Last October, Apple unveiled two of its premium handsets - iPad Air and iPad Mini 2 with Retina Display refreshing its mini, as well as full-size, iPad tablet lineups. After seven months of testing use and analysis, a comparative review of these two handsets' specs, features, processing speeds, built quality, and other aspects is presented below to help the buyers decide which one suits them best.

Screen size, area and quality

The most noticeable distinction between the iPad Air and iPad mini 2 is the size - the overall size of the device as well as the screen size. The iPad Air has a 9.7-inch screen, while the iPad mini 2 is actually a mini tablet, sporting a 7.9-inch screen. The bigger screen of iPad Air offers a far more cinematic experience; the Ipad Air is certainly superior for watching films or TV programs, and provides a more enticing gaming experience.

Thanks to the latest Retina display, the iPad mini 2 has a much higher pixel density compared to the iPad Air, with the same number of pixels (as well as similar resolution) packed into a relatively smaller space. However, both devices are rated as Retina-class displays, therefore, there is hardly any perceptible difference.

Dimensions, weight and portability

The iPad Air measures 240 x 169.5 x 7.5mm, and weighs 469g. It is lighter compared to the iPad 2, which weighs 601g. The thickness of the handset has also been reduced from 8.8mm to 7.5mm. On the other hand, the iPad mini 2 with Retina display measures 200 x 134.7 x 7.5mm, and weighs 331g - somewhat more in weight compacted into the iPad mini 1, which weighs 308g, while the thickness has increased from 7.2mm to 7.5mm.

Processor

As far as the processor is concerned, the iPad Air and iPad mini 2 are identical, both sporting the A7 chip (and M7 motion co-processor), which was once used by the iPhone 5s. The A7/M7 combination is tremendously fast and should result in an extremely swift experience and hotshot gaming. However, most of the power of these components will not be apparent yet. While we discuss our iPad 4 vs iPad Air comparison review, upgrading to the A7 processor may not make any obvious difference, but conditional on how demanding your apps are.

Other Specs

The iPad Air as well as the iPad mini 2 are closely matched in their entire specification list. Their cameras are the identical - 1.2 megapixels on the front, and 5 megapixels on the back - and they both have the improved MIMO wireless technology. Likewise, neither has been upgraded to the newer 802.11ac wireless standard that users are looking forward to.