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Really???? So those that make internet speculations, (that has never even touched the new mini iPad 4) is claiming what its performance output will be better than the actual creator that establishes their own benchmarks and performance standards??? If Apple says the new mini 4 has "the power and performance of the iPad Air 2 packed into a smaller mini enclosure" then that's what it will have. Both products are theirs to make that assessment.
 
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Some people are too much obsessed with specs. ram, cores, processor speed, it's not all about that...you have to think about battery life, heat dissipation and other aspects that have influence on your user experience too. Maybe someone prefer to have an ipad mini with a9x tricore and 4gb ram(alienware minds) that could weigh 600 gr and measure 1 cm(depth). But apple only try to give the best possible user experience with a state-of-the-art design. It's correct, ipad air2 and mini 4 have the same amount of pixels, so you are going to get better performance with air2 a8x. But maybe you don't like ipad air 2 size, and love the ipad mine because its portability (only weigh 298 gr!!). now apple gives you the possibilty to have the best possible performace in the ipad mini small body. I love the ipad mini. It's the perfect size for me and if I could confirm that it has 2gb ram and improved color gamut, finally, I will have the iPad that I've always wanted to have.
 
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Very well said. I have played the spec sheet war the last year while trying to find a Android counter part to the IPad. After buying and using multiple tablets, I came to the conclusion that spec sheets mean nothing with actual user applications. Awesome specs with lags or stuttering with the simplest task. Yet my old iPad 3 chugged right along perfectly smooth performing the same task.. "How is this possible?" I kept asking myself??

Some people are too much obsessed with specs. ram, cores, processor speed, it's not all about that...you have to think about battery life, heat dissipation and other aspects that have influence on your user experience too. Maybe someone prefer to have an ipad mini with a9x tricore and 4gb ram(alienware minds) that could weigh 600 gr and measure 1 cm(depth). But apple only try to give the best possible user experience with a state-of-the-art design. It's correct, ipad air2 and mini 4 have the same amount of pixels, so you are going to get better performance with air2 a8x. But maybe you don't like ipad air 2 size, and love the ipad mine because its portability (only weigh 298 gr!!). now apple gives you the possibilty to have the best possible performace in the ipad mini small body. I love the ipad mini. It's the perfect size for me and if I could confirm that it has 2gb ram and improved color gamut, finally, I will have the iPad that I've always wanted to have.
 
close doesn't mean same. It's still eligible for a sue.

Not a chance, at least not in the U.S. Maybe in the E.U., I don't know. It's classic marketing-speak. "...we've taken the power and performance of the Air 2 and put it in the Mini..." That's not a promise of any specific hardware, and no court in the U.S. would ever interpret it that way. Not even a Texas jury would rule for you.
 
Not a chance, at least not in the U.S. Maybe in the E.U., I don't know. It's classic marketing-speak. "...we've taken the power and performance of the Air 2 and put it in the Mini..." That's not a promise of any specific hardware, and no court in the U.S. would ever interpret it that way. Not even a Texas jury would rule for you.

+1 The terms "Power" and "Performance" are very subjective terms and I'm sure Apple has a whole host of Power and Performance specs that would back up their claim that "we've taken the power and performance of the Air 2 and put it in the mini". Performance could be interpreted as "battery life performance" for example.....any number of ways they could spin this.
 
Or quite simply "An A8 class CPU in the mini" which technically is what the Air 2 has, albeit a higher spec'd A8X version with an extra CPU core and additional 4 GPU cores.
 
I solved my IPad 3 replacement dilemma by buying an Air 2 instead of the mini 4. I've happily used the IPad 3 daily for as long as I've had it. The Air2 is going to be lighter and faster and has the "X". I did it for the "X". :)
 
Or quite simply "An A8 class CPU in the mini" which technically is what the Air 2 has, albeit a higher spec'd A8X version with an extra CPU core and additional 4 GPU cores.

Nope.

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Nope what?

Look at the CPU and GPU specs

iPad Air 2
CPU: 1.4x faster
GPU: 2.5x faster

iPad Mini 4
CPU: 1.3x faster
GPU: 1.6x faster

than the A7

How can the iPad Mini 4 have "a higher spec'd A8X version with an extra CPU core and additional 4 GPU cores."?
 
Look at the CPU and GPU specs

iPad Air 2
CPU: 1.4x faster
GPU: 2.5x faster

iPad Mini 4
CPU: 1.3x faster
GPU: 1.6x faster

than the A7

How can the iPad Mini 4 have "a higher spec'd A8X version with an extra CPU core and additional 4 GPU cores."?

You have taken that wrong. I said the mini 4 has an A8 but the Air 2 has an A8X which has the extra cores. The only thing that is a little uncertain is the difference in CPU claims. Either Apple are referring to single threaded performance or the mini 4 also has a tri-core CPU. I would assume it is the former though.
 
Does this comment apply for both iPad and iPad Mini?

I am very VERY dissapointed that there is no iPad Air 3 this year (bad Apple!) thus I think I am moving to Mini 4 just because I don't want to buy Air 2 which is considered last year's product. So I want to get comments and opinion on Mini esp. its' battery.

Yes it applies to both imo. Apple seems to get more out of their batteries than most. I had the first Mini when it came out and I never had issues with the battery. I am also disappointed there was no iPad Air 3 this year.
 
You have taken that wrong. I said the mini 4 has an A8 but the Air 2 has an A8X which has the extra cores. The only thing that is a little uncertain is the difference in CPU claims. Either Apple are referring to single threaded performance or the mini 4 also has a tri-core CPU. I would assume it is the former though.

If the A8 "second generation" had three cores, you certainly would have thought it would have been plugged somewhere. Since this is Apple, it's hard to be sure, though.
 
A7- 1st generation 64-bit processor
A8/A8x - 2nd generation 64-bit processor
A9/A9X - 3rd generation 64-bit processor

Ipad mini 4's A8 is not a "second generation a8". It's a tweaked version between A8 and A8X(higher performance than iphone 6's a8 with 2gb ram and lower performance graphics than ipad air 2's a8x).
But again, stop worring about that...words from apple mean that you have the updates of the ipad air 2, now in the mini size (same thickness, less weight, full-laminated display with perfect colours(hopefully)and without air gap, a8 power/efficience...and more improved things that we'll know when someone could review one!) .
As an industrial engineer, I can tell you that packing the same technology in a smaller body is more difficult, a lot difficult sometimes...think about the perfect size for you, not about 100 mhz more or 500 point more in geekbench. Buy it now if you want/need one
 
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I solved my IPad 3 replacement dilemma by buying an Air 2 instead of the mini 4. I've happily used the IPad 3 daily for as long as I've had it. The Air2 is going to be lighter and faster and has the "X". I did it for the "X". :)

I hope that your choice has been based in your screen size preferences, not for that "X".
It's only a question of putting your hands in both models. In that moment, you decide based on the size, weight...but not based on mhz. For example, people who prefer 4,7" iphone 6 size and buyed iphone 6 plus because of higher pixel density, optical image stabilization and more battery (so better specs), finally were disappointed and, at last , lot of them change their 6 plus for regular 6 iphone...
 
full-laminated display with perfect colours(hopefully)and without air gap said:
It would be great if the iPad Mini 4 had the same display of the iPad Air 2. Last week I played sometime with an Air 2 and the "sensation" of the images "so close" to you is really great.
 
Last year it was definitely iPad Air 2.

But this year I am actually torn. iPad Air 2 is last year's product. iPad Mini 4 seems a better choice based on the fact that it is 'new'.

All they did this year was bring the mini on par with the Air 2. So it's not as if the tech inside is any newer. It's the same tech (except the A2 has a slightly better chip).
 
All they did this year was bring the mini on par with the Air 2. So it's not as if the tech inside is any newer. It's the same tech (except the A2 has a slightly better chip).

And much slower graphics, if that matters for your uses.
 
I think we all agree the IPad Air 2 is a outstanding performer and now we should have a mini with the same capabilities. Splitting hairs between the Air 2 and Mini 4 in real world performance won't be noticed. At least that is what Apple is saying. Pro , Air2, and Mini 4 is a win, win, win choice.
 
I hope that your choice has been based in your screen size preferences, not for that "X".
It's only a question of putting your hands in both models. In that moment, you decide based on the size, weight...but not based on mhz....
Great advice! The final decision between the 2 will be even easier since Staples is selling the Air 2 64GB for $499 this week. So once you decide on screen size, the price is irrelevant!
 
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Just sold my Air 2 for the Mini 4. I would have purchased the Mini over the Air 2 if they had the same internals but they didn't.

I much prefer the form factor of the Mini.
 
Just sold my Air 2 for the Mini 4. I would have purchased the Mini over the Air 2 if they had the same internals but they didn't.

I much prefer the form factor of the Mini.

Same here, I had the Mini Original and Mini 2 and would have bought the Mini 3 last year had the internals been on par with the Air 2. Since they were not, I bought the Air Original to "limp" along with for the last year (after having sold the Mini 2 in anticipation of a "real" update for the Mini 3). Just sold the Air Original and looking forward to getting back to the Mini's form factor....which I much prefer. I tried the Samsung S2 (I'm typing on it now). Love the light weight, thin design and beautiful display, but the battery life is not cutting it, nor are the selection of tablet optimized apps for Android. It's going back....to be replaced by the Mini 4......baring no Apple "surprises" (ie 1GB ram, etc...)......which I don't anticipate.....but!
 
And much slower graphics, if that matters for your uses.

What's the use of graphics beside for gaming?

I thought it is not only important for gaming but also to drive those pixels. Do things such as fluidness also affected by it?
 
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