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All iPads iPad Air or Retina iPad Mini
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Hence the "will" in the question.
Retina Mini for me; I've wanted the mini since it came out, but just couldn't justify buying what was essentially a small iPad 2. Now that the full-size and mini have (assumedly) the same specs, it's no question.
I got the air. The mini is just to small for everyday use and when I'm out and about I have my 5S! 
It's all about the size. If you're going to use it only at home, you probably want the large riPad.
If you're carrying it around outside the home all the time, it depends on how you want to carry it. An iPad mini will fit in more places than an iPad Air.
There's also the screen size and what you're using the iPad for to consider.
Air or Mini
I'll be honest, I'm 70 and need glasses, so I bought the Air. The mini was also sitting right there and I did look at it. The Air's footprint is not that bad and the additional real estate is enjoyed. Will tell you one thing for a fact, the speed is like warp 10 Mr. sulu. Man it screams.
I'll be honest, I'm 70 and need glasses, so I bought the Air. The mini was also sitting right there and I did look at it. The Air's footprint is not that bad and the additional real estate is enjoyed. Will tell you one thing for a fact, the speed is like warp 10 Mr. sulu. Man it screams.
I purchased two 16MB white iPad Airs on the day it launched. I was expecting a line but I got to the store at 10:30am and there was no line and plenty of inventory. The iPads were for my wife and mother.
Since the rumors are pretty set that Apple will launch a new larger screen iPhone (suppose to be 5") for me there is no point in getting a mini. My next iPhone will probably be close to the size of the mini.
Though, I still use my old iPad 2 for watching Netflix.
Since the rumors are pretty set that Apple will launch a new larger screen iPhone (suppose to be 5") for me there is no point in getting a mini. My next iPhone will probably be close to the size of the mini.
Though, I still use my old iPad 2 for watching Netflix.
Completely agree! I have a Note 3 (5.7") and a Galaxy Tab 8.0 and there is a HUGE difference. I wouldn't be comfortable surfing on my Note 3 for an extended period of time but it's perfectly fine on the Tab 8.0.
I don't think people really understand how much difference a few inches makes when comparing the screen size of 2 devices.
Is both an option?
I have a mini right now, and was planning to hold out for the Retina version later this month, but stopped by the Apple Store over the weekend and saw the Air in person. It is very nice, and the weight reduction is a lot more than it looks like on paper. That said, I'll probably go with the Retina iPad mini since it is $100 less for the same internals.
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Or, for that matter, the 4x3 ratio 7.9" screen of the mini vs. the 16x9 ratio 7" screens of the Android competition. The mini's screen is 43% larger.
Is both an option?
I would have chosen this option. I'm getting an air, wife's getting the mini retina. I voted air since that's what I'm getting.
No doubt about it but I decided the lighter retina mini is going to be a better fit for me so returned my Air today. I never once considered a mini so coming to this conclusion has me a bit gobsmacked.
I spent about 30 minutes playing with a mini today, testing out its readability since I'll be using it as an e-reader too. I thought the text would be too small without zooming but even after surfing the web, looking at email and messages, I found it was not a problem. Same with viewing photos and video since one of my hobbies is photography. I really thought the smaller screen would bother me, but it did not.
I think it comes down to each person's plan for usage & what works best for them. For me, when I want a bigger screen, I'll use my MBP. But for lightness & portability and discovering I can read the smaller screen just fine, the retina mini will be a better fit for my needs. I also like that it's somewhere in the middle size-wise to my MBP and iPhone 5, affording me a mid-size option for usage.
Happy enough with the iPad 4 (iOS 6) so I'm getting the retina Mini. I've always felt the Mini will suit me quite well as long as it had a retina display. I have a year to put my hunch to the test. Going to see which one I reach for more often - the iPad 4 or the iPad Mini with Retina. That'll determine which iPad I purchase next year (or whenever Apple upgrades storage to 256GB).
Went with Air. Portability was never an issue for me with my 3, it certainly not with the Air.
My iPad is mostly used around the house, when I do bring it to school it goes right into my bag.
I like having the extra real estate for surfing and reading documents.
I feel the Air is a nice bridge between my iPhone and MBP.
My iPad is mostly used around the house, when I do bring it to school it goes right into my bag.
I like having the extra real estate for surfing and reading documents.
I feel the Air is a nice bridge between my iPhone and MBP.
I'll be getting a mini retina in a few short weeks. Still working on selling my ipad 2 though, can't believe it hasn't sold yet
I have the mini now, and was going into an Apple store over the weekend to pick up an Air. But after reading that the 1 gb RAM wasn't enough for the new 64 bit iOS 7 from Anadtech, I'm leaning towards picking up the new mini Retina cellular with the monthly free 200 mb from T-Mobile. What I would like to know is if both the mini Retina and the Air uses the same chip architecture and operating system, and both have the same 1 gb of RAM, would the mini Retina have memory problems similar to the Air as well?