At its press event today announcing new iPads and Mac computers, Apple executives gave scant attention to the iPad mini.
While spending a good deal of time talking about the new iPad Air 2 and the new iMac with a high-resolution Retina display at the event, Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller only mentioned the iPad mini in passing. Basically, the only thing Schiller said about the mini was that there s a new model — the iPad mini 3 — and that it will cost the same as last year s version.
The mini also barely rated any mention in Apple s press release about the new iPads.
It s now clear why Apple spent so little time talking about its pint-sized tablet: the company gave it only the slightest of updates.
Immediately following the event, Apple posted on its Web site the technical specifications of its new tablets. The only thing new about the iPad mini 3: It gets Apple s TouchID fingerprint sensor. Oh, and if you buy one of the two pricier models — the ones that start at $500 and $600 — Apple will throw in twice as much storage as you got on last year s model.
Other than that, the device is basically the same as last year s iPad mini with Retina display. While the iPad Air 2 will include a new processor, a new motion coprocessor and a new camera, the iPad mini 3 will have the same A7 processor, the same M7 motion coprocessor and the same 5-megapixel camera as last year s iPad mini. It also has the same dimensions and weighs the same as last year s model, unlike the new iPad Air, which is noticeably slimmer than last year. And unlike the new iPad Air, the iPad mini 3 won t include a pressure-sensing barometer, which can tell when you are climbing flights of steps, and its camera will neither be able to shoot video in bursts nor be able to take slow-motion videos.
TouchID, particularly on the new iPhones, is a great — if problematic and under-developed — tool for authenticating users. And I ve long called for Apple to boost the storage space it allots to its iOS devices. But these updates are really underwhelming.
Last year, I was stunned when Apple announced that the iPad mini with Retina display would have basically the same features as the full-sized iPad Air, because the specs on the original mini were clearly inferior to those of the full-size iPad. This year, though, the iPad mini is taking a step back.
Photo of the new iPad Air 2 and the iPad mini 3 courtesy of Apple.
