We compare the displays of the iPad mini and iPad 3, with head-to-head comparisons on Safari and iBooks.
Today Apple launches the iPad mini to an eager world. It's a terrific device (don't take my word for it: read our iPad mini review for full testing and analysis) but one question hung over the launch: why doesn't it have a Retina display, and after a sequence of Retina iOS launches, will the reduction in screen resolution be painfully obvious?
Mark Hattersley has the full low-down on the iPad mini's display elsewhere, but for those who'd like to see a quick comparison of the iPad mini with a Retina display, we've put together head-to-heads on iBooks and Safari.
iPad mini vs Retina iPad 3: Safari
The iPad 3 is top; the iPad mini is below. Bear in mind that this is seriously cropped in to highlight any minor differences between the two devices. But at this sort of magnification you can easily see the lower resolution of the iPad mini's non-Retina display.
Now, you won't be looking as closely as that. And the difference is only this obvious when you look at the two side by side, or swap straight from one to the other. But there's a noticeably greater degree of pixellation on the iPad mini.
iPad mini vs Retina iPad 3: iBooks
The iPad mini is left, and the iPad 3 is right. Again, the iPad mini is noticeably fuzzier, but our experiences with the mini suggest that you'll quickly get used to the lower resolution.
Related:
Analyst: Apple to sell 1.5 million iPad minis this weekend
With iPad mini launch, what to do with your 'old' iPad?
As iPad mini delivery dates slide should you queue up tomorrow?
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Comments received
Dragonfly said on Sat, 03 Nov 2012
If it was £299 with a retina display, then I'd have bought one.
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