Consumers living in all initial release countries have been frantically descending on Apple Retail Stores to get their hands on the iPad mini 2 with Retina display. The smaller form-factor tablet has proven to be extremely popular in the time that has followed its first-generation launch with the recent introduction of the Retina display and A7 processor only extending that popularity. The limited inventory in online and physical retail outlets show just how popular the new iPad mini has become, but those owners who also have the larger iPad Air may just find themselves comparing color output on the Retina display and finding themselves a little confused.
Apple’s latest full-sized iPad Air and the new iPad mini both come complete with the company’s gorgeous Retina display. Both devices offer the same 2048 by 1536 pixel resolution, with the iPad Air offering a pixel density of 264 pixels-per-inch compared to the mini’s 326 ppi. Overall tests of the massively improved second-generation iPad mini show that Apple has greatly increased the power and user-experience of the tablet with the recent launch. However, users would expect a Retina display on any device to perform the same, something which doesn’t appear to be the case according to recent in-depth tests by AnandTech.
The tests that the two displays have been subjected to cover pretty much everything including display brightness, contrast ratios as well as an intricate look at the color output on both devices. The outcome of the investigations show that there is a noticeable difference in the way that the iPad mini displays certain colors when compared to its bigger brother. Certain users with an extremely keen eye for this sort of thing may be able to spot it just by comparing the two with the naked eye, with it being particularly relevant when looking at reds, blues and magenta colors on the display.
iPad Air (left) Vs iPad mini 2 (right)
The report speculates that one reason for this difference is that consumers who are actively seeking a tablet with an improved color reproduction would more than likely opt for the larger iPad Air in the first instance. The report also adds a little additional pain to the review of the iPad mini by suggesting that competitors in the 7-inch tablet space such as the Nexus 7 offer the sRGB reproduction that certain power users may expect. With all of that in mind, it’s unlikely that the naked eye will immediately pick up on the discrepancies of the two displays unless actively looking for it on images with vivid colors.
(Source: AnandTech)
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