To be honest, I was expecting Apple to have 'the' Retina Display on all of the new products refresh, if you don't know what that is already, read more about it here. So needless to say, I was bashing-ly disappointed with the fact that Apple left that out on the much awaited iPad mini. And on the internals, okay, I'll give a brief simplistic history on the inside works of apple products:
iPhone 4(2010) - A4 chip [512MB RAM]
iPhone 4S(2011) - A5 chip [Dual core 512 MB RAM]
New iPad(3rd generation, March 2012) - A5x [Dual core 1GB RAM + Quad core graphics]
iPhone 5(2012) - A6 chip [Dual core 1GB RAM]
'Newer' New iPad(4th generation, October 2012) - A6x
So as you can see, the 'x' version are typically beefed up version of the chips to improve graphics, and that comes at a price - extra energy consumption with extra heat production. The iPad 3(Let's just call it that way) introduces itself with the Retina Display, therefore Apple gives it the A5 'x' version. For some minority of people around the world, they actually felt(me included), the A5x is just not good enough and there were actually momentarily 'sluggishness', some applications were even slow to run. Apple realizes their mistake after the release, but at that time TimCook was just too eager to prove himself that he needed to launch his 'own' product. So just after 7 months(2 days ago), not even a year, Apple launched the refreshed and all new newer than the new new, iPad 4. It is weird, Apple breaking the yearly launch cycle. But they needed it. iPad 3 just wasn't perfect. Complaints of the heaty iPad, extra weight, and the un-smoothness compared to the previous generation iPad 2 was well, pretty much talked about. Its understandable though, because the A5x is just, not, good enough, to support million more of pixels that you can find in HD TVs' into a 9.7''inch screen that is way smaller than your average HD TV.
So, the iPad 4(They're also calling it 'iPad with Retina Display') comes with, the A6 chip. And not just a regular one, I'm please to say it's also with the little 'x' behind! The A6x. Now that's close to perfection. I've not got a hands on on the tablet yet, pre-orders haven't even started ha. ha. But I'm guessing the whole iOS 6 experience on the iPad will now be smoothed out with less heat produced(not that I care, but I'm more into the chip upgrade Ha. Ha.). Together with the A6x chip, the iPad 4 also comes with the lightning connector(the newly introduced connector that came with the iPhone 5, replacing the regular 30-pin connection. Read it here.). One other reason I can think of why Apple would go for an earlier than expected release of the iPad is that they needed to stop people from buying old products with the old 30-pin connection. With the iPhone 5 release, gadget manufacturers will go onto a new frenzy of making new products, docks, battery packs, sound systems, cases and covers that will fit the 'lightning' connection which is smaller. And anybody wouldn't want to have an accessory, say a speaker dock, that works with say, only the iPhone, but not the iPad. So Apple is pushing all of their product lineups to have the same lightning connection that will work with any accessory that you are going to buy. Surely, people who bought their new iPad 3 just months ago, would be feeling bad now for being pushed out of the 'frontline of glamour' so soon, but it's undeniably better to do it now than later. And oh yes, iPad 4 has an improved 720p front camera too.
Phew. And for the iPad mini. Ho. Ho. Ho. (Great gift this coming holiday season?) Like I said, I was disappointed the moment I knew it's not having the Retina Display. What's more, the A5x chip I was hoping for isn't found anywhere inside the mini. I was also hoping for a $249 USD(RM799) price tag. What sadness. I know, I know, 90% of the media rumors around the iPad mini has been circulating just this but I couldn't bring myself to accept, believe, Apple would leave out the Retina Display on the mini(because it's just not expensive to do so. Only an additional $20 USD to put it up. Well, sources say.). To have the Retina on the mini, Apple would need to power it with the A5x the very least, because the A5 supporting the iPhone 4s' smaller Retina Display is on the performance borderline, sometimes being slightly-not-so-smooth on a very-much-intensive workload. So it's only logical to have an A5x if it were to support Retina Display on a bigger screen like the mini. The iPad mini has the same insides of the iPad 2, the same resolution(would look nicer though, being compressed into a smaller screen), but with a nice back iSight camera(really nice) and 720p front-facing camera. And lastly, a lightning connector. My thoughts? I don't think Apple is, releasing the mini to compete with the other tablets(though Phil Schiller makes it sound so. Watch the Keynote here.). Does it sound like competition when Apple is pricing the iPad mini starting from $329 USD (RM999?), backing up against other similar tablets like the Google Nexus 7(yes, the internal specs are even better than the mini) which is priced $199 USD? No. Apple may got the initial idea of releasing a smaller tablet from other makers but the release is not of a competitive intention. Because Apple products are already in domination? Ha. Ha. I couldn't agree more than what Phil Schiller said about the other tablets. What is the main pull for people to buy a smaller 7 inch tablet? Simply because they want to own a tablet. Because they don't want to fork out a hefty sum of money. The iPad mini changed all that, people wouldn't buy a smaller tablet because it's cheaper, (because it's not, iPad mini has 2/3 of the full sized iPad's price FYI), but would get one because they want portability(people wouldn't mind adding 170 bucks to get a bigger screen then?). With iPad mini doing exactly the same things like what the bigger iPad is doing, except in a scaled-down fashion, together with half the weight of it's big brother, and also being smaller, light enough to be pocket friendly, people will, buy it for traveling purposes instead(and again, not because it's cheaper. Though I really wished that it was).
So here's the general wrap up for the improvements on the new iPad 4th generation and iPad mini :
iPad 4th Generation - A6x chip
- 1.2MP 720p front facing camera
- The same 5MP iSight back camera(slightly improved),
1080p HD video recording
- Lightning connector
- The same 10 hours battery life
- Retina Display
- Weighs 657g
iPad mini - A5 chip
- 1.2MP 720p front facing camera
- 5MP iSight back camera, 1080p HD video recording
- Lightning connector
- 10 hours battery life
- 163ppi display(almost having the same ppi like the iPhone 3Gs,
but still, the screen on the mini will look better because of the
current IPS technology compared to the 3Gs generation. Read it here.)
- Weighs 310g
Both models are available in color white or black, with storage options of 16GB, 32GB, 64GB and the standard 'WiFi only' or 'WiFi+Cellular' option respectively.
It's good to note that while the iPad mini has the insides of an iPad 2, it does everything the full sized iPad does. And to those having the iPad 3 out there, don't go buying the newer new iPad. Read about IGZO screens here. It's not hard to wait another 365 days before a thinner and significantly lighter iPad comes out right? And that's the day, it's perfect.
Apple's refreshment of other existing products, like the MacbookPro, iMac and MacMini, is sort of a 'good to have', or, 'nice to have' kind of thing, but was well received after all. And the people needed it. Read more about the upgrades here. Personally, I'm impressed with the new desktop iMac, it. is. just. So, Thin. Love it absolutely. It's jaw-dropping(got that from Tim Cook. Ha. Ha.). Do check out the beauty of it at your nearest Apple Store/Retail outlet. Soon.
For fellow Malaysians, we just have to wait. The iPhone 5 is coming. Soon. Ha. Ha.
What do you think of the new iPad mini? Will you get your hands on the newer new iPad?
Plan switching to Mac with the new iMac? Ditching Windows for it?
Do share and comment below :)