Each and every year, Apple refreshes their tablet line-up with new hardware and new features. The full sized iPad got faster, lighter, slimmer and even received a new name ( iPad Air ), while the second-generation mini is more impressive than ever, thanks to a major update.

Very portable, with a well built, well designed body; Retina display is very crisp, powered by fast, significantly upgraded hardware; iOS has by far the best selection of tablet apps going around

Pricey, especially for storage upgrades and the cellular model; Display color gamut is lacking

While Apple got almost everything right with the Retina iPad mini, there is a catch: The cost for every model has increased by $70 from last year's prices. The starting price for the iPad mini with Retina display is now $400.

Apple's Retina display standard once again lives up to the hype; The 64-bit A7 chip's performance impresses; just as it did on the iPad Air & iPhone 5s; Same great lightweight; ultraportable design as last year

Though lower-priced competition continues to improve; Apple has increased the iPad mini price by $70; Limited supply could make the Retina iPad mini hard to get for the holidays; Some may want to wait for Touch ID in a future model

It has the same RAM issue as the iPad Air, but it's still a stand-out tablet.

Sometimes it’s the little things. Introduced in late 2012, the iPad mini was as slow as the iPad 2 (which was then almost two years old). It didn’t have the gorgeous Retina display that Apple had added to the iPad earlier in the year.

High-resolution Retina display; same A7 processor as iPad Air, High-resolution Retina display; same A7 processor as iPad Air

Camera not as good as on iPhones; no Touch ID fingerprint detector, Camera not as good as on iPhones; no Touch ID fingerprint detector

Amazing display, excellent battery life, fast processor, great 3D graphics, easy to use, app store still number one for quality and variety A more expensive choice in the current tablet market Despite being scored eight-out-of-ten when it was first released in 2012, Apple's iPad mini has been a firm...

Amazing display, excellent battery life, fast processor, great 3D graphics, easy to use, app store still number one for quality and variety

A more expensive choice in the current tablet market

The iPad mini is not just the best looking iPad ever, but the best looking tablet we have ever seen. Period. The front is dominated by the 7.9-inch touch screen display, even more so than in the larger iPad simply because the bezel has been shrunk, and the single Home key beneath the display made...

The iPad mini isn't just an Apple tablet made to a budget. This isn't just a shrunken-down iPad. This is, in many ways, Apple's best tablet yet

Beautiful; thin and light design; Stellar battery life; Bright; clear display; Sturdy construction

Too wide for some; Pricier than many 7-inch alternatives

The iPad Mini 3 updates Apple's iPad Mini line with new features such as Touch ID support and new finishes, but in multiple areas, the tablet is closer to a light refresh than a substantial upgrade.

The iPad Mini 3 is excellently constructed with a durable aluminum backing

The tablet relies on the same hardware used in past iPad Minis

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

After the fanfare that heralded the new iPad Air, Apple was rather less effusive about the new, upgraded edition of its compact tablet – the iPad mini with Retina display. Yet, while it shares the same body as last year's model (which remains on sale at the lower price of $349), there's plenty to...