The Apple iPad Mini 4 Review
by Brandon Chester on October 28, 2015 8:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Tablets
- Apple
- Mobile
- iPad Mini 4
Software
iOS 9 released roughly one month ago. I released my review of it on the day it launched, and my impressions of the OS were mostly positive. In particular, I felt that the additions Apple had made to enable various forms of multitasking possible on the iPad were much needed improvements to the iPad experience. However, I also voiced my frustration at the fact that Apple's history of shipping as little RAM as possible had led to the new split view feature being excluded from every tablet except the iPad Air 2, which includes the iPad Mini 3 that was still the flagship iPad Mini almost right up until release.
Shortly before iOS 9 was released, the iPad Mini 4 was unveiled, and it was confirmed to have all the multitasking features of the iPad Air 2. Of course, while the iPad Mini does use the same application layouts as the larger iPad, the physically smaller screen size has an impact on how you use the device, and during my time testing the Mini 4 I tried to make note of how my behavior differed from when I was testing multitasking on the larger iPad Air 2.
The first thing I noticed about my usage patterns is that I used the 50/50 split in landscape mode very infrequently, while on the Air 2 I use it roughly as much as the ~70/30 mode. This is simply due to the smaller size of the display. While the 50/50 view is drawn using the name number of pixels on the Air 2 and the Mini 4, the smaller screen size of the Mini 4 means each side is physically pretty small. That isn't to say that it's unusable by any means, but I felt far less comfortable doing a 50/50 split between Safari and an Office document than I did when using the Air 2. My usage tended more toward the ~70/30 split, although I didn't use it as often as on the Air 2 where I almost always have Skype or Tweetbot on the right side.
My reduced usage of split screen mode on the Mini 4 was in line with my predictions. I'm confident it will also be true that iPad Pro users spend almost all of their time with two active applications, and so the Air 2 will be to the iPad Pro what the Mini 4 is to the Air 2. It's simply easier to work in a split view when your screen is physically larger in size. What also fell in line with my prediction is an increased utilization of the slide over feature. Slide over is a good way to check an application quickly and return to what you were doing without having to sacrifice horizontal space in the active application, and I found myself using it to check Skype and Tweetbot instead of keeping the apps pinned to the side constantly.
As for the performance of multitasking, there are a few things to keep in mind. Since the iPad Mini's A8 SoC is paired with 2GB of RAM I don't think users will run into any issues that the iPad Air 2 doesn't as far as memory is concerned. In fact, I would say that because the Mini 4 does tend more toward content consumption than heavy productivity apps you're unlikely to ever run into significant memory pressure unless you simply have a lot of Safari tabs open, and in that case some will just eventually be evicted from memory. I have noticed a few things that suggest Apple is pushing the SoC to its limits though.
iPad Air 2 top, iPad Mini 4 bottom
The first change I noticed going from the Air 2 to the Mini 4 is the removal of the blur effect in the multitasking app switcher. You can see above how this looks on the Air 2 and how the Mini 4 changes it. Essentially Apple has removed the blur effect, and so the menu looks like how the OS generally looks with the reduce transparency option on. While it's not a big deal, it's a clear indicator that Apple doesn't feel A8's GPU performance is fast enough to achieve a high level of performance with this menu overlay active while also blurring part of the open application below it. This isn't surprising when one considers the GPU results earlier in the review and how the A8X SoC in the Air 2 has what is really the best GPU in an ARM tablet.
One other performance-related observation I made while using the Mini 4 in split screen mode is that there is sometimes a pause before applications become usable again after enabling split screen or changing the ratio of the split between applications. I knew this couldn't be related to loading assets from RAM because the issue doesn't happen on the Air 2, and examining CPU performance at those times revealed no reason to suspect that the CPU was the culprit. Ultimately I think this is actually due to the GPU being slower than A8X as well. When switching the split between apps the interface of both applications needs to be re-rendered to suit the new layout, and I think this is just a point where the GPU can't always do all the necessary work in only a few frames. The issue definitely wasn't that bothersome, and I only picked up on the fact that it was slower because I have experience with the Air 2. Nonetheless, I felt it was important to point it out, if only because it's interesting to see cases where even really good mobile GPUs can have some trouble keeping up with the demands being made of them.
While the iPad Mini 4 may not have the sheer power of the iPad Air 2, the multitasking experience on it is still great. I think the way most users will use the features differs from owners of larger iPads simply due to the difference in screen real estate, but the features are all there and fully functional on the iPad Mini 4 for anyone who needs them. The 2GB of RAM certainly helps to prevent apps from being evicted from memory as well, which was a serious issue on iPads that shipped with 1GB of RAM.
As far as the rest of the OS goes, you're really getting the same iOS 9 experience as all of the other iOS devices. If you're looking for a more in depth look at iOS 9 I recommend my review, as it goes into more detail on the workings and performance of iPad multitasking. If you're a fan of iOS then I think you'll find iOS 9 is the best release to date, and a very big release for the iPad. If you're not a fan of iOS then iOS 9 probably won't sway your feelings. The iPad still has a clear platform advantage over Android tablets as far as tablet-specific features and third party apps goes, and that's always something to keep in mind and to weigh against parts of the OS that you may not be fond of.
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tipoo - Wednesday, October 28, 2015 - link
I wonder if this is pretty much what we can expect from the A8 in the ATV 4. Though it has a heatsink and no battery requirements, so it could go a bit further if they were arsed. Anything coming on that, AT team?Spectrophobic - Wednesday, October 28, 2015 - link
It's a bit insulting that it uses the same SoC as the iPod Touch 6G. I would've preferred a underclocked A8X over a speed-bumped A8, mostly for the A8X's GPU. Considering the typical iPad user, this probably wouldn't be much of an issue as the A8 is still a fast SoC for the mundane things people do.Tech_guy - Wednesday, October 28, 2015 - link
Yeah the GPU in the A8 wasn't designed to push this many pixels. And I hate paying a premium for a year old chip.NetMage - Saturday, October 31, 2015 - link
Paying a premium over what?denem - Wednesday, October 28, 2015 - link
iPad Air Mini 4 should have shipped with an A9 processor, a, TouchID 2 sensor, and, IMO, debuted before the iPhone 6s. The iPad 2 for example introduced the A5 months before the 4s. It was Apple’s most significant platform move ‘evah’. Here is our new technology. This is exciting!“iPad is our most advanced technology in a magical and revolutionary device at an unbelievable price” Steve Job, Jan 28 2010. ‘Magical and Revolutionary’ are smoke and mirrors, but from the iPad 3, the formula became last years technology and yesteryears design. Serviceable? Yes. Exciting? No.
Even when the Air 2 did have genuinely new/interesting advancements: the A8X and 2GB Ram, Apple could hardly bring themselves to talk about it. Nothing should be allowed to detract from the iPhone. If the iPad is less expensive, it must be inferior, or so the thinking goes. Even today, the iPad Pro, which matches iPhone pricing does not sport the new TouchID. Apple’s whole mindset is flawed. An IPad is not a substitute iPhone. Doh.
Tech_guy - Wednesday, October 28, 2015 - link
Yeah I would've bought it for sure with an A9 chip which they easily could've had considering they take less power than A8. The mini 4 GPU is the part that turned me off instantly. Iphone 6 plus GPU performance a year later. No thanks.denem - Thursday, October 29, 2015 - link
And let me guess, an A9 iPad would not have put you off from buying an iPhone if you needed one? No, hand me down technology does not impress anyone, but hey, let's kill enthusiasm and an entire product line while we are at it. Even the iPod got an A8 when it was still current. Bozos.denem - Thursday, October 29, 2015 - link
I guess I should have added that with 4x as many pixels to push, the mini 4's onscreen graphics are slower, a lot slower than the iPod 6. For example, the iPod 6 scores 41.7 fps onscreen for Manhattan HD, GFX Metal, while the iPad mini 4 pushes 15.7. (Source: arstechnica) Double plus stupid.Tech_guy - Thursday, October 29, 2015 - link
Yeah for the mini 4 to be taken seriously by me, a typical power user, it needed better hardware inside. It's literally the performance of an iPhone 6 plus graphics wise, which there's some instances where 6 plus dropped frames and lagged, even in the animations in iOS 9. I have yet to even go look at one because I was SO turned off by A8 rather than A8X or A9. Apple really did exactly everything they needed to do to chase me away from the iPad mini line, and iPad air 2 is too bulky in my personal opinion.akdj - Sunday, November 1, 2015 - link
You guys are hilarious. The A8 is t designed to push this many pixels (I'm writing this on iPad mini 4) but the A5 was? Or the A6x? The A7? I've got an iPad 4 as well as the Air 2 and I've used it daily since its release. It's awesome! Truly phenomenal. I've also used the mini 2 since it dropped. Killer tablet with excellent performance. Even today. It's using an A7 with identical resolution.That said, doubling the memory with the GPU & CPU share makes all the difference in the world. On the iPhone 6s, the Air 2 and now the mini 4.
I've got every triple A title ...if that's what you 'power users' are power using??? (I'm lost and I'm making money with mine!) from the App Store. Every. Single. One. There's not a single app or task i can perform on my Air 2 or iPhone 6s+ that I can't just as efficiently and quickly 'do, play, maiplulate read, consume, watch or produce' on the iPad mini 4. It's been through ten and twelve hour days with me the last few weeks and it's all the Air 2 is - I'll agree in a smaller package.
App developers are currently releasing apps aimed at the A5 & 6 as required hardware. Tomorrow that won't change and if anything will benefit the new mini ...as developers move into the 64bit minimum requirements of the first edition, the A7.
Thought as an actual user, consumer, producer, 'fellow power user?' (I've got a 15" MacBook Pro I typically use for heavy lifting but resources at thee largest tech and software companies in the world are now shifting ...in some cases 'more' resources to mobile than the desk. As a Creative Cloud subscriber since its inception, I'm floored by Adobe's mobile releases. They're incredible and work perfectly with Premier Pro, AE, PS and InDesign. IMHO MS could've left the iPad versions of Word, Excel, Power Point and One Note on v1. They're beyond awesome. I also fly (as a pilot) and rely on the iPad mini as my flight bag. It files my plans, tells me how much gas I need, weather and traffic conditions with up to date Jep charts, plates and NOTAMS. I'm not sure how much more power you're using than I am but there's simply no equal. Anywhere.
You guys all sound goofier than a three dollar bill. A month ago you couldn't get this package of performance. Today you can. It's lacking the A9, but has all other bases covered with display and doubling of RAM, incredible battery life and a smaller package yet YOU'VE got to have the might A9 or the three cores of the A8s ...when I'm absolutely sure as an owners of both you've NECER brought an Air 2 to its knees or limits. If so, please share (I'm aware of two limits on the Air 2 with apps currently available on iOS only ...any guesses?)
I'm honestly curious as to what constitutes a 'power user' of an iPad
Hilarious. Thanks for the laugh
K. Next
Ryan, it's Sunday bro!
:) I kid
Excellent write up as always. Many thanks
J