One of the major challenges Apple has faced over the past several years has been an inability of both critics and consumers to fully grasp the importance of devices it releases in new form factors-until something, perhaps their unexpected popularity, clicks conceptually and begins to make sense.

A smaller and much easier to carry sequel to the iPad 2, benefitting from newer industrial design elements and technologies introduced in the fifth-generation iPod touch; Generally very solid build quality and highly attractive fit and finish, relying on thin but strong glass painted in either black...

Battery on Wi-Fi model falls modestly short of Apple's 10-hour claim under some circumstances; cellular run time similarly falls below 9-hour estimate. Base $329 price tag is a little high, especially considering the additional expense of Lightning accessories and Apple's decision to pack in an...

Forget the headlines and exit the hype train at the next station. The iPad mini is here and it's not the shining beacon we all expected it to be, but it damn-well got close.

Don't confuse the "mini" in "iPad mini" with "lite"--with the exception of a Retina display, this slimmed down iPad gives you the full iPad experience, including access to over 275,000 iPad-optimized apps, in a device that's about half the overall size and weight of the standard iPad.

Most of the full-size-iPad experience in a smaller; lighter package; All existing iPad apps run natively; Wireless capabilities and cameras on par with fourth-generation iPad; Very good performance; Incredibly solid construction and beautiful design

No Retina display; Some apps and websites feel a little cramped on the smaller screen; Landscape keyboard is too small for easy touch-typing

In the moment that the iPad mini was announced to feature a starting price point of $330, we were left wondering in confusion as to why? Factoring in its hardware specs and all, it would lead anyone to believe that this latest iPad is rather over-bloated at $330, which is still seen as a...

Super skinny construction; Takes good photos & videos for a tablet; Stellar battery life

Low resolution display

As someone who was eagerly waiting the press release of this iPad Mini, I could hardly contain my excitement. That was short lived when I found out the specs. However, I thought I would give the iPad Mini the chance it deserves. How disappointed I was. The screen, is a huge letdown.

Large amount of optimsed apps; good build quality

Expensive; No retina display; speed of the CPU is inadequate as well as the GPU; Screen is sometimes unresponsive

Is it a small iPad or a big iPhone or is the iPad mini a device that forges a whole new market for Apple? They're legitimate questions, but the truth is, it's all of the above. We've been thinking about all this for a while now, it started with the first rumour of a smaller iPad and we're only now,...

More portable; still a big screen; light; great for gaming; less chunky

Screen resolution; 4G won't work on Vodafone or O2; old processor

When I was testing the iPad mini this weekend, I pitted it against my 11-inch MacBook Air and third-generation iPad to see what device I would use more around the house and would take out on the road to do some work on. The clear winner was the iPad mini.

Excellent Form Factor; design and build quality; Fantastic battery life; Very portable and practical

Lack of Retina display and lower resolution will be a deal breaker for some; Price higher than anticipated; First-generation device; lots to improve on

Apple's new iPad mini is likely to become its most popular iPad, due to a light, thin design that delivers tablet optimized apps in a more portable package at a reduced price.

If you're spoiled like us and are already used to high-resolution screens on your new gadgets, the iPad mini may be a let down, initially. But if you disarm your screen snobbery and relax, you'll find an incredibly comfortable, well-sized, well-built tablet at a more affordable $330 price.

Great screen size; Comfortable and light; 300,000 apps; Good rear camera

No Retina screen; Lightning connector adapter is expensive; No microSD; More expensive than Android competitors

How much are apps worth to you? How about $120? If you want those iPad-exclusive apps and price is no object, then no other small-screen tablet will do. Beautifully made, slim, and light, the iPad mini ($329/16GB, $429/32GB, $529/64GB direct) packs precisely the power of an iPad 2 into a tablet...

Beautifully designed.Very good cameras; Largest library of tablet apps

Expensive; Wide; Slippery