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.

The second iPad Mini is our favorite tablet of 2013, and the current tablet to beat. We wish it cost less than $400.

Adds a high-res Retina screen; Thin; light; and comfortable to hold; Powerful 64-bit processor; New Wi-Fi antennas are fast; iOS 7 runs smooth; Battery life is still 10 hours

Camera quality has not improved; A hair thicker and heavier than iPad Mini; $400 price tag is steep for a compact tablet; No fingerprint sensor; Some users complain about iOS 7's new look

The Apple iPad mini 2 ($299, 16GB) is just a shrunken, original iPad Air . With a new, lower price, though, it's become the best inexpensive on-ramp to the world of iOS apps. Think of it as Apple's lowest-cost laptop, Apple's netbook, or the true sequel to the somewhat marooned iPod touch .

Beautifully built; Fast; Sharp screen; Excellent app options

Not the latest Apple tech; Not as easy to hold with a single hand as narrower small-screen tablets

I have several Apple products and HAD been satisfied with them, that is, until we purchased this. You really find out about a company when you have an issue with one of their products.

Nothing !

Broke after 2 weeks

If there's any one product that embodies Apple's entire product philosophy, it's the iPad mini with Retina Display. This is not a tablet that's designed to go head to head with cheaper slates like the Nexus 7 and Amazon Kindle Fire HDX.

7.9-inch LED-backlit display
A5 chip
5MP iSight camera with 1080p HD video recording
FaceTime camera
Up to 10 hours of battery life¹
Built-in Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n)
Over 275,000 apps on the App Store²
iOS 7 and iCloud

App Availablity; Easy To Customize

Battery Life; Button Configuration

This is our second iPad Mini 2 and it performs well, especially considering how long ago this version was released. If you're looking for a smaller tablet for basic functionality (apps, web browsing, email, digital books/magazines/newspapers & movies/TV) and don't want to pay a high price, then look...

My wife has had her iPad (generation 1) since they first came out. It was getting a bit long in the tooth and didn't run some applications very well. Our son had gotten the iPad mini for his birthday and she liked the size.

Extreemly portable; retina display; latest processor

Some things can look tiny

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. Is it expensive?

This probably sounds obvious, but the iPad mini really is mini; So much so that you can hold it with one hand; This is true of its seven inch rivals as well as the iPad mini, but it's still worth bearing in mind: a 7.9-inch iPad is much smaller compared to a 9.7-inch iPad than it sounds in paper.

We could grumble at the lack of Retina Display: the iPad mini's display packs in the same 1024x768 pixels as the original 2010 iPad; and purists will spot the extra grain and fuzz around the edge of text.

Apple found a lot of success with the original iPad mini. It delivered an Apple tablet experience in a smaller size and at a slightly more affordable price than the full fat iPad and people went mad for it. The only real problem it had was its screen which, frankly, wasn't all that.

Stunning design; Powerful; Good battery life

Expensive