As you’re probably aware by now, Apple announced a brand new smaller version of their iPad today, dubbed the iPad mini. Following the keynote address by Apple’s executive team in San Jose, a hands-on session was held where members of the tech press could actually get a feel for this new, more diminutive tablet. Here’s a brief roundup of hands-on impressions from around the web, and we’ll update this post as more roll in.
“The smaller iPad retains much of the charm of its larger sibling, thanks to design decisions that make the most out of a much smaller physical footprint, and you’ll be amazed at how light and easy to hold it is."
“The 1024×768 display looks great, and seems larger than its 7.9 inches thanks to the narrower bezels on either side of the screen itself. And while it’s slightly trickier to hold as a result of that thinner strip, the screen seems to have a certain amount of false touch detection built-in, so that you won’t accidentally open apps or page through things while simply holding it."
“The thinness and sleekness of the casing cannot be overstated. It feels as high-end as the new iPhone, but even sharper in the hand – like a slice of solid aluminum. The chamfered edges present on the iPhone 5 have been continued here, as well as the all-black treatment seen on the latest phone. The display on the mini looks incredibly sharp, and even though the resolution is lower than the 3rd and 4th generation full-size iPad, it doesn’t immediately seem like a 1024 x 768 display. The smaller, 7.9-inch surface area certainly helps squeeze the pixels."
“We just spent a good amount of time with the iPad mini and the easiest way to describe the device is that it’s lighter than you’d expect. The build quality and finish both feel good as you’d expect, but the device is just considerably lighter than the iPad which results in superior in hand feel."
We’ll update this post if anymore interesting hands-on impressions roll in, and of course be sure to click through the original links above for even more detailed impressions of the new device. Also, you can expect much more from us here at TouchArcade when we get our own hands on the iPad mini when it ships on November 2nd.
