Developer Apple Inc. Product family iPad mini Generation 4th | Manufacturer Foxconn Type Tablet computer Release date September 9, 2015 | |
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 released the same day. The iPad Mini 4, which replaced the iPad mini 3, is also the flagship of the two iPad Mini models currently sold by Apple, along with the iPad Mini 2.
Contents
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 minimal focus directly on the new device, with only a brief mention at the end of the iPad Pro portion of the keynote.
Software
The iPad Mini 4 ships with the iOS 9 operating system pre-installed, and was the first device to do so. With an additional 1 GB of RAM compared to the previous generations' 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.
Design
The iPad Mini 4 was the first major redesign of the iPad Mini line, with a slightly taller and wider body (though with 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 of the iPad Air 2 at 6.1 milimeters. This device is also lighter than the previous generation by 33.2 grams.
Due to the redesign, this device is incompatible with cases that would otherwise work with the iPad Mini 2 or iPad Mini 3. To compensate for this, Apple released a Smart Cover and Silicone Case for the Mini 4, which can be used separately or together as a fully protective case. Unlike the iPad Air 2, there is no leather Smart Case made by Apple for the device. There is also a mute switch removal like the iPad Air 2 due to its thinness.
As with the iPad Mini 3, the iPad Mini 4 is available in three colors: Space Gray, Silver and Gold.
Hardware
While the iPad Air 2 and iPad Mini 3 were both released in October 2014, the Mini 3 carried over the Mini 2's internals including the A7 processor in place of the hardware found in the iPad Air 2. The iPad Mini 4 features upgraded hardware closer in specs to the iPad Air 2. However, the Mini 4 sports a dual-core A8 processor in place of the tri-core A8X. Apple claims that this processor is "1.3x faster" at CPU tasks and "1.6x faster" at graphics tasks over the A7 processor found in previous Mini models. Along with the iPad Air 2, there are 2 GB of RAM, allowing the device to support the advanced multitasking features made available with the iOS 9 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 in apps as the device lacks the NFC antenna required for payments at a merchant terminal. With iOS 10, Apple Pay will be supported within the Safari app.
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 much improved color accuracy due to the increase to 101% sRGB Color Gamut compared to poor ~62% on the previous models.
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 adding support for 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.2. As with its predecessor, the iPad Mini 4 is available with storage options of 16, 64 or 128GB and with 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 disappointed with the speakers and chamfered edges.
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 the multitasking features not working 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 contrasts with the iPad Mini 2 which featured the A7 processor used in the iPad Air and iPhone 5S when they were released in Fall 2013.