Apple iPad Mini vs Apple iPad 4, Both to Release in November: Which One Should You Buy?

Apple announced the iPad Mini – the much anticipated smaller tablet at the special media event. Apple fanboys who are too excited to buy the new tiny tablet can immediately rush to the Apple store and pre-order one starting from October 26. But, for those consumers who always wait and watch the trend of the technology industry before investing in buying gadgets, here is a good news for you.

Remember, back in June, DigiTimes did a report citing Chinese-language publication Apple Daily, which claimed that an upgraded 9.7-inch iPad will be released soon. Honestly, at that time it seemed far too soon for Apple to be upgrading the new iPad, so this rumor was considered a bit doubtful. However, it did have a shred of truth in it, as Apple not only announced a 7.9 inch tablet at the special event but also unveiled a 9.7 inch device dubbed as iPad 4, which is the fourth generation 9.7 inch iPad. The iPad 4 is a revamped full size version of the new iPad, which was released by the Cupertino based firm in March.

Are both the iPad Mini and iPad 4 different only in terms of size? Definitely not! As the iPad 4 is an overhauled version of iPad 3 featuring new A6 processor, a faster Wi-Fi performance and the new Lightning dock connector.

Moreover, consumers can pre-order both the tablets starting from October 26, 2012 from the Apple stores and the Wi-Fi versions of them will hit the retail shelves on November 2 in markets including US, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK.

In terms of pricing, iPad Mini will be priced at Rs 31,874, Rs 38,819 and Rs 45,763 for 16GB, 32GB and 64GB Wi-Fi + Cellular versions and fourth-generation iPad will start from $499 (approx. Rs 30,500) for the 16GB Wi-Fi variant and $629 (approx. Rs 34,000) for the 16GB Wi-Fi + Cellular model.

Hence, below is a comparison between the iPad Mini and the fourth generation iPad. Read it and update yourself with the specs and price information and more.

Dimensions & Weight: Clearly, the iPad Mini boasts a dimension of 200 x 134.7 x 7.2 mm and weighs 308 grams, being smaller, thinner and lighter than the iPad 4 carrying a dimension of 241.2 x 185.7 x 9.4 mm and weighing arounf 652 grams.

Display: In terms of display, iPad Mini packs a 7.9 inch LED-backlit IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen display with 1024 x 768 pixel resolution, which is not a Retina Display.

In comparison, iPad 4 features a 9.7 inch LED-backlit Multi-Touch display with IPS technology with 2048 x 1536 pixel resolution with the Retina Display technology.

Processor: In this segment, iPad Mini has a 1GHz dual core Apple A5 processor while iPad 4 houses a dual core A6X. However, as the iPad Mini uses an older A5 processor and the iPad 4 uses the brand new A6X processor that is twice as fast as the existing model's A5X processor.

Operating System: Both the tablets are powered by the latest iOS 6 operating system with 200 new features including Apple Maps, improved Siri, new Safari browser, iCloud cloud storage, deeper integration to Facebook, new PassBook app, PhotoStream app and more.

Camera: When it comes to camera optics, iPad Mini and iPad 4 have the same 5MP rear camera with iSight technology and 1.2MP front facing FaceTime HD camera.

Storage: In this segment, iPad Mini and iPad 4 comes in three configurations – 16GB, 32GB and 64GB internal storage. However, there are rumors stating that iPad Mini will also retail in 8GB version.

Moreover, iPad 4 and iPad Mini are speculated to have a 512MB RAM, which remains unconfirmed.

Connectivity: Both iPad Mini and iPad 4 will come with a Lightning port, which was announced with the iPhone 5, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity options.

Further, being a revamped version of new iPad, iPad 4 will come with 3G and 4G connectivity options as well. However, iPad Mini is also expected to come in 3G and 4G compatible modes in mid-November.

Battery: iPad Mini is packed with a 16.3 Whr Li-Po battery and iPad 4 is loaded with a 42.5 Whr Li-ion battery, both offering about 10 hours of backup.

Verdict

Both iPad Mini and iPad 4 have similar storage options, platform/software, Lightning port, FaceTime/iSight camera and battery backup.

However, in the end, it largely depends on what are your requirements to buy a tablet. If it's for mobility, then iPad Mini is the right choice for you. If performance is a concern, pre order an iPad 4. If battery backup is a concern, definitely iPad Mini will last longer than iPad 4, as the Retina Display in the former will squeeze extra battery life to push the pixel performance. However, if you plan on gaming, the fourth generation iPad will out do the iPad Mini in every regard.

Finally, if price is not a concern for you, go for the iPad 4 and if you do not wish to shell your pockets then iPad Mini is indeed not a bad choice.