iPad Mini 3 a fost prezentată săptămâna trecută de către compania Apple, ea reprezentând un upgrade minor față de iPad Mini 2, singura diferență notabilă fiind includerea unui cititor de amprentă cu Touch ID. Upgrade-ul minor făcut de către compania Apple pentru micuța sa tabletă nu a impresionat pe vreuna dintre persoanele care au avut ocazia de a o testa în ultimele zile, astfel că majoritatea celor care au publicat review-uri pentru ea au criticat faptul că Apple a lansat pe piață doar tableta iPad Mini 2 cu Touch ID și i-a dat o denumire complet diferită.
iPad Mini 3 este cu 100€ mai scumpă decât tableta iPad mini 2 și implementarea Touch ID nu este prezentat ca un motiv suficient de bun pentru a recomanda achiziționarea noului produs, așa că nu vorbim despre o nouă tabletă de top lansată de către compania Apple. Deși iPad Air 2 este disponibilă pentru precomandă aici în România, iPad Mini 3 încă nu a apărut în magazinele noastre online.
iPad Mini 3 reviews
That said, 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. It’s still a great performer, but I can’t help but wonder if the mini lineup can remain relevant at its price point — especially now that 5.5-inch iPhones are even more portable and still offer a large screen.
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.
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. The iPad Air 2 is the best all around tablet, however, and a much better choice for those looking to be at the technological forefront of this market.
The value in upgrading to the iPad mini 2 from the original was clear; the improvements in stepping up to the iPad mini 3 from its predecessor are more granular. That’s not so much a critique of the new model as it is recognition that the iPad mini 2 simply got so much right. Touch ID is a great convenience boon, and the gold finish has probably made some precious-metal fans happy, but neither is a must-have reason to upgrade if you have the last-gen hardware. Conversely, if you’re still rocking an original iPad mini then the iPad mini 3 improves it in all dimensions.
