The rumour of a mini iPad is finally true. Unlike many of Apple’s previous marketing ploys that claims every product to be the best yet, the iPad mini certainly lives up to the statement. It’s the perfect size to hold, perfect space to type out emails and the perfectly priced tablet that gives you everything its larger predecessor has.
Price of iPad mini: $329
Hardware
So what makes the mini any different from the iPad besides price? It’s the light weight of the mini that sets its apart from not just the iPad but also from the iPhones. The 7.9 inch mini comes in two colours – Black with a Slate coloured back and White with a Silver coloured back. Much like the earlier iPads, the iPad mini comes with a wifi-only and a wifi+cellular version. It is 7.9 inches tall, 5.3 inches wide and weighs only as little as 0.68 pound, much lighter than the iPhone 5. Despite the absence of the iPad’s rich Retina display, the mini’s compact screen makes the display look much crisper and better.
The Mini is a Computer
Everyone who owns an iPad knows that the iPad is not necessarily the best gadget for performing official work. Typing out emails, editing documents can be quite cumbersome especially if it involves many hours of work. Working without the smart case stand can be quite the challenge. While it may be the perfect companion for watching videos and playing games, using it for official purposes has never been the sole motivation for buying an iPad. The iPad mini makes typing out emails a breeze with a screen big enough to allow fingers to move easily across the screen.
Ebook Reader
One of the least worries Apple faces is competition from e-readers like Kindle Fire, Barnes & Noble’s Nook and many others. The iPad has for a very long time proven to be an excellent e-reader that allows the realistic slow flipping of pages, adjusting screen brightness and backgrounds that make the font pop to the reader. Having an e-reader embedded in a tablet is the best product anyone could ask for. With the iPad however, it can be a little too large to hold and certainly not the hassle-free companion for a 700-page novel. The iPad mini addresses this problem and its light and smaller size makes it simply the best e-reader on a tablet. Just yet.
Can the Mini play videos better than its larger predecessors?
Unfortunately, the answer is no. The Retina display and larger screens on the previous iPad is far better than watching videos compressed and compromised on the 7.9 inch iPad mini. Regardless, its video 
player is far better than many top notch ones in the market today and ideal to watch videos on flight or anywhere on the go when compared to an iPad that can be inconvenient. However, if video-watching is one of your primary reasons for buying a tablet, I would pass up on this one.
What about battery life? The iPad mini averages anywhere between 10 to 13 hours of battery life depending on web browsing by way of wifi or 3g, videos and more.
My Verdict
The iPad mini is the perfect tablet for anyone who has been dying to buy a tablet forever and with a slightly lesser budget. It’s perfect for doing everything you can do on an iPad. For those of you who have a little patience and prefer the sharpness of the retina display, I would wait for Apple to come out with a mini that has a retina display. I’m quite positive it will. For those of you who can afford a bit more, pitch in the extra $100 to get yourself the iPad.