To paraphrase Pontius Pilate, I can find no fault with the iPad mini 3. Having said that, I can wash my hands of a proper review and allow Apple’s new half-pint tablet to be crucified in the budget-conscious court of public opinion.
Nice as it is, the iPad mini 3 truly is a gigantic ripoff when compared to its predecessor. It’s got the same specs, the same basic form factor, the same functionality and battery life.
If we were to write a review, it would read something like this: “Touch ID is a swell addition. Please read our review of the iPad mini 2 for more info. That is all.”
Beyond the numbers in their names, the only noticeable differences between the two models are the addition of Touch ID, a new gold finish option (in addition to last year’s silver and space gray) and a couple of models with higher storage capacities (64GB and 128GB).
Oh, and the price tag: The iPad mini 3 starts at $399 for the Wi-Fi-only model with 16GB of storage. The equivalent iPad mini 2 starts at $100 less.
Frankly, the new model’s not worth the extra money.
Even the delightful addition of Touch ID, which lets you log in with your fingerprint, is sort of crippled in the iPad mini 3. It works great for unlocking your device and online shopping, but you can’t use it in the real world: Unlike the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, Apple’s tiny tablet isn’t set up for use with Apple Pay at stores and restaurants across the United States. (Neither is the iPad Air 2, although both new tablets contain an NFC chip that’s been mysteriously neutered by Apple.)
All that said, the iPad mini 3 is light, powerful and super-portable — just like the iPad mini 2. It’s a wonderful small tablet for consuming audio and video — light enough to hold above your head as you lounge in bed, with a beautiful-looking Retina display and a battery that lasts for hours. Just like its predecessor.
Anybody who is already swimming in the Mac ecosystem will want a tablet running iOS 8 — especially if they’ve upgraded to OS X Yosemite, which works hand in hand with Apple’s latest mobile operating system. The iPad mini 3 comes with iOS 8, but it’s a painless free upgrade for the mini 2.
As Pilate said a couple thousand years ago, “What is truth?”
In this case, the truth is that unless you live for gold-tone gear or absolutely hate tapping in your password when making online purchases, there’s really no reason to pay extra for the iPad mini 3. It’s a great little tablet, but it’s not a great deal.
Lewis Wallace is the managing editor of Cult of Mac and author of our weekly newsletter, The Weekender.
He’s a San Francisco-based writer and editor specializing in technology and culture. He loves his iPhone, hates Siri, and appreciates any hardware that combines form and function.
Prior to Cult of Mac, he juggled words and ideas as culture editor at Wired.com, homepage editor at TechTV, news product manager at NBCi, copy editor at PC World, reporter at The (Hayward) Daily Review and editor in chief of EveryBody’s News in Cincinnati.
He earned a bachelor of general studies degree with a journalism certificate from the University of Cincinnati. While in school, he worked as the entertainment editor of The News Record and as editor in chief of Clifton Magazine.
He’s also a bass player, who’s recorded and performed around the United States with Those Darn Accordions, The Electric Boogie Dawgz and The Mad Maggies. When not writing, editing or laying down bass lines, he plays darts and serves on the board of the San Francisco Darts League.
17 responses to “Why we’re washing our hands of the iPad mini 3 review”
I was pretty disappointed when I saw this. I personally like the mini’s size better, so when I saw last year that the Air and Mini 2 were pretty much the same spec-for-spec, it was a no brainer. Now, it looks like Apple is reverting back to the philosophy that bigger really is better. I get a new iPad every 2 years, so I have no idea what I’m going to do next year. If they pull this same baloney, looks like I’m going back to a bigger iPad. :(
Thats what they want..
The 64GB iPad mini 3 and the 128GB iPad mini 3 actually *did* see a $100 price drop, in addition to TouchID with its NFC-chip (needed for secure online payments).
If 32GB (and no TouchID) is enough, last years model is an extremely attractive deal, but if you want 64GB or 128GB flash storage, the new model also is a much improved proposition vs last year.
Actually, the large price drop for the still-nice 32GB 2013 model is the big *positive* news here, so I’m puzzled why all this bashing is going on here.
Lewis Wallace, this me-too article is utterly redundant, and just as misguided as the earlier ‘ripoff’ Buster Hein article on Cultofmac.
The bashing is because of a total lack of innovation (aka lack of effort) on Apple’s part. As tech advances, so too should the offerings. Apple has essentially offered a 2013 product at full price.
How do you think the iPhone 6 would go over if all they did was re-release the 5s with a slightly improved camera for example?
The iPad mini is a second-tier device for Apple. They chose to offer a slightly improved mini3 for a slightly reduced price this year (not counting the less attractive 16GB versions). And a much reduced mini2. Apple does this sort of thing all the time.
The innovation mainly happens in the flagship devices and then trickles down. Apparently, they were too busy with other projects (Apple watch) to design a new iPad mini in addition to the new iPad Air.
The advantage for Apple is that now more people can afford a nice 32GB mini2 as their first Apple device.
Im not even sure why 16gb and maybe even 32gb are standard device storage options. It’s 2014…they should be 250gb models by now.
“Why we’re washing our hands of the iPad mini 3 review”
This is great news. You and other iPad Mini 3-obsessed “reviewers” at Cult of Mac have written far too much about this nice little iPad already, and why you think it’s such a ripoff. Interestingly, in “washing your hands” of the issue, you’ve now written an •additional• 476 words.
The iPad Mini 3 is only a “ripoff” to spoiled reviewers who have access to every device model as soon as they come out, and who sometimes, but rarely pay for them. Not everyone owned a prior model of all these devices to compare the newest issue to. Imagine if every car reviewer were to point out how this years’ model is such a “ripoff” compared to last year’s or the year before. The “reviews” would encompass hundreds or thousands of niggling points, and still not matter one bit if someone wanted the newest model.
Your advice on whether to buy an iPad Mini 3 or not is wasted on most of your readers, and increasingly so as the iPad Mini 2 becomes in short supply, then gone. Don’t like the iPad Mini 3, don’t buy it and get something older instead. It’s just that simple.
Claims not to write a review. Writes a review.
The only problem I have with the new Mini is that Apple didn’t put the A8 processor in it. Really, that is all they would have had to do to make the value proposition work for the new Mini.
No. Going to 64 Gig is a hundred dollars cheaper now. I call BS on this article for that reason alone. The price complaint is only legit for the base model.
After getting the iPhone 6, the mini seems irrelevant. I’m getting an iPad Air 2.
Has Apple explained the missing 32gb which by now should be in the base models? I get the tiers and if Apple thinks 16gb is enough for a good user experience (it really isn’t) then stick with the natural doubling progression. Its as if they think they are doing you a favor by hobbling their entry level and doubly rewarding those who spend more.
Apple killed this iPad Mini, just to sell more ‘Big’ Tablets..
Money minded idiots
I was hoping for better screen (better sRGB support like iPad Air), instead we have first gen iPad Mini situation again (old hardware with new name). After iPad Mini 2 I really thought that Apple started treating the smaller tablet seriously. I’ll just go with Air 2 :)
Touch ID and a jump to 64GB made the upgrade from mini 2 to mini 3 worth it for me.
It’s an incredibly important “non-distinction” if you are a faithful buyer at the Apple refurb store. You can get a 128GB iPad Mini 2 for $439 – that is an unbelievable bargain given there is no practical difference between the two models.
Well, Touch ID and more storage is certainly worth $100 to a great many people. But this is obviously a move to shift the focus to the iPhone 6 Plus. It is after all only a couple inches smaller, and they certainly wanted to steer as many people as possible toward it at launch.