First Impressions of the iPad mini

Text and photos by Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

The iPad mini represents a departure from the 9.7-inch tablet market that Apple has defined and dominated. The iPad mini is entering a scattershot mini-tablet market ranging with expensive $500 7-inch Android tablets at one end and cheap $199 eReader at the bottom. But the Fun-Size iPad is clearly in a league of its own as a smaller yet full featured tablet. Here are my very early impressions.

The iPad mini is incredibly thin and light, it makes my Nexus 7 feel pudgy by comparison and is even thinner than the iPhone 5.  In terms of build quality, this is one of the nicest devices Apple has created yet. The look is between the new iPod Touch and the full-size iPad.

In terms of design and construction, it is gorgeous. I particularly like the matte black and slate finish, the thin layer of gorilla glass on the display and the chamfered edges that subtly serve to join the screen and the case. 

iPad mini is incredibly thin and light. It is thinner than the iPhone 5 which is quite amazing.  It is as thin as a pencil.

You can hold it in one hand with ease (but might have an issue palming it). iPad mini feels as light as some of the smaller eBook readers and those are made of plastic.

Despite this, the unibody stainless steel case makes it feel solid. There's no flex to the iPad mini and it makes most of the 7-inch tablets we've tested (except the PlayBook) feel toylike by comparison.

Performance is very much like the iPad 2, there's no laggy feeling at all even when playing more demanding games as well as HD video.

Gaming is particularly intriguing in this size and seems to make more sense than in the larger iPad (although I've been spoiled by my iPad 3's Retina Display and can see the difference in details). Gaming is more intimate on the 7.9-inch screen.

Personally, I am interested in the 4G-LTE iPad mini which begins shipping in late November, I think that strikes the perfect balance of portability and power. 

Stay tuned for my full review of the iPad mini, including a comparison with other smaller tablets.