MacFormat UK – June 2019

It may look the same,

but the upgraded iPad

mini is now a portable

powerhouse of a tablet.

++++++

Very powerful

Apple Pencil support

Great new display

Tired design

VERDICT

86 | MACFORMAT | JUNE 2019 macformat.com @macformat

APPLE CHOICE iOS hardware

W

ithout an update from

Apple since 2015, the

internal processing power

of the iPad mini had been trailing

behind the rest of the iPad and

iPad Pro line-up. That lack of

upgrade has made it less capable and

a poor-value purchase. Thankfully,

the new iPad mini is equipped with

the same blisteringly fast A12 Bionic

processor found in the iPhone XS Max

and the new iPad Air.

The mini now also supports the

first-gen Apple Pencil, so you have a

truly pocket-sized tablet that can be used with

Apple’s pressure-sensitive stylus, helping to

take advantage of all the great illustration,

note-taking and design apps on the App Store.

Sadly, like on the iPad Air, the first-gen Pencil

has no wireless charging, but instead plugs

into the mini’s Lightning port. The Pencil’s

precision in use, though, remains impressive.

Internal changge

The external design is unchanged. That means

there’s no Face ID support, but the same Home

button that authenticates with Touch ID. The

headphone jack is also still present.

The mini comes in silver, space grey and

gold, and is offered with with 64GB or 256GB

of storage, from £399 or £549 respectively. The

laminated Retina display is the same 326ppi,

2048x1536 resolution as before, and the rear

8MP photo/1080p video camera remains

unchanged, but the FaceTime camera has been

upgraded from 1.2MP to 7MP. The screen now

supports Apple’s True Tone tech and P3

colour, which are notable improvements.

Like the larger iPad Air, it now comes with

3GB of memory, an upgrade over the 2GB in

the previous model. More system memory

means smoother multitasking between apps,

and ensures the mini will remain on the

supported devices list for future versions

of iOS for a considerable time.

Unfortunately, unlike the new iPad Air,

there’s no Smart Connector here, which means

no Apple Smart Keyboard support.

The launch of these two new iPad models

means there’s now quite a choice if you want

a new Apple tablet, especially considering

there’s also the option of the pricier iPad Pros.

Screen size is a matter of preference, and

unlike a larger tablet, the mini can fit into a

large coat pocket, so you can always rely on

being able to carry it with you. That means it

can be used in places you might not want (or

be able) to take a regular iPad or iPad Pro.

Thankfully, this latest update means

opting for a smaller tablet no longer forces you

to compromise on performance. The mini rips

through even the most demanding software,

giving super-slick performance in iOS. The

addition of Pencil support means the new iPad

mini is a versatile, powerful and portable

computing tool. ORESTIS BASTOUNIS

Opting for a

smaller Apple

tablet no longer

means there’s a

compromise on

performance

iPad mini

Tiny tablet, big upgrade

From £ 399 FROM Apple, apple.com/uk FEATURES 7.9in Retina

display with P3 colour gamut, A12 Bionic chip, 64 or 256GB storage,

Apple Pencil support, Touch ID

The design is unchanged, but internals have been boosted.

The display’s P3 gamut and True Tone are significant improvements.