This article was originally published on our sister site Eurogamer.net in the DF Hardware channel.
Across 31 months and four different iPads, Apple has played it remarkably safe when it comes to revising the form factor of its mega-selling tablet. Edges have been tapered, heft has been reduced (and then bulked up a touch), but the overall size, shape and feel of the product has remained fairly consistent, while processing power and display quality have been the focus for change. These aspects are very important for some, but for the mainstream audience, the look and feel of the device is perhaps more relevant.
iPad mini ticks almost all of the same functionality boxes as its larger counterparts, but is much easier to handle and can be taken anywhere. It also signals a return to the "small is sexy" approach to gadget engineering and, ironically for a device that shares so much in common with the iPad 2, it is perhaps the most radical tablet revision Apple has yet produced.
It's fair to say that we came into this review straddled with the baggage of three years' worth of iPad ownership across several different models, and as such, we've come to accept the slightly awkward form factor the mini seeks to redress. There's a distinctive heft to Apple's 9.7-inch tablets and a certain unwieldiness to the design that requires holding the device in both hands, resting it on the lap while gaming or typing. It's lighter than a laptop, but it's still heavy enough to make you think twice before adding it to your travel bag.
The first time you pick up the iPad mini could be something of a revelation, then: it's preposterously easy to handle, light enough to take out without worrying about weighing down your bag, and while Apple likes to remind us that it's "as thick as a pencil", the tapered edges give the illusion of an even thinner device.
Unfortunately, claims that the mini is designed for use with just one hand don't quite work out in reality, it's just a little too wide owing to the 4:3 display, and fingers have little traction on the smooth metallic rear of the unit (the all-new mini Smart Cover helps to mitigate this though). In this respect, the grippy plastic faux-leather rear of the Google Nexus 7, in combination with its narrower screen gets the job done, at the expense of display surface area.
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