Apple iPad Mini 4 review: Still a fantastic tablet

Apple iPad Mini 4 review: Camera

The 8-megapixel camera installed in the iPad Mini 4 is up from the 5-megapixel camera in the iPad Mini 3, which certainly means that there’s more detail in our test shots. Outside, I’m pretty impressed with the camera, as my test shots were well exposed with plenty of detail across all parts of the image, from the brightness of the sky to the darker parts in shadow.

Inside and the camera’s limitations start to show up, with noise creeping into the image and colours becoming significantly more muted. It’s worth mentioning that there’s no flash on this model, so if it gets too dark you simply won’t be able to take any shots. Given that most people will have a smartphone with them that’s not necessarily a problem; what’s important is that you can at least take some pretty good shots with this tablet outside when you need to.

There’s the usual range of options we’ve come to expect from Apple devices here, including Panoramas, 1080p video and 120fps slow-motion at a resolution of 1,280×720. Video, as with images, works best outside where there’s lots of natural light, but suffers a little inside from image noise.

TouchID

As with the iPad Mini 3, this new tablet also has the TouchID fingerprint reader, which is becoming a substantially more important part of iOS. For starters, it gives you a quicker way of logging into your iPad, rather than having to type in a six-digit code (the default code length for iOS 9). It’s also being used by many more apps too, such as for logging into your Amazon account. Finally, you can use it to authorise Apple Pay payments in-app, which saves having to type your credit card details in.

Apple iPad Mini 4 review: Storage

There’s no memory card slot, as is normal for Apple, so you need to buy the model with the right amount of storage for you. The entry level model has just 16GB of storage (£319), which isn’t really enough. Next up is the 64GB model (£399), which is the one that most people will buy; at the top is a 128GB version (£479). It’s a shame that 32GB isn’t available as the entry-level option.

Apple iPad Mini 4 review: Wi-Fi and 4G

As with previous generations, you get a choice of Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi+Cellular models. The first has 802.11ac Wi-Fi for fast wireless connections, which you’ll notice if you’ve got an 802.11ac router and a quick internet connection when you’re downloading apps or large files, such as films. If you pay the extra £100 for the Cellular model, you also get a built-in 4G receiver, so that you can also get online when you like.

You can fit any standard microSIM, although the iPad Mini 4 comes with an Apple SIM built-in. I have to say that this such a brilliant idea, as the Apple SIM can connect to any supporting cellular network, letting you buy the data plan that’s the best value for what you need now, and then letting you change to a different provider later. It’s still a little disappointing that EE is the only major UK carrier to support the service, but the range of price plans it has at least means you can get the data you need for a decent price. There’s no GigSky, which provides mobile roaming data, so you can get online wherever you are. It’s no particularly cheap, though: it charges £8 for 75MB of data in the UK; it’s just £5 for 300MB for 30 days with EE 

Apple iPad Mini 4 review: Conclusion

After the slightly disappointing iPad Mini 3, Apple is back on form with the iPad Mini 4, which is hands-down the best small tablet that you can buy. If you’re looking for a bit of a bargain, the iPad Mini 2 is still available. The screen’s not as good, there’s no TouchID and it’s a little slower, but it’s great value at £259 for the 32GB version or £219 for the 16GB. At this late in the year, it might be worth holding out to see what Apple has up its sleeve in its tablet division, where we can expect the new tablets to release around Autumn.

There’s also the similar-sized Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0, which is the only Android to come close to the iPad Mini 4, although it’s a touch slower and the build quality isn’t as good. If you’re looking for something a little larger, check out our Best Tablet 2015 round-up. 

Buy the iPad Mini 4 now from Apple