APPLE IPAD MINI BENCHMARKS

Benchmarks

The GeekBench score is what we usually use to tell if any new Apple product is up to much, and you'll be glad to know that it's… exactly as powerful as the iPad 2 and the iPad 3.

The latter isn't really a fair test as it's got a much improved GPU running the show to help power all those pixels, but it shows that in terms of CPU grunt there's not a lot to worry about here.

Also, the SunSpider tests revealed that the iPad mini is as powerful as quad core options throughout the industry, giving some very pleasing browser results.

However, it is under half as powerful as the new iPad 4, which is able to ripple through web pages and apps in a much shorter time… Apple always gives you something to update to, right?

We often struggle to sum up an Apple product. We can ask the same question of the iPad mini that we've asked nearly every mobile device that Apple has made: How much more should consumers pay for a well thought out OS and more impressive design over the competition?

Usually, the answer is 'not as much as is being charged'... but in that case that's not as true as normal. Yes, the iPad mini is once again too expensive - why is it so much more for a device with lower specs than the competition when Apple has other devices with more grunt, and when Apple is making at least 43% profit on each device, according to iSuppli?

And it's especially irksome that Apple has pointed out it's making a lower profit margin on this device - rather than make us say 'well done' for taking the hit to enter a new market, it just makes us think that the company could charge less for other devices and stop its cash mountain threatening to topple over and kill Apple employees.

It is worth noting here that the likes of Google and Amazon, while both haven't explicitly said so, are making no money or even using the likes of the Nexus 7 or Kindle Fire HD as loss leaders to claw back money on apps and content, a strategy Apple has no intention of deploying, but may give consumers pause on the high street.

But forget all that for a second, and focus on this: the iPad mini is the best iPad Apple has created to date. We fell in love with its design, the way the screen seems so much more expansive than the Google or Amazon competition or just the way the smooth aluminium feels in the hand.

We liked

We liked a lot. A whole lot on the new iPad mini, and although the price is a little high (and you should REALLY think about the 32GB option for safety if you're thinking of getting one) Apple has just about justified it with the way the device sits in the hand.

The larger screen might not fit fully in a single palm, but from the smooth back to the Smart Covers designed specifically for the model, we're fans - pure and simple.

The speed of the processor is perfectly acceptable and lag-free for all tasks, the UI is actually better-engineered for this 7.9-inch screen compared to its bigger brother and we're chirpy indeed about the battery prowess through harder use.

We disliked

The lack of a Retina display is so, so frustrating as that's the killer feature (along with, perhaps, a slightly faster processor) that would have meant we gave the iPad mini our first five star tablet review. It's that good. But the screen is too fuzzy at times compared to the likes of the new iPad or iPhone 5 to consider it a dazzling display, and that's a real shame.

The low-power GPU is going to be an issue for some, even for the price point - although that's more for future proofing as in our tests the iPad mini performed as well as the quad core variants.

And while we've long given up on looking for expandable storage or a removable battery on these devices, 16GB of storage isn't enough for the plethora of large apps and HD content we're interested in downloading onto this device.

Verdict

Can we see someone owning an iPhone 5, iPad mini and new iPad 4? Actually, maybe...and not just the pointlessly rich. The iPhone is the perfect device for hopping in and out of content, giving you the internet all the time and generally allowing you to play more simple games.

The iPad mini is perfect for a train ride: it's just the right size for a few TV episodes when packed nose to nose with fellow commuters before slipping it back into a bag or pocket when leaping for your platform.

And the new iPad 4 is great for longer sessions and more involved gaming - air travel is so much more improved by its presence and no matter what game we were playing or which content-rich website we wanted to view, it was always the larger device we reached for.

However, this is a really ridiculous scenario for only the super-fanboy to adhere to - we're just pointing out that there is a space in the range for the iPad mini.

We've said it already, but we'll say it again though: the iPad mini is the best iPad Apple has ever created. It offers better value for money, sits more pleasantly in the hand and can handle all the tasks you want at least adequately and many times better than you'd expect.

If you're thinking about which tablet to buy a loved one and money isn't an issue, we'd recommend the iPad mini every time for it's more impressive design compared to the swathes of plastic offered by its competitors. It's still overpriced, the CPU and display aren't as strong as they could be, but we can safely say this is the gift we'd like to see Santa put under our tree over the rest.