Now that the review embargo has been lifted, reviews of Apple new iPad mini 3 are pouring in. While most reviews of the new iPad Air 2 were favorable, the iPad mini 3 has been met with a resounding, “MEH!”
Just for a little background, the main differences between the iPad mini 3 and it’s predecessor, the Retina iPad mini, are the addition of a Touch ID sensor, and a gold color option.
Brad Molen, Engadget:
“… I’m not sure where the mini 3 fits into Apple’s strategy. Since the only hardware improvement to the new slate is Touch ID, the mini lineup is no longer on par with the Airs; it’s now a second-class tablet citizen. I love Touch ID, and I favor the screen size of the mini, but it’s not worth paying an extra $100 for Apple’s fingerprint sensor unless you use a ton of passwords or want to make a lot of online Apple Pay purchases.”
Dieter Bohn, The Verge:
“Apple has released a tablet with last year’s camera, last year’s screen, last year’s processor, last year’s everything. Yet it still feels competitive with the other small tablets on the market.
“So it’s not so much that I’m disappointed in the iPad mini 3, it’s more that I’m disappointed with the state of the small tablet in general — there’s simply no top-tier device if you want the smaller size. This iPad mini might be the best option, but “best option” for 7-inch tablets turns out to be faint praise.”
Darrell Etherington, TechCrunch:
“If you want the latest and the greatest, however, and all the options that Touch ID does and will eventually bring, and you’re okay with spending a bit more for the privilege, the iPad mini 3 is still the best small slate available, even without significant engineering investment from Apple this year – but you have to really value the ‘small’ aspect of that to make it worth it.”
Farhad Manjoo, The New York Times:
“… it is almost identical to last year’s iPad Mini 2, which Apple is still selling for $299 and up. The primary difference is that the iPad Mini 3 has a TouchID fingerprint scanner and has one more color option, gold. (The 2 comes in just silver and black.) Unless you’re going to be doing a lot of Apple Pay shopping or you’re gaga for gold, it’s best to save the $100 and go with the Mini 2.”
The iPad mini 3 is currently available for pre-order from Apple’s online store, with prices starting at $399 for a 16GB Wi-fi model.
