Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

iPad Mini Retina vs. iPad Air

AdonisSMU said:
The iPad mini's screen is far and away better than the screen that's on the iPad Air.
Click to expand...

You've made this comment in a couple of threads already, and I'm glad you see a difference. What are you comparing, exactly, to come to this conclusion? Is it the main icons screen, is it a browser page, are you running an app that you can tell THAT big of a difference between TWO retina screens? I'm curious. The "significantly better" and "far and away" better descriptions seem a bit exaggerated, but I guess we will find out soon enough....
 
I think it's up to you whether you value smaller screen and device, or bigger screen. With the new Air, the difference between thinness and lightness are much more subtle. There in lies the difference whether you want to carry smaller device with smaller screen or slightly larger device with way larger screen. My vote is on Air for now.

I'll have my kids mini retina in a few days. I'll update this post if it made any real difference on my opinion.

I love the lightness and size of the new Air.
 
ZBoater said:
You've made this comment in a couple of threads already, and I'm glad you see a difference. What are you comparing, exactly, to come to this conclusion? Is it the main icons screen, is it a browser page, are you running an app that you can tell THAT big of a difference between TWO retina screens? I'm curious. The "significantly better" and "far and away" better descriptions seem a bit exaggerated, but I guess we will find out soon enough....
Click to expand...

Well for one thing the text is really crisp than the air and seems like it has more brightness and colors on it look amazing. It makes me want to forget all about the other device.
 
Last edited:
I was "Team Air" this whole time but just picked up a Mini today and wow. I'm loving it.

Love the size and portability. The screen is amazing.

No idea how I would choose between the 2. Mini is taking the edge for now. :D
 
ZBoater said:
You've made this comment in a couple of threads already, and I'm glad you see a difference. What are you comparing, exactly, to come to this conclusion? Is it the main icons screen, is it a browser page, are you running an app that you can tell THAT big of a difference between TWO retina screens? I'm curious. The "significantly better" and "far and away" better descriptions seem a bit exaggerated, but I guess we will find out soon enough....
Click to expand...

I can answer you too:
the old mini has 163 PPI (pixels per inch) on the same size screen, the new mini
has 326PPI,
BTW the air has 264PPI,

so the new mini will have sharper image.
 
AttilaTheHun said:
I can answer you too:
the old mini has 163 PPI (pixels per inch) on the same size screen, the new mini
has 326PPI,
BTW the air has 264PPI,

so the new mini will have sharper image.
Click to expand...

Ummmmm, ok, so we are comparing an Air (264ppi) vs a rMini (326ppi) and because of the ppi difference you are telling me that the rMini screen is "significantly better" and "far and away" better?

Mmm, how do I say this politely....... Ummmm, no.
 
AttilaTheHun said:
I can answer you too:
the old mini has 163 PPI (pixels per inch) on the same size screen, the new mini
has 326PPI,
BTW the air has 264PPI,

so the new mini will have sharper image.
Click to expand...

According to Jobs when he introduced the first Retina Display, he said the magic number (to not be able to see pixels) if you hold the device about 10 inches from your face is 300PPI.
 
ZBoater said:
Ummmmm, ok, so we are comparing an Air (264ppi) vs a rMini (326ppi) and because of the ppi difference you are telling me that the rMini screen is "significantly better" and "far and away" better?

Mmm, how do I say this politely....... Ummmm, no.
Click to expand...

Then how would you come to a conclusion that the iPad mini's screen is inferior to an Air's screen?
 
Zorn said:
According to Jobs when he introduced the first Retina Display, he said the magic number (to not be able to see pixels) if you hold the device about 10 inches from your face is 300PPI.
Click to expand...

Ok, so hold an iPad 10 inches from your face in front of a mirror, and let me know if you think you look goofy or not. When he introduced retina, he was talking about the iPhone....

----------
Sti-R said:
Then how would you come to a conclusion that the iPad mini's screen is inferior to an Air's screen?
Click to expand...

I am not saying one is inferior. I am questioning the characterization that one is "far and away" better than the other....
 
Most people do not hold their iPads like this...

01bits-disrupt-tmagArticle.jpg
 
There is no real comparison . Its apples and oranges. My use and taste will be different than yours. There is no BEST choice. Their is what works for your personal taste and needs.

These threads are kinda silly and the need to justify that one has to be better than the other is something I don't understand. They are aimed at different people with different needs. Like some like a sports car to for the same money can get a truck. Neither is wrong or right, its just what the user wants and needs in his life.
 
Lamarak said:
There is no real comparison . Its apples and oranges. My use and taste will be different than yours. There is no BEST choice. Their is what works for your personal taste and needs.

These threads are kinda silly and the need to justify that one has to be better than the other is something I don't understand. They are aimed at different people with different needs. Like some like a sports car to for the same money can get a truck. Neither is wrong or right, its just what the user wants and needs in his life.
Click to expand...

I agree with this in principle. But when someone says "a Honda Accord is significantly and far and away better than a Camry" it makes me scratch my head. That's all.
 
ZBoater said:
I agree with this in principle. But when someone says "a Honda Accord is significantly and far and away better than a Camry" it makes me scratch my head. That's all.
Click to expand...

But we are talking about the same brand here. Like a fancy specced out camry or maybe tundra truck. Same company, different needs. Both are considered quality vehicles. But agree when comparisons are against what is obvious class of items also has the same effect on me
 
For me, the form factor of the Ipad mini is ideal. It slips into my jacket pocket and goes everywhere with me. I'm a math instructor, and I can comfortably hold it reading problems off it while simultaneously writing at the board. At the same time, it's just large enough that I can comfortably read pdfs on it (I do have good close-range vision however).

The Ipad Air is a marvel, but for me, the extra screen size, nice as it is, wouldn't be worth the added bulk, small as it is. Of course the mini isn't as nice for playing movies, but usually I want to watch those on my macbook Air anyway.

You mention you have a Macbook Air, which might be reason for choosing an Ipad mini over an Air. For myself, a lot of the things I'd prefer a larger Ipad for are things I'd do on my macbook anyway. On the other hand, for me an iphone is no substitute for an ipad mini for reading pdf documents, surfing the web, and keeping notes.
 
Last edited:
ScottW1 said:
There, fixed that for you. :D
Click to expand...

True. Im leaning towards the screen realestate.

----------
ZBoater said:
Ok, so hold an iPad 10 inches from your face in front of a mirror, and let me know if you think you look goofy or not. When he introduced retina, he was talking about the iPhone....

----------



I am not saying one is inferior. I am questioning the characterization that one is "far and away" better than the other....
Click to expand...
It depends on your definition. I can notice it.
 
Ok then a question:

People who have an iPhone 5/5S/5C and use it often (for simple purposes: mail, safari, taking videos so all the things you can do both on iPhone and iPad), do you carry the iPad Mini with you when you go out? Or you don't need it since you have the iPhone? Why do you carry both outside?

Becuase I think the difference for me between Air an dMini is when you bring it outside, the mini is much light
 
The RMini has me tempted but I swore I would stick with 1 tablet from now on.i might see one in a couple months and find some way to justify it but for now I am content with my Air.
 
I have the Air and the rMini I just picked up and I'm already finding myself holding the mini much closer to my face to read webpages due to the harder to read smaller finer font. Love the portability though.
 
diamornte said:
I have the Air and the rMini I just picked up and I'm already finding myself holding the mini much closer to my face to read webpages due to the harder to read smaller finer font. Love the portability though.
Click to expand...

That was the same problem I had with the original mini, lack of Retina screen notwithstanding. I found myself doing a lot more pinch and zoom on the mini, and I always suspected this wasn't a resolution issue as much as a lack of screen real estate issue...
 
FrankB1191 said:
I can only tell you that I've taken my Air outside more in the past week, than I ever did in 6 months with my iPad 4. I also have a Mini, but that's history now. The Air is larger than the Mini, but its lighter weigh and smaller dimensions have made it portable for me.
Click to expand...

How is reading on the iPad outside in sunlight? I need to replace my Kindle as its battery dead but am a bit worried the iPad will washout in sunlight
 
Just picked up my mini retina today from my local apple store!

I was torn between the air and mini retina but after playing with my moms air I realized I liked the mini better.
 
Shivetya said:
How is reading on the iPad outside in sunlight? I need to replace my Kindle as its battery dead but am a bit worried the iPad will washout in sunlight
Click to expand...

Funny you should ask. I had my Air in hand when I ran into an acquittance outdoors. I wanted to show him some pics, and immediately noticed the brightness level was low. A quick look showed that I had it turned down to around 30%, and turning the brightness all the way up showed the pics very well. These were pics of the inside of an aircraft cockpit, so detail was very important. I haven't done any real reading outdoors, but the Air can be intensely bright indoors, and that's why its brightness level was set so low.
 
My personal advice is to go with the Air unless you:
1) Are limited in funds
2) Would truly benefit from the smaller size of the Mini, given how you use and carry the device.

The Air and the Mini are now essentially the same screens and the same guts (caveat below). The weights are much closer meaning that weight is no longer a major deciding factor, where it was previously a major deciding factor.

So IMO you might as well have the bigger, easier-to-read display if all else is equal.

Caveat: Actually this one is further in support of going with the Air. People who seem to know what they are talking about are reporting the color gamut is noticeably lower on the Mini than the Air. That means reduced color saturation and accuracy, a bummer for photos. We already know that the display on the Air is near studio reference-quality (as reported by DisplayMate). That's a pretty awesome thing to have in a tablet. Being into video and photography, I value that. Well it looks like Apple may have cut a corner on the Mini to keep the price down (like they do on the iPod vs the iPhone), and this is it. It may or may not matter to you, but it might swing your decision.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back