Well prepare your anuses, Mini 3 buyers -- apparently it's not that Apple any more, and you've just been shafted for believing their BS. How can they possibly claim that Jobs' mentality is still ingrained in Apple's DNA, and pull a stunt like this with the Mini 3?

 

[KPOM]

Why would anyone buy a mini 3? If Apple didn't want to give it everything the Air has then just give the current mini Touch ID and drop the price.

That's sort of what they did with the 64GB and 128GB versions. They dropped the price $100 and added Touch ID. The difference is that they dropped the prices of the 16GB and 32GB iPad mini 2 by $100 and $150, also, which makes the minimal updates and lack of a price drop on the 16GB mini 3 stand out.

 

[Jsameds]

Gotta be honest- there's absolutely no noticeable difference with regard to reflectivity.

There definitely is.

Hold Air 1 and 2 side by side and reflect something like a TV screen on both. There's a big difference.

 

[Rogifan]

That's sort of what they did with the 64GB and 128GB versions. They dropped the price $100 and added Touch ID. The difference is that they dropped the prices of the 16GB and 32GB iPad mini 2 by $100 and $150, also, which makes the minimal updates and lack of a price drop on the 16GB mini 3 stand out.

Nothing about their mini updates makes sense this year. Why are they still selling the 1st gen mini with A5 chip? A5 chip needs to die already.

 

[rhysmorgan]

I'm surprised it didn't at least get the A8, but otherwise was not surprised given that the rumors from Ming-Chi Kuo that the mini was only getting minimal updates. My guess is that the mini 3 will appeal to those who need 64GB of 128GB of space and want Touch ID. The 64GB mini 3 is still $100 less than what Apple was selling the Mini 2 at that capacity before the launch. And Touch ID is very convenient. I'm guessing that the A7 is powerful enough for most iPad users, but agree that the A8 would have provided a psychological "justification" for the higher price.

Perhaps we'll see a more substantial update next year, or even mid-cycle, though I'm guessing that the iPad mini will likely remain a generation behind the iPad Air (i.e. 2013 was the exception, rather than the "new normal"). So perhaps the mid-2015 iPad mini 4 will sport an A8 (not the A8X) and a bonded screen with improved gamut, the mini 3 will drop into the $299 slot, and the mini 2 will be offered in a single capacity at $249.

I'm most pissed off about the fact they kept the non-Retina mini around.
Seriously, non-Retina displays need to die ASAP.

 

[Tom-Create-Pro]

There's very, very little point in getting the iPad mini 3 when the iPad mini 2 still exists.
What the hell were Apple thinking releasing such an incredibly mediocre update?

I guess they just wanted to make a quick buck. Not the best long term strategy.

 

[4jasontv]

Bigger screen, obviously.

Yes. To the point that having any other differences between the Air 2 and Mini 3 makes the decision difficult. It reminds me of buying a car. If I decide to save some money and not get it "fully loaded" I have to live with all of the snap in plates to remind me that I didn't get some feature. Now imagine you bought a new model car that still had plates because the the manufacturer choose not to include the feature on the model.

 

[Rogifan]

I'm most pissed off about the fact they kept the non-Retina mini around.
Seriously, non-Retina displays need to die ASAP.

This. A5 and non-retina need to die.

 

[redscull]

Just bought a 32GB Mini 2 from Apple for only $299. I have the Mini 3's release to thank for that $200 (40%) price drop, and for making me feel like I didn't really by year-old tech. Thanks Mini 3!

 

[IbisDoc]

iPad mini has been embarrassingly obsolete for 2 generations now.

 

[Michaelgtrusa]

Perhaps Apple was looking to save a little for a bigger margin?

 

[KPOM]

Nothing about their mini updates makes sense this year. Why are they still selling the 1st gen mini with A5 chip? A5 chip needs to die already.

It's to hit a price point. There never was a mini with the A6, and they aren't going to start now. They probably also don't want to sell the A7-equipped mini 2 for less than $299, and the $249 iPad mini makes the mini 2 an easier up-sell.

The mini updates make sense if the typical mini buyer is more focused on price than features. Some of the mini's historical customer base will be getting the iPhone 6 Plus as a "dual-purpose" device. The "power users" are being nudged up to the Air 2. The only part that perplexes me is not putting the A8 into the iPad mini 3, since it makes the base iPad mini 3 look overpriced.

Actually, last year's move was a little puzzling in that they sold the iPad Air with essentially the same internals as the mini 2 for $100 more. Sure, it had a better screen (in terms of color, but not resolution), but was it really $100 better? Today the iPad Air 2 definitely looks at least $100 better than the mini 3.

 

[ugru]

"The display on the iPad Air 2 [...] is actually slightly lower in performance than the original iPad Air (for example 8% lower Brightness and 16% lower display Power Efficiency) – most likely the result of an obsession with producing a thinner Tablet forcing compromises in the LCD backlight"

Thin-ness madness....

 

[jrswizzle]

Where are those wallpapers? Odd they would market the iPads with a wallpaper they don't include....