The new iPad mini and the 4th generation iPad have gone on sale in South Africa. These two devices are probably going to be on that top 10 list of most desired gifts this festive season.
The iPad Mini which was announced in October is completely new iPad design. The first thing you notice when you hold it in your hands is how light and thing it is. Compared to the 3rd generation iPad, the Mini is 23 percent thinner and 53 percent lighter and the Wi-Fi version weighs just 308g!
You really feel the difference in the weight especially when reading a book. For those serious book readers, the iPad Mini will really challenge the Kindle.
The new device features a 7.9 inch multi-touch display and has  the same display and resolution as the iPad 2. Not a retina display, but a superb screen nonetheless. All the other iPad features are included. It has a 5 megapixel camera that shoots video in HD and has a 1.2 megapixel front facing camera for video conferencing. The processor is also really quick and the device delivers a 10 hour battery life. It comes in a Wi-Fi only version as well as a Wi-Fi and 3G version with an LTE version expected early next year.
The iPad Mini is a great tablet with awesome portability. The local pricing is also really good. Starting at R3399 for the 16GB with Wi-Fi version, it is cheaper than many of the European countries.
The 4th generation iPad looks identical to the previous version but it is under the skin that the enhancements have taken place. It still has the amazing retina display but it the latest iPad has the A6X chip that improves the performance and an improved FaceTime HD camera.
The new iPad starts at R5199 for the 16GB with Wi-Fi version and goes up to R8599 for the 64GB Wi-Fi plus Cellular version.
Both the iPad Mini and 4th generation iPad feature Apple’s Lightning connector that is smaller than the previous connector. This can be an issue if you have devices that connect to the older connectors, so make sure you get an adaptor that will make the new iPads compatible.