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

Apple iPad, Perfect for Work and Entertainment Pros:- The Apple iPad Mini 2 is backed by a 6471mAh rechargeable lithium-polymer battery that offers up to 10 hours of internet usage time.

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...

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

Apple has taken its landmark tablet and made it significantly better. There's no doubt this is the best small tablet on the market, and should budget not be a primary factor in a buying decision then it's the device to go for whether it's for screen quality, range of apps, battery life, physical...

This latest release from Apple addresses one of the biggest concerns of the original iPad Mini . By adding a Retina display to the device, you can now enjoy the true iPad experience in a portable, smaller format.

Beautiful retina display; Fast performance; Useful pre-installed apps; Solid design

Price; Mediocre camera

In our review of Apple's original iPad mini last year, we remarked that its exceptional iOS app catalogue, outstanding build quality and super light weight were only let down by a mediocre screen.

Excellent battery life; Retina screen a big upgrade; Fast; snappy performance

More expensive than predecessor; Screen can't match iPad Air

The iPad mini with Retina display has arrived. As someone who dumped the full-sized iPad for the iPad mini a year ago , I've been excited to get my hands on this new model. Can its small size beat out the all-new, all-lightweight iPad Air for a place in my heart and my backpack?