iPad Mini 4 Teardown Confirms Smaller Battery and 2 GB RAM

[The Game 161]

Would someone answer a question for me? Sorry if I wasn't paying attention.

What is the reason for the iPad mini 4 being slightly taller than the previous models?

Also give me your opinion: Will the iPad mini get a 3D touch screen next year?

Cheers

Very unlikely

Took them a year to catch up to the air 2

 

[Shanpdx]

You know I wonder if they will continue with the air. Tim Cook, during the massive Apple announcements, said that the Pro, will be the iPad flagship. They're keeping the Air 2 as is, and upgraded the mini (which was time last year) and made the iPad Pro, a monster of an iPad. I know it's a 1st gen. product, but is it really? You could say the same for the iPhones when they jumped from 4.0 inches to 4.7 & 5.5. Same product line, same iOS, same relatively everything, only it's a turbo charged version, with everything everyone wanted from an iPad that can truly multitask, as a very capable companion to your MacBooks (Pros, Airs, etc..) and still provide the same experience, but only bigger and better.

iPhone price points and iPad price points are different. This is the first time iPad mini is closer to the bigger iPad in terms of performance, display quality, RAM and so on.

 

[Shanpdx]

Huh, It suffered how? The Air got MORE battery life than they promised (not less, more); the Air got EXACTLY what they promised which was the same promise they had for the Air2.

So, both time, you got what they said they were giving you. So, even by that measures, I don'T get your argument at all. Unless your saying the Mini2 is getting more battery life than they promised right now, which I haven't heard about.

Read what you posted, you know/have the answer.

 

[ttNB]

iPhone price points and iPad price points are different. This is the first time iPad mini is closer to the bigger iPad in terms of performance, display quality, RAM and so on.

Price point wasn't what I was going for, I was using it more as a model of what we have available today that compares to the iPad series.

 

[Shanpdx]

Price point wasn't what I was going for, I was using it more as a model of what we have available today that compares to the iPad series.

price point decides everything, if heat is not an issue A9X would be there is iPad Pro/Mini/Air. but looks like apple wants to differentiate the product line or use the previous generation components (camera, CPU/GPU and others) on the lower price point iPads.

 

[ttNB]

Price point wasn't what I was going for, I was using it more as a model of what we have available today that compares to the iPad series.

I've seen a couple of unboxings of the mini 4, and it is a pretty snappy device. Apple is smart though. Giving the mini 4 what the Air 2 has a year ago, while still giving longevity to the mini line.

 

[ttNB]

price point decides everything, if heat is not an issue A9X would be there is iPad Pro/Mini/Air. but looks like apple wants to differentiate the product line or use the previous generation on the lower price point iPads.

Agreed.

 

[BreezyR]

If you think the prior iPad minis were heavy and you're not disabled or extremely young, you need to work out.

With the thinner screen and different placement of things they could have had BOTH the same size battery AND less weight and thickness.

 

[benji888]

In step 9 of ifixit's teardown they mention an NFC controller? Does this mean the iPad Mini 4 can be used for Apple Pay in stores? Or, is it just that TouchID and the NFC controller are integrated...Apple using the same components in this year's devices that have TouchID, whether they are for online only or NFC purchases also?

 

[rdlink]

You get 12-15 hours of usage? Or did that include standby time? By usage I mean screen on time. Also, do you have the 6 plus? In my daily usage, the battery life difference between the 6 and the 6+ is huge.

Okay, so a confusion of terms on my part. Of course I don't get 12-15 hours of active usage of my phone. I guess I consider usage to be my phone turned on and in my pocket, ready for whatever I need. I've never tracked my actual active usage battery life.

 

[cocky jeremy]

Couldn't disagree more. This is Apple just being Apple, as they've always been. Making these devices even more physically portable and accessible is always a plus for me. This mini 4 will feel great carrying around even more.

More portable? Really? I can't count the number of times I've thought to myself, "Wow, I sure am glad this new iPhone is .0057 of an inch thinner than the last one. I'm not sure how I dealt with last years iPhone!!" /s

 

[Kendo]

If you think the prior iPad minis were heavy and you're not disabled or extremely young, you need to work out.

With the thinner screen and different placement of things they could have had BOTH the same size battery AND less weight and thickness.

Possibly. But would you really trust your opinion over the expert engineers that made it happen at Apple? Not poking fun, I'm being serious. I can complain about certain design functions of the iPhone and iPad but do I think I can do it better than Jony Ive and his team? Hellllllll no.

 

[benji888]

More portable? Really? I can't count the number of times I've thought to myself, "Wow, I sure am glad this new iPhone is .0057 of an inch thinner than the last one. I'm not sure how I dealt with last years iPhone!!" /s

Looks like you have a 6 plus so, you won't understand this, but, I want my phone to be as thin and light as possible to fit in my pocket. In fact the iPhone 6 is a bit big, would prefer 4.3" screen instead of 4.7".

Slightly thinner and lighter each time means that, if I keep an iPad or iPad mini for 3 generations, the difference will be noticible when I get the new one, so yeah, they need to keep making them thinner and lighter.

 

[kds1]

More portable? Really? I can't count the number of times I've thought to myself, "Wow, I sure am glad this new iPhone is .0057 of an inch thinner than the last one. I'm not sure how I dealt with last years iPhone!!" /s

When the iPhone 7 is as thin as the iPod Touch, you'll say the same thing next year.

 

[cocky jeremy]

Looks like you have a 6 plus so, you won't understand this, but, I want my phone to be as thin and light as possible to fit in my pocket. In fact the iPhone 6 is a bit big, would prefer 4.3" screen instead of 4.7".

Slightly thinner and lighter each time means that, if I keep an iPad or iPad mini for 3 generations, the difference will be noticible when I get the new one, so yeah, they need to keep making them thinner and lighter.

I wear slim straight jeans and my 6 Plus fits in my pocket just fine.. so I fail to see your point.

 

[kds1]

I wear slim straight jeans and my 6 Plus fits in my pocket just fine.. so I fail to see your point.

Alot of people fail to see yours. If Apple's phones are getting too thin for your taste, Android or that new Blackberry is always an option for you.

 

[Icaras]

More portable? Really? I can't count the number of times I've thought to myself, "Wow, I sure am glad this new iPhone is .0057 of an inch thinner than the last one. I'm not sure how I dealt with last years iPhone!!" /s

Not sure how to answer you. Because I've thought about that with every generation of devices that I've upgraded to. That is, I do notice the weight and thinness changes coming from older devices. I have the mini 4 in my hands as we speak and I seriously do feel how lighter and thinner it is from our last iPad mini 3 and both my wife and I agree it's definitely more pleasant to hold.

In fact I also remember when I went from iPad 2 to an iPad 3. We're talking just mere millimeters thicker and grams heavier and I definitely remember feeling the added heft and size, which I didn't like.

I'm not going to blame you if you don't feel the changes in weight and thinness and don't appreciate it. But I do though, and that's why I stand by my argument that a lighter and thinner device with the same battery life wins out for me.

Different folks, different strokes.

 

[DancingTiger01]

With iOS 9 you can put the device into low power mode so get over it.

 

[cocky jeremy]

Alot of people fail to see yours. If Apple's phones are getting too thin for your taste, Android or that new Blackberry is always an option for you.

Kinda how if you want thinner you can just go buy a sheet of paper.

 

[kds1]

Kinda how if you want thinner you can just go buy a sheet of paper.

I bet you had to think really hard to come up with that.

 

[cocky jeremy]

I bet you had to think really hard to come up with that.

It's what you want, isn't it? As thin as thin can get, no battery life. Sounds like your dream.

 

[kds1]

It's what you want, isn't it? As thin as thin can get, no battery life. Sounds like your dream.

I never said anything to infer that.

 

[benji888]

I have to admit, after reading Rene Ritchie's review on imore, I really want one, the screen is the same as iPad air 2, and, because of 2GB RAM and the A8, it works well with all the new iOS 9 features for iPads. ...Even though, it still does not make sense to me to release a new iOS device with last year's processor, should have been the A9.

 

[kds1]

I have to admit, after reading Rene Ritchie's review on imore, I really want one, the screen is the same as iPad air 2, and, because of 2GB RAM and the A8, it works well with all the new iOS 9 features for iPads. ...Even though, it still does not make sense to me to release a new iOS device with last year's processor, should have been the A9.

I think it's because they want to keep the iPads at parity. So, iPad Air > iPad Mini 2 and iPad Air 2 > iPad Mini 4. But who really knows but Apple?

 

[ibookg409]

Just picked up a 128GB iPad mini 4. I bought it just to use with my DJI Phantom as the iPhone 6 was too small for it but find that I'm really enjoying the smaller iPad. $299 was too good a deal to pass up.