Apple iPad Mini review

SOFTWARE

The iPad Mini has just been updated to iOS 6.1, the latest version of Apple’s mobile operating system. It doesn’t add much in the way of features over the 6.0 version that the tablet originally shipped with, but it does add better support for 4G network providers.

Because Apple insists on approving each new LTE network before enabling 4G support on its devices, these updates are crucial if UK customers want to use their iPad on one of the 4G networks launching later this year. This first release is hopefully an indication that Apple will be quick off the mark with future updates and that EE won’t always be one choice for 4G connectivity in the UK.

iOS 6.1 includes all the all the tablet-specific features you’ll find in the full-size iPad, with multi-touch gestures which let you pinch to return to the home screen, four-finger swipe upwards to reveal the task switcher and swipe left or right to switch between open apps.

Apple’s Siri voice assistant makes an appearance, letting you set reminders, post directly to Facebook or Twitter, search the web or play songs without opening the music app. Without a dedicated weather app, it’s the only way to check whether to pack an umbrella without opening Safari or installing a dedicated forecast app.

Passbook is the other major new addition to iOS 6, but unfortunately it isn’t available on the iPad Mini. We can understand the reasoning why, as it’s not as practical to pull out your tablet when asked for your airline boarding pass, although with a 4G model available there are surely some people who would appreciate its inclusion. Slightly more baffling is the absence of a calculator, which is present on every other iOS device.

Apple’s work-in-progress Maps tool launched with iOS 6, replacing the old Google-powered version, but unfortunately it’s nowhere near as accurate. There are far too many omissions, it often struggles to locate what you search for and will sometimes jump to different countries when you’re looking up a UK address. It does at least add useful turn-by-turn directions, with clear traffic warnings and choice of routes, but this is only truly useful if you opt for the cellular iPad Mini – without an internet connection it’s essentially no better than a paper map. The 3D cities view is another welcome addition, giving you a top-down model of the place you’re looking at to, although only certain parts of London were rendered when we checked. If you use maps regularly, we would recommend installing the official Google Maps app – it’s free on the App store, uses Google’s extensive mapping data and is incredibly accurate.

If you’ve ever used an iOS device before, you’ll know what to expect – the iPad Mini is more of the same, only in a different screen size. You should also be familiar with Apple’s extensive App Store selection, which is still the best out there – Android may be catching up, but the iOS store has a wider range of high quality apps. Unfortunately, you’ll also have to use the awful iTunes PC software to manage your content, which you should keep in mind when deciding if an iPad Mini is right for you.

There’s little doubt that the iPad Mini is a gorgeous tablet which is well built, simply stunning to look at and fast. However, it’s also around £100 more than a Nexus 7 or Kindle Fire HD, two Android tablets with higher-resolution displays that are both excellent value and better for watching videos. However, thanks to the ease of web browsing, reading and the sheer number of apps available, the iPad Mini is a superb compact companion to the iPad.