November 2, 2012: The primary-generation iPad mini goes on sale, shrinking each the scale and the worth tag of Apple’s groundbreaking pill laptop.
With a decreased display screen dimension of seven.9 inches – as a substitute of the then-standard 9.7 inches – the iPad mini is the fifth iPad to be launched by Apple. Critics hail Apple’s most reasonably priced iPad ever, though some individuals complain about its lack of a Retina show.
iPad mini: Going huge by going small
The iPad mini was an instantaneous large hit. Apple bought tens of millions of them proper after the launch, outselling the full-size iPad launched on the similar time.
The pill got here out when the present iPhone 5 had a 4.0-inch display screen and customers had been clamoring for a bigger one. Many individuals determined {that a} small pill would meet their want for a giant iPhone and acquired an iPad mini as a companion for his or her iOS handset.
Regardless of its recognition, the mini had some severe limitations. Most notably, the 1,024-by-768-pixel display screen decision gave it a pixel density of simply 163 pixels per inch. The iPhone 5, which additionally got here out in autumn 2012 provided 326 ppi, so the pill display screen was of noticeably decrease high quality. And it was constructed round an Apple A5 processor with 512MB of RAM, giving it considerably pokey efficiency. Plus, it confronted robust competitors, together with the Google Nexus 7 and the Amazon Kindle Fireplace HD.
The unique iPad mini solely stayed in Apple’s product lineup for a 12 months. The second-generation mannequin launched in November 2013 with a quicker processor.
That second smaller iOS pill continued to promote properly, however in all probability peaked on the 2014 debut of the iPhone 6 sequence with its 4.7- or 5.5-inch screens. Individuals now not wanted a small pill as a companion for his or her small handset. They may simply get a big iPhone.
A mini legacy
Precisely 10 years later to the day, an iPad mini stays in Apple’s product lineup. The iPad mini 6 has an 8.3-inch show however continues to be as svelte as the unique one.
Plus, the unique 2012 mini is important as a result of it confirmed Apple’s willingness to experiment publicly with completely different show sizes. It’s fascinating to invest whether or not, with out this machine, there even would have been an iPhone 6 Plus or any of the opposite giant (and small) iPhones we’ve seen since.
Did you personal the unique iPad mini? Depart your feedback beneath.
Luke Dormehl contributed to this text.