Thu, 01 Nov 2012 Apple iPad mini: More reviews are in

You won't be able to get your hands on Apple's iPad mini until Friday, but, further to our iPad mini review round up yesterday, more reviews of the newest, smallest iPad have begun to trickle through today. Let's take a look.

How does the iPad mini stack up according to the experts? Should you buy one? Is the iPad mini the best small tablet on the market? We've rounded up a selection of the best iPad mini reviews so far.

The general consensus seems to be that the iPad mini has a very impressive design, with most reviewers commenting favourably on the premium look and feel, the light weight and the thin case.

However, Apple's decision to not equip the iPad mini with a high resolution "retina" display is a downside, as is the price. The iPad mini is notably more expensive than competing tablets like the Google Nexus 7.

Below is a selection of iPad mini reviews published so far. Read yesterday's story for details of reviews from The Loop, Engadget, The Verge, Time, Bloomberg, New York Times, Tech Crunch, Wall Street Journal, and Cnet. Youc an also read our hands on review. Plus, if you still can't decide which iPad to buy, read: Which iPad should I buy?

Walt Mossberg, AllThingsD:

"I've been testing the iPad Mini for several days and found it does exactly what it promises: It brings the iPad experience to a smaller device. Every app that ran on my larger iPad ran perfectly on the Mini. I was able to use it one-handed and hold it for long periods of time without tiring. My only complaints were that it's a tad too wide to fit in most of my pockets, and the screen resolution is a big step backwards from the Retina display on the current large iPad."

"The $329 (AU$369) price may well tempt some budget-conscious buyers who have lusted for an iPad. But Apple believes the lower size and weight, not the price, are the key attractions. If you love the iPad, or want one, but just found it too large or heavy, the iPad Mini is the perfect solution."

Edward C. Baig, USA Today:

"The smaller form changes the way you approach the tablet. I've never hesitated to travel with the bigger iPad. It's terrific for reading, watching movies and playing games on an airplane but given a choice, before a road trip I would now more likely grab the little guy. It's the right size for immersing yourself in a novel. Held sideways, it's simple to bang out an email with your fingers. Battery life is excellent."

"Despite a few quibbles and strong competitors in the space, the Mini is a splendid choice for folks who held off buying an iPad because it was too large or too expensive."

Shane Richmond, The Telegraph:

"There are plenty of people who care nothing for how a gadget looks. The specificationists are more interested in processor cores, USB ports and whether they can root their operating system. That's fine. They'll be unmoved by the sleek metal back and the chamfored edges of the iPad mini. Nevertheless, this is a device that looks and feels great. It's unexpectedly thin and light and in my view it's the best looking tablet computer anyone has designed, beating even its older brother, the 10-inch iPad."

"Where rival tablets have an advantage is in pixels-per-inch. The iPad mini screen has 162 pixels-per-inch, fewer than the 216ppi Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire HD. The extra 54 pixels provide a slight increase in sharpness on the rivals but even then, not as much as I'd like. Having used a retina display iPad and iPhone for so long, the iPad mini screen just looks a little blurry."

"Whether it's [the iPad mini] worth it depends on how much of a premium you put on great design and a vast ecosystem of apps. Apple will sell a lot of these little beauties, that's for sure."

What do you think of the first round of iPad mini reviews? Are you planning to purchase one on Friday? Let us know in the comments below!

Related: 

Analyst: Half of iPad mini sales will be cannibalisations
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iPad mini shipping times delayed
Why did Apple announce a new iPad so soon after iPad 3?
How Apple's iPad mini compares with Android tablets
Apple's Phil Schiller defends £269 iPad mini price
Opinion: Can a $329 Apple iPad mini compete in the bargain tablet market?