Apple may unveil its second-generation Retina iPad mini at a media event that will be held on Thursday, October 16. While the updated tablet is expected to retain the same form factor, it will likely gain an upgraded A8 processor and a Touch ID fingerprint sensor.
iPad Air part leaks have suggested the larger tablet will come equipped with an A8X processor and 2GB of RAM, but it is unclear if the Retina iPad mini will receive the same upgraded internals.
Hints of Touch ID support for the upcoming iPads were first discovered within the code for iOS 7 and code hidden within the iOS 8.1 beta confirms that Touch ID will most likely be introduced in both the next-generation iPad Air and Retina iPad mini.
The iOS 8.1 beta has also hinted at possible "Retina HD" displays for the next Retina iPad mini and iPad Air, as it contains "3x" iPad image assets. Apple's larger-screened iPhone 6 Plus with Retina HD display also uses 3x image assets.
While several rumors have pointed towards an updated Retina iPad mini with Touch ID, there have been some conflicting rumors that call into question Apple's plans for the smaller tablet.
In September, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggested the Retina iPad mini would receive only Touch ID support if it was updated at all, and a report from the Asian supply chain suggested the next-generation Retina iPad mini might not launch alongside the iPad Air in the fall, coming instead in early 2015.
A more recent rumor from Japanese site Mac Otakara has suggested an updated Retina iPad mini will indeed launch alongside the second-generation iPad Air, but as rumors have heavily focused on the iPad Air while saying little about the Retina iPad mini, any update will likely be a minor one.
At its October 22, 2013 media event, Apple introduced its second-generation iPad mini, bringing a new Retina display as well as upgraded internals including the A7 chip and M7 motion coprocessor introduced in the iPhone 5s.
The improvements to the iPad mini have necessitated a slight increase in thickness and weight for the iPad mini, with the device now measuring at 7.5 mm thick and 0.73 pounds compared to 7.2 millimeters and 0.68 pounds for the original generation.
With a Retina display, the new iPad mini's resolution has increased from 1024 x 768 to 2048 x 1536, matching the resolution of the full-size iPad but with the smaller screen pushing the pixel density to the same 324 pixels-per-inch seen on Apple's iPhone and iPod touch models.
The iPad mini with Retina display became available for purchase on 12:01 AM on November 12, 2013. Capacities range from 16 GB up to a new 128 GB option, with all models available in both Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + Cellular versions and in silver/white and space gray/black color options. Pricing has increased from the previous generation, now starting at $399 for the 16 GB Wi-Fi model and adding $100 for each capacity increment and $130 for cellular connectivity.
The non-Retina iPad mini remains available in a single configuration of 16 GB in both silver/white and space gray/black color options. Pricing has dropped by $30 over the original pricing, with the Wi-Fi model coming in at $299 and the Wi-Fi + Cellular model priced at $429.
Initial Impressions
Following Apple's October 22 announcements, press attending the event were given a chance to look at the new Retina iPad mini. Initial impressions were positive, noting that the device felt similar to the previous iPad mini despite its small increases in weight and thickness.
According to The Verge , the Retina iPad mini was noticeably faster and smoother, with sharper, more readable text, and CNET thought it looked better than its larger counterpart, the iPad Air.
Performance
According to Geekbench 3 benchmarks, the Retina iPad mini is running at 1.3Ghz, similar to the iPhone 5s. The Retina mini scored a 1390 on the single-core test and a 2512 on the multi-core test, which is an incredible boost in performance over the original mini's score of 261/493.
The Retina iPad mini is, in fact, is 400% faster than the original iPad mini, though it is not quite as fast as the iPad Air, which clocked in at 1466/2856.
Known Issues
There have been a few reports of a limited number of Retina iPad minis displaying image retention issues. Image retention is not noticeable in regular use, but a grid test can be used to detect a possible problem.
Some Retina iPad mini users have noted that the tablet has a poor color gamut in comparison to the iPad Air. According to AnandTech , the Retina iPad mini has the same color gamut as the standard iPad mini, which is indeed narrower than the iPad Air.
Surprise Release
On the evening of November 11, 2013, MacRumors received a tip that Apple's GDX website for service providers was listing a November 12 launch date for the Retina iPad mini.
While the launch date initially appeared to be a mistake, as it was already November 12 in a number of countries around the world, Apple Online Stores went down at approximately 9 PM Pacific Time, suggesting that a launch was indeed imminent.
At 12:01 AM Pacific Time, Apple Stores began coming back online, with the Retina iPad mini available for purchase.
How to Buy
Apple's Retina iPad mini can be purchased from the online Apple Store or at Apple retail locations beginning at $399, with higher prices for cellular capabilities and storage increases.
On May 28, Apple introduced educational pricing for the Retina iPad mini, dropping the entry level price to $379 in its education store.
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