Apple iPad mini 4 – is it worth upgrading?

Rather boringly expected, when compared with the Apple TV and iPad Pro announcements, the new iPad Mini 4 iOS tablet was also unveiled at the Apple event.

The latest iPad mini 4 is now 18%  thinner and measures just 6.1 mm in thickness as well as weighing just 0.65 pounds.

The new iPad mini also gets Apple’s A8 chip which endows the little slate with second-generation 64-bit desktop-class architecture.

In terms of performance the new Apple A8 processor provides an increase of 30% processing power as well as providing up to 60% faster graphics thanks to the M8 motion coprocessor.

The iPad mini 4 retains the 7.9?inch (diagonal) LED?backlit Multi?Touch display that has a resolution of 2048 x 1536 at 326 pixels per inch and features a fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating.

The iPad Mini 4 also keeps the FaceTime HD camera which, you’ll recall, packs a 1.2 megapixel sensor that is capable of recording 720p HD video.

The iSight camera is an 8 megapixel snapper with autofocus, face detection, backside illumination and a five element lens. Offering the ability to capture 1080p HD video, with a 3x video zoom, Time-lapse video and Slo-mo video.

As with the earlier model the latest Apple iPad mini 4 features Touch ID, Apple’s identity sensor built into the Home button.

The new iPad mini supports Wi?Fi (802.11a/ b/ g/ n/ ac); dual channel (2.4GHz and 5GHz), Bluetooth 4.2, UMTS/HSPA/ HSPA+/DC?HSDPA, LTE.

As you might have already worked out, the mini 4 is not a huge leap in terms of hardware. Here’s a quick-view comparison chart for your delectation and delight.

You can order the Apple iPad mini 4 right now and prices are £319 for the 16GB version, £399 for the 64GB version and £479 for the 128GB version, all of which are equipped with Wi-Fi only connections. If you are looking for cellular connectivity the prices are £419, £499 and £579 respectively.