IPad Mini 4

iPad Mini 4

Gold colored iPad Mini 4
Developer Apple Inc.
Manufacturer Foxconn
Product family iPad mini
Type Tablet computer
Generation 4th
Release date September 9, 2015
Introductory price $399 USD
£319 GBP
$569 AUD
$439 CAD
Operating system Original: iOS 9.0
Current: iOS 9.3.1, released March 31, 2016 (2016-03-31)
System-on-chip used Apple A8[1] with 64-bit architecture and Apple M8 motion co-processor
CPU 1.5GHz dual-core 64-bit ARMv8-A "Typhoon"
Memory 2GB RAM[2]
Storage 16, 64 or 128 GB flash memory
Display 7.9 inches (200 mm) 2048x1536 px (326 ppi) IPS LCD with a 4:3 aspect ratio and anti-glare coating
Graphics PowerVR GX6450
Input Multi-touch screen, headset controls, M8 motion co-processor, proximity and ambient light sensors, 3-axis accelerometer, 3-axis gyroscope, digital compass, dual microphone, Touch ID fingerprint reader, barometer
Camera Front: 1.2 MP, 720p HD, ƒ/2.2 aperture
Rear: 8.0 MP AF, iSight with Five Element Lens, Hybrid IR filter, video stabilisation, face detection, HDR, ƒ/2.4 aperture
Connectivity
Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + Cellular:
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac at 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz and MIMO

Bluetooth 4.2

Wi-Fi + Cellular:
GPS & GLONASS
GSM
UMTS / HSDPA
850, 1700, 1900, 2100 MHz
GSM / EDGE
850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz
CDMA
CDMA/EV-DO Rev. A and B.
800, 1900 MHz
LTE
Multiple bands
A1567: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29 and TD-LTE 38, 39, 40, 41
Power 3.82 V 19.32 W·h (5124 mA·h)[3]
Online services App Store, iTunes Store, iBookstore, iCloud, Game Center
Dimensions Height: 203.2 mm (8.00 in)
Width: 134.8 mm (5.31 in)
Depth: 6.1 mm (0.24 in)
Weight Wi-Fi: 298.8 g (0.659 lb)
Wi-Fi + Cellular: 304 g (0.670 lb)
Predecessor iPad Mini 3
Website www.apple.com/ipad-mini-4/

The iPad Mini 4 (stylized and marketed as iPad mini 4) is the fourth-generation iPad Mini tablet computer designed, developed and marketed by Apple Inc. It was announced along with the iPad Pro on September 9, 2015, and was released the same day. The iPad Mini 4 is also one of the two current iPad Minis sold by Apple, along with the iPad Mini 2; the iPad Mini 4 replaced the iPad Mini 3.

History

The iPad Mini 4 was announced during the "Hey Siri" Apple Special Event on September 9, 2015, alongside other new or refreshed products, including the iPad Pro, the iPhone 6s and the Apple TV. However, there was little focus directly on the new device with only a brief mention at the end of the iPad Pro presentation portion of the keynote.

Features

Software

See also: iOS and iOS 9

The iPad Mini 4 ships with the iOS 9 operating system pre-installed, and was the first device to do so. Due to an additional 1 GB of RAM compared to the previous generation's Mini, the iPad Mini 4 is capable of utilizing the Slide Over, Split View and Picture in Picture multitasking functions in iOS 9.

The device is compatible with iOS 9.1, which was released on October 21, 2015, which adds the News app for the UK and Australia as well as additional emoji and other bug fixes.[4]

Design

The iPad Mini 4 was the first major redesign of the iPad Mini line, with a slightly taller and wider body (although there is no increase in screen size) compared to the iPad Mini 2 and Mini 3. There is also a much thinner design, with the device mirroring the depth being the same as the iPad Air 2 at 6.1 mm.[1] This device is also lighter than the previous generation by 33.2 g.

Due to this redesign, the device is incompatible with cases that would otherwise work with the iPad Mini 2 or iPad Mini 3. To make up for this, Apple released a Smart Cover and Silicone Case for the Mini 4, which can be used separately or in conjunction to make a full protective case. Unlike the iPad Air 2, there is no leather Smart Case for the device.

As with the iPad Mini 3, the iPad Mini 4 is available in three colors: Space Grey, Silver and Gold.

Hardware

While the iPad Air 2 and iPad Mini 3 were released among the same time, in Q4 2014, the Mini 3 carried over the Mini 2's internals including the A7 processor, rather using the hardware of the iPad Air 2. The iPad Mini 4 features upgraded hardware closer to the iPad Air 2 released a year ago. However, the Mini 4 has a dual-core A8 processor rather than the tri-core A8X.[1] Apple claims that this processor is "1.3x faster" at CPU tasks at "1.6x faster" at graphics tasks over the A7 processor used in previous Mini models. There is also the same 2 GB of RAM, allowing the device to make use of the advanced multitasking features of the operating system.

Like the iPad Mini 3 that came before it, the iPad Mini 4 is capable of making mobile payments via Apple Pay in combination with the Touch ID sensor, although this can only be done through apps as the device lacks the NFC antenna required for payments at a merchant terminal.

The device shares the same camera module as the iPad Air 2 with an 8 megapixel camera with a ƒ/2.4 aperture. The screen is the same Retina Display that has featured since the iPad Mini 2, although it is fully laminated (also like the iPad Air 2) and contains an anti-reflective coating, resulting in drastically improved picture quality compared to its predecessors. The iPad Mini 4 display features 101% sRGB Color Gamut compared to poor ~62% on the previous models. [5]

It has a slightly smaller battery compared to the previous generations though Apple claims the runtime to be the same 10 hours as its predecessor.

There is also an updated wireless module, which adds 802.11ac Wi-Fi support along with Bluetooth 4.2. Like its predecessor, the iPad Mini 4 is available with storage options of 16, 64 or 128GB and has no expansion option. The "camera connection kit", which has an SD card reader, is only able to transfer photos and videos to and from the device.

Reception

Reviews have generally been positive, with The Verge giving the iPad Mini 4 a 9/10, praising the display, fast performance, great camera, and multitasking but not liking the speaker or the chamfered edges.[6]

CNET also praised the new "more vivid" display and the slimmer design as well as the new features in iOS 9 that the device can utilize. However, they also criticized it for being more expensive than other 8-inch tablets and that the multitasking features do not work as well on the smaller screen. There was also criticism of the iPad Mini 4's A8 processor which was a year old, regarded as a "step down" from the iPad Air 2's A8X and iPhone 6S's A9 processors. This was in contrast to the iPad Mini 2 which featured the same A7 processor as the contemporary iPad Air and iPhone 5S where all three were released in Q4 of 2013.[7]

Timeline

IPad (4th generation) IPad (3rd generation) IPad (1st generation)
Source: Apple press release library[8]
  1. 1 2 3 "iPad mini 4 - specs". Apple Inc.
  2. ↑ Cunningham, Andrew (September 16, 2015). "iPad mini 4 performance preview: A 1.5GHz Apple A8 with 2GB of RAM". Ars Technica. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
  3. ↑ iPad mini 4 Teardown - iFixit
  4. ↑ Clover, Juli (October 21, 2015). "Apple Releases iOS 9.1 With New Emoji, Live Photos Improvements". Mac Rumours. Retrieved October 21, 2015.
  5. ↑ http://www.displaymate.com/news.html#iPad_mini_4 Retrieved 31.Mar.2016
  6. ↑ Apple iPad Mini 4 review September 28, 2015. Retrieved 2 November 2015.
  7. ↑ Stein, Scott (5 November 2015). "Apple iPad Mini 4 review - CNET". Retrieved 6 November 2015.
  8. ↑ Apple Inc. (2010–2011). Press Release Library. Retrieved April 3, 2011.

External links

Preceded by
iPad Mini 3		 iPad Mini 4
4th generation 		Succeeded by
Incumbent
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