by Brandon Miniman At long last, our wishes of a smaller and lighter iPad have come to fruition. The iPad 3 and 4 are great products, but they're heavy and thick, and because of this, exhausting to use for a long period of time. Apple has done a lot right to be the leader in tablets.

+ Incredible build quality; + Remarkably thin and light; + Access to a plethora of quality apps; + Outstanding battery life; + Great display; despite low-resolution; + Snappy performance; + Plenty of cellular data options

- Low resolution screen can be bothersome from close viewing distances; - Pricey; - iOS is boring

Battery Life The iPad mini, like the iPhone 5 and 4th generation Retina iPad has the new 8 pin Lightning connector rather than the old 30 pin dock connector. You can still use old chargers and analog audio accessories if you purchase Apple's Lightning to 30 pin adapter.

The iPad Mini is the fifth generation iPad and the first to deviate from the 9.7-inch screen size, with it's 7-inch screen. The 7-inch tablet market has been neglected, RIM's BlackBerry Playbook has great hardware, however the lack of native email on launch disappointed fans, it was only when Google...

Light and portable; Fantastic app selection; Intuitive UI suitable for first tablets

: The Apple iPad Mini offers great entertainment in a portable device, making it the perfect choice for anyone who travels a lot and wants to enjoy apps, games and movies while on the move

Apple enters new territory with its iPad Mini and its 7.9-inch screen . A successful start. The choice of materials, the feel and workmanship fulfill the expected premium claim despite the low price. The low total weight combined with a thin aluminum chassis sets standards.

Workmanship; feel; choice of materials and stability; Light and compact; State-of-the-art wireless technologies; Extensive range of accessories; Excellent touchscreen & pleasant keyboard; The IPS screen's good rates; Outdoor use made possible by high luminosity; Good application and graphics...

Case susceptible for fingerprints; Limited connectivity; Subsequent memory expansion not possible; EUR 140 extra for 3G or LTE; Screen only supports 1024 x 768 pixels; Current movies only with black bars due to the 4:3 format; Only 12 month warranty ex-factory; Suboptimal positioning of the stereo...

Check out our full comparison with Apple's iPad (fourth generation)! As much as we love Apple's iPad , the original tablet that sparked a slew of imitators, it isn't a very traveller-friendly device. At 652g, the iPad is a heavy little beast.

Compact and light; Great battery life; Bright, colourful screen; Excellent App Store

Premium price; Rival screens are sharper; No expandable storage

Update: One month on and Apple's first 7-inch tablet is still leading the way.

Stunning brushed metal design; Strong battery life; Simply; intuitive UI

Low-res screen; More expensive than competition; No boxed headphones or dock adaptor

The iPad Mini is one of the few new product lines that Apple has unveiled this year, yet it's really just an incredibly shrunken-down redesign of the iPad 2. It's a perfect size and weight, and works exactly as advertised: it's a truly portable iPad with excellent battery life and nearly no...

The iPad Mini's ultra-thin and light design is far more intimate than the larger iPad; Offers a full iPad experience; The screen's dimensions elegantly display larger-format magazines and apps

Costs too much comparatively; The A5 processor isn't as robust as the one in the fourth-gen iPad and iPhone 5; Typing on the smaller screen is not quite as comfy

The iPad mini goes on sale 2 November, and while specs and features won't come as a surprise to many, I've been enjoying an early test run over the last week, using it in place of a  3 rd generation iPad – the one with the Retina display – to see how it fits into my daily life.

I got the 16GB wifi-only model for my wife and within a very short time she had ditched the eReader she had been using for the past year. It's a testament to its user friendliness that she made the transition effortlessly, which was in stark contrast with the drama she has when changing mobile...