Great design and form factor, despite the high price.

"Every inch an iPad". That's Apple's marketing punchline for its smallest, lightest and newest iPad, the iPad mini . Claiming to offer all the features of the traditional, larger iPad, the iPad mini packs a 7.9in display into a superbly crafted body.

Outstanding design and build quality; Excellent battery life; Fantastic apps ecosystem

Non-retina display; Some smaller UI elements; Expensive

The iPad Mini is exactly what its name suggests it is – a smaller iPad. With a good build, decent screen and specs, and a solid ecosystem behind it, there's no doubt that it's a compelling device. Price will, undoubtedly, be a factor for many.

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...

Broadening its depth, it surely took Apple a long time to steer into new territory with its much-vaunted iPhone , but nevertheless, they introduced the world an unfamiliar iPhone with a larger 4-inch display.

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

Low resolution display

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

Let's face it: Right now, the iPad is synonymous with "tablet." There are dozens of other Android and Windows 8 tablets on the market, but by and large, when people think about a tablet or desire a tablet, what they really want is an iPad.

If there's one tablet that's tailor made for built-in 4G, it's the iPad mini. This tablet is lighter and thinner than most 7-inch budget slates, yet packs a larger 7.9-inch screen for enjoying all of your apps, not to mention a full web experience, on the go.

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...

Expensive; Wide.

The iPad mini's a beautiful size, and a beautiful package the puts the production rivals of all its seven inch rivals to shame: Asus will really have to up its game for its Nexus 7 follow up.