iPad Air vs iPad mini 2

Which iPad is best for your needs? In an iPad Air vs iPad mini 2 with Retina display comparison review by Macworld (UK), updated after seven months of use, they compare the iPad Air and iPad mini 2's specs, features, portability, usefulness, price and more, to determine which new iPad you should buy.

Pros

• iPad Air offers a larger screen and a more immersive experience
• iPad mini 2 is more portable and cheaper

Cons

• iPad Air is most expensive of the iPads and won't fit in a pocket
• Watching films on iPad mini is less of a cinematic experience

iPad Air and iPad mini 2 with Retina display were unveiled in October last year, as Apple refreshed its mini and full-size lineups. The most obvious difference between the iPad Air and iPad mini 2 is size: the overall size of the device and the size of the screen. The iPad Air is built around a 9.7in screen (9.7in is the screen's size measured diagonally, from corner to corner), whereas the iPad mini 2 is a mini tablet built around a 7.9in screen.

That's quite a difference: just under 30 square inches of screen space on the iPad mini 2, compared to about 45 square inches on the iPad Air. And the option of gaining about 50 percent extra screen space will be a major factor in your buying decision. The iPad Air's big screen provides a far more cinematic experience; for watching films or TV programs the Air is definitely superior. It's also a more immersive gaming device.

Most apps, however, work perfectly well on the iPad mini's 7.9in screen, and email and web surfing are both fine. Anyone who has used an iPhone will be aware that Apple's devices are terrifically optimized to fit relevant information on to a small screen in an usable way, and most users find the iPad mini and iPad mini 2 convenient to use.

Reading is a particular strength of the iPad mini's screen size. It's close to the size of a paperback, after all, and approximates the old-fashioned reading experience beautifully.

But what about screen quality? Actually the iPad mini 2, thanks to its new Retina display, has a far higher pixel density than the iPad Air, with the same number of pixels (and the same resolution) packed into a smaller space. But both are rated as Retina-class displays, so you shouldn't see a difference. (In theory, a Retina display is as good as the human eye can appreciate, and any extra pixels won't be apparent at a normal usage distance.)

Read the complete comparison review HERE.

Credit:

macworld.co.uk