iPad Mini - Needs a damn retina display

[badb0y]

Initial impressions:
I just got mine in Black , the physical design of the iPad Mini is pretty damn nice. It looks very well build and it's really light. The black back is IMO one of the best things Apple has done with their devices, it just looks beautiful. Performance is par with iPad 2 which wasn't bad but it's obviously slower than the iPad 3/4. This shouldn't really be a problem since it's pushing less pixels than the iPad 3/4 so I can't really complain about that but I would have loved the A6 in this.

Now the bad part, I have been using the iPad 3 since it launched in March and I got pretty accustomed to it's retina display. When I sold the iPad 3 I knew that I was moving to a lower quality screen but I didn't think much of it since I really wanted a smaller iPad. So today it finally got shipped to my house and as soon as I turned it on I could see the pixels on the screen. I don't know how I survived before the iPad 3 came out but these pixels are annoying as hell to look at and I miss the retina display which was really crisp and clear. Hopefully Apple refreshes this in 6 months with a retina display (lol Samsung ad) and I'll be very happy with it.

Other than the screen the performance is nice, the size is perfect for me (I can grip it with one hand), and the build is beautiful. If they included a better display it would have been much better but at least we have an option for a smaller iPad now. If you guys want to ask me anything about it post here and I'll check it out for you.

 

[sygyzy]

How much extra would you be willing to pay for a premium display on the iPad Mini? Would you pay $70 more? $50?

 

[TuxDave]

Yeah, when I read the PPI of the display and saw that it was the same as my old 3GS, I immediately threw out the idea of buying it. I don't know how I got so pixel sensitive but now I can't go back. lol

 

[badb0y]

How much extra would you be willing to pay for a premium display on the iPad Mini? Would you pay $70 more? $50?

I would pay the full 500$ for an iPad Mini with a retina display since I love the form factor of the mini.

 

[Phobic9]

I've owned every version of the iPad and I'm not buying another one until the mini gets a screen with a comparable resolution to my iPad 3.

Damn Apple and their planned obsolescence.

 

[jpeyton]

How much extra would you be willing to pay for a premium display on the iPad Mini? Would you pay $70 more? $50?

The $199 Nook HD has a 243ppi 7" display (retina iPad is 264ppi). So I would pay exactly $0 more for a retina iPad Mini.

Here's what The Verge had to say about the Nook HD's display:

All the boasting was merited: this is the best screen I've seen on a 7-inch tablet, and it's not even close.

The 243ppi pixel density means you won't see any individual pixels (unless you look REALLY hard), and since it's laminated to the glass it almost feels like things on the screen are popping out at you. What impresses me most, though, is the color reproduction. Blacks are deep to the point that they appear to be not lit at all, making dark scenes in Sherlock Holmes all the more ominous. From skin tones to vivid colors, everything is accurate, crisp, and clean – that's great for reading black text on white backgrounds, and it's great for watching movies. It's just a fantastic display.

 

[SAWYER]

I think the ipad 2 screen is fine myself so this would have to be just as good if not better since it is smaller. Mini retina next year you can count on it

 

[sgrinavi]

I got mine today too, display doesn't bother me - just reading emails and doing a little web surfing....

 

[Ravynmagi]

How much extra would you be willing to pay for a premium display on the iPad Mini? Would you pay $70 more? $50?

$330 should have included a premium display.

 

[sygyzy]

The $199 Nook HD has a 243ppi 7" display (retina iPad is 264ppi). So I would pay exactly $0 more for a retina iPad Mini.

That's why I was asking him, not you. You're not an Apple fanboi. He answered $500!

 

[TuxDave]

The $199 Nook HD has a 243ppi 7" display (retina iPad is 264ppi). So I would pay exactly $0 more for a retina iPad Mini.

But then again... I guess you have to give up a little of something else

The Bad
The Nook HD suffers from a degree of lag that is immediately noticeable when using various functions. Although reading is quite streamlined, there’s a noticeable jitter when launching new apps or bringing up new screens. Web browsing on busy pages – TechCrunch included – is also noticeably slower than the Kindle Fire or Nexus 7. Part of that has to do with how the various browsers render pages – Chrome on the Nexus 7, for example, shows text before images – but the lag is far too persistent to ignore.

Luckily, it’s not as visible when playing casual games like Fruit Ninja and Angry Birds, which seem to have become the de facto standard for performance on these devices. I once worried about a race to the bottom when it came to tablet pricing and performance. Instead, we’ve seen a willingness for these players to essentially eat the cost of the devices in order to sell content. For Amazon this is an acceptable goal. For B&N I’d worry that they may be playing a game that they can no longer win. Time will tell.

http://techcrunch.com/2012/10/30/nook-hd-review/

 

[boomhower]

I think what it really boils down to is Apples margin. If the Mini included a Retina display they would have also had to upgrade the CPU, the iPad 2 hardware just isn't going to push a Retina display. Combine those two factors and Apple won't hit the margins it wants. This is why I'm not buying one. To much money for to little hardware. I might pick up an iPad 3 three once everyone starts dumping them for mini's and 4's.

 

[mikegg]

This was a deal breaker for my boss too.

Not sure what Apple was thinking.

 

[dagamer34]

I'm pretty sure in practice, the iPad 3 is slower than the iPad 2 since it uses the same CPU, but needs to decode 4x size images (raw synthetic performance benchmarks do not take this into account).

 

[badb0y]

The $199 Nook HD has a 243ppi 7" display (retina iPad is 264ppi). So I would pay exactly $0 more for a retina iPad Mini.

Here's what The Verge had to say about the Nook HD's display:

Don't get me wrong, I know about all the other tablets with similar size and specs but I prefer iOS so it's not much of a choice for me. I might buy an Android tablet again just to test it out but I doubt it's going to convince me to jump ship. I like my walled garden and my Apps .

That's why I was asking him, not you. You're not an Apple fanboi. He answered $500!

I am an Apple fanboi because I used the 2 OSes and preferred iOS? Does that make everyone who likes Android an Android fanboi?

 

[jpeyton]

But then again... I guess you have to give up a little of something else

I'm not saying you should buy a Nook HD (get a Nexus if you want Android), but what I am saying is that B&N can sell a 243ppi 7" tablet for $199. So I'm sure Apple could sell a 2xxppi tablet for $329 and keep their margins.

That's exactly what they did when the iPad 3 came out; same $499 price, better screen. But in that case, the iPad 3 was pushing the envelope and it made sense that we hadn't seen a retina display earlier. In this case, with the iPad Mini, we already have a host of other less expensive 7" tablets with retina-class displays.

You will get a retina iPad Mini in H1 2013 for $329, mark my words. Apple needs to save some kind of upgrade for next year's product refresh.

 

[TuxDave]

You will get a retina iPad Mini in H1 2013 for $329, mark my words. Apple needs to save some kind of upgrade for next year's product refresh.

I'm looking forward to it. It'll work well with my "never buy first gen anything" approach.

 

[PricklyPete]

The retina like displays are like the introduction of the CD. The first time you used a. CD...it sounded nice and all...but you didn't realize how nice it was until you we're forced to use a tape again.

All of my devices are now retina (iPhone 5, iPad 3, and MBP 15" retina) and I cringe when I have to use my work laptop.

 

[QueBert]

You will get a retina iPad Mini in H1 2013 for $329, mark my words. Apple needs to save some kind of upgrade for next year's product refresh.

Ah, you mean like Samsung with the Note & Galaxy, oh and Motorola with the Razor [insert crazy model name]?

You'll see a Note III and a Razer Uber HD XD SUPER MAX PRO H1 2013 mark my words.

 

[sygyzy]

I am an Apple fanboi because I used the 2 OSes and preferred iOS? Does that make everyone who likes Android an Android fanboi?

Hey badboy, don't get all sensitive.

 

[bearxor]

I'm starting to think, after reading reviews and playing with one a little bit, the choice of the screen had nothing to do with technology or money and everything to do with the battery. The iPad 3 required almost double the battery of the iPad 2 because of the increased number of lights. In addition, the mini would have needed a SGX543MP4 or 554MP4 to be consistent with the retina display in other iPads.

Could you imagine the mini being almost twice as thick and twice as heavy?

 

[badb0y]

Hey badboy, don't get all sensitive.

I am not sensitive lol, I just like to confront people who put labels on me.

 

[Mopetar]

You will get a retina iPad Mini in H1 2013 for $329, mark my words. Apple needs to save some kind of upgrade for next year's product refresh.

I don't think it will be that early, but I also agree that the next one will have a retina display. It will be the same display used for their iPhone.

As to why they didn't do it this time around, there are a few explanations. The first is that it was too expensive to make, but Apple could just offset that buy increasing the cost. It's more likely that there was no way that Apple could get enough of them made. Given another year, the manufacturers will be able to add enough production capacity to give Apple enough screens for both their phones and their iPad Minis. There are probably some other good reasons as well, but I'd bet that supply of displays is one of the primary causes.

They may even have set a price that let's them adjust to using a retina display next year without taking a big kick in the margins or having to adjust the price upwards.

 

[sygyzy]

I am not sensitive lol, I just like to confront people who put labels on me.

What label? That you are a massive fan of Apple products? How is that a bad thing? You act as if it's not true. I don't know what to say.






Warning for calling someone a fanboy

We used to have a sticky at the top of the forum requesting that everyone refrain from calling people fanboys (or iFans, or zealots, or phandroids or whatever). I took down the sticky about a month or so because I really don't like those stickies that sit at the top of the forum for years and no one reads... they just waste space. But maybe I should put it back up.

Calling someone a fanboy is basically saying "I don't need to respect your opinion because you are a fanatic" and it's an ad hominem falacy . I used to see a lot of people doing what you did and it leads to pointless uncivil discussion. Beyond being an ad hominem falacy, it's also an insult.

While it's true that people are passionate about their gizmos, and they can be passionately defensive about the brand of the company that makes their stuff, it is not a legitimate tactic to say that they don't have a valid opinion. If a user can defend their opinions - even they are biased... and truthfully we are all biased - then people who disagree should voice their counterpoint opinion, not a personal attack. If someone is trolling (or thread crapping, or posting up a pointless opinion with no details), then report their post as trolling and I'll look at it.

Anyway, please refrain from calling - or even implying - that people are fanboys. If you do it again, I'll infract for it.

Thanks
Moderator PM

 

[stlc8tr]

I'm not saying you should buy a Nook HD (get a Nexus if you want Android), but what I am saying is that B&N can sell a 243ppi 7" tablet for $199. So I'm sure Apple could sell a 2xxppi tablet for $329 and keep their margins.

The Nook HD is 1,440x900 while iPad retina is 2048x1536.

If Apple could sell an iPad Mini with retina display for $329 and maintain the same margin, why wouldn't they do so? What possible reason would they have to hold back such an important upgrade?