Thanks to the discourse that was exposed during Samsung and Apple's legal spat in California, e-mail records revealed that Eddy Cue (senior vice president of Internet Software and Services at Apple) was pushing for a 7" iPad in 2011.

The iPad Mini Retina is a worthy successor of the first iPad Mini generation and a very good tablet. However, it does not quite deserve a place on the podium. The Retina display is an excellent new feature, but its limited color space coverage and poor color accuracy are shortcomings for a premium...

Bright; high-contrast display; Good touchscreen; Lightning-fast SoC; Excellent battery life; First class manufacturing; Good browser performance; Great speakers..; Such a high resolution display is unique in a device of this size; and subjectively it's a very attractive feature

...that are poorly positioned; No current data transfer standards; Limited color space coverage; Poor color accuracy; Somewhat heavier and thicker than its predecessor; Expensive; A larger array of connections; Flash support and expandable storage

The second iPad Mini is our favorite tablet of 2013, and the current tablet to beat. We wish it cost less than $400.

Adds a high-res Retina screen; Thin; light; and comfortable to hold; Powerful 64-bit processor; New Wi-Fi antennas are fast; iOS 7 runs smooth; Battery life is still 10 hours

Camera quality has not improved; A hair thicker and heavier than iPad Mini; $400 price tag is steep for a compact tablet; No fingerprint sensor; Some users complain about iOS 7's new look

This is the iPad mini we've all been waiting for. When the first generation iPad mini debuted last year, it was a terrific product. Apple's first stab at a smaller tablet looked more far more elegant than the competition, managed to squeeze a larger 7.9-inch display in a traditionally 7-inch tablet...

Gorgeous 2048 x 1536 pixel display; 10-plus hour battery life will more than serve your cross-country plane flight, or close to a week of casual daily use; A7 processor (with M7 co-processor) offers more power than you may ever need on a 7-inch tablet.

Pricey - similar sized and specced tablets go for closer to $200; Stereo speakers both located on one end of the device; Would be nice if it had TouchID like the iPhone 5s, but with the problems cropping up related to that feature lately, we're wondering if not including it was a smart move after...

While its display isn't quite as vibrant as the iPad Air's, the second-generation iPad mini is still a fantastic device packing blistering processing speed and a gorgeous screen in one petite, flawlessly designed package.

Finally; a small form-factor iPad with Retina display! Unmatched build quality.

Display is slightly less bright than the iPad Air; Colors look washed out when compared to iPad Air and iPhone 5s/5c

The Apple iPad mini 2 ($299, 16GB) is just a shrunken, original iPad Air . With a new, lower price, though, it's become the best inexpensive on-ramp to the world of iOS apps. Think of it as Apple's lowest-cost laptop, Apple's netbook, or the true sequel to the somewhat marooned iPod touch .

Beautifully built; Fast; Sharp screen; Excellent app options

Not the latest Apple tech; Not as easy to hold with a single hand as narrower small-screen tablets

The Good - Superb build quality and design - Cutting-edge processor and graphics performance - iOS 7 a beautiful and powerful complement to hardware - Outstanding built-in and free iWork, iLife apps - Retina display most pixel dense iPad display yet The Bad - Relatively high up-front price -...

- Superb build quality and design - Cutting-edge processor and graphics performance - iOS 7 a beautiful and powerful complement to hardware - Outstanding built-in and free iWork; iLife apps - Retina display most pixel dense iPad display yet

- Relatively high up-front price - Slightly thicker and heavier than non-Retina model - Retina display outclassed by iPad Air Retina display - No Wi-Fi 802.11ac support

The iPad mini matches the full-sized iPad Air in display quality, design and performance. Just be prepared to pay more than you would have for last year's model.

Stunning display; Solid performance; Long battery life

No Touch ID; Relatively expensive

The second iPad mini comes with a much better Retina display with resolution of up to 2048x1356 pixels. In addition, it also comes with a faster Apple A7 chip with 64-bit architecture, 5-megapixel rear camera, front-facing camera for video calls, and 16 - 128 GB of internal storage.

Verizon 4G LTE network is incredibly fast; 32GB microSD card included; Integrated kickstand works in portrait and landscape

Battery life is among the worst weve ever seen; No 4G LTE power toggle option; Kickstand in landscape orientation blocks microUSB port

The iPad mini with Retina screen is everything the little tablet deserved to be - a more compact equal of the bigger iPad with no compromises made. And unfortunately, it's just one thing short of what we all thought a compact tablet should be - cheap.

7.9" LED-backlit IPS LCD touchscreen; 1536 x 2048 pixels; ~ 324 ppi; oleophobic coating; Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n connectivity with MIMO dual antennas; Optional 2G/3G GSM; CDMA; LTE connectivity (data only; separate models; Optional GPS with A-GPS support (for the Wi-Fi+Cellular model only; Dual-core A7...

Expensive for a compact tablet; Non expandable memory; extra storage is largely overpriced; Tied into iTunes for uploading most of the content; No standard USB port; No GPS receiver in the Wi-Fi-only version