Wrong... 326 rMini and 264 air
Mini left air right
Eww.. I was only going to pick up a mini just cause they are easier to get than I thought, but no need for it plus owning the air especially after looking at the colors.
I wonder if the Air has an IGZO screen and the Mini 2 does not? That would explain a lot.
First world problems: Buy 2 $500 iPads. One has a slightly less vibrant screen.
After wanting a retina ipad mini when the air was released and getting an air to try it, now I finally have both devices. I can honestly say that the screen color reproduction is enough to break the deal for me on the mini. I love the form factor, but compared to the air, the screen doesn't speak to me. The air's screen literally pops the content out in front of you. On the mini, it's as if they added another pane of filtered glass between you and the content.
The display on the new mini Retina is a deal breaker for me too. I've lived with the muted colors of the original mini for a year now. I got the new Mini today and I'm underwhelmed to say the least. The colors are absolutely identical to the original Mini (muted, lifeless). My wife has the new air and the colors are vivid and rich. The Mini Retina is going back tomorrow. Not spending that much $ on a display that iis average at best (with respect to colors).
Is it only me thinking iPad mini has more natural colors than air? I mean, since technically they are the same, I feel like Air has oversaturated colors especially in the pic showing pink clouds. It's too vibrant that the cloud loses its details which can be seen on Mini. Well this is my two cents though.
I compared the two iPads this evening side-by-side at a Best Buy this evening. I could discern no clear difference. They were both beautiful. I Google image-searched the color red, and they both displayed.... the color red.
Now I may not be a scholar or a professional on the matter, but I do know colors. See my name, and you too will know.
Here's my rMini screen at full brightness. It looks similar to your iPad Air no?
View attachment 447127
Maybe the rMini produces 95-99% of sRGB, but the overblown saturation of the Air makes it look less impressive in comparison? I'd like to see rMini vs iPad 3 or 4, as those displays covered the sRGB gamut to 99%, and were technically better and more accurate displays than the one found in the Air.
I bought a Mini at the same time my wife and I each bought an iPad 4. I felt that the skin tones in movies were much more natural on the Mini. I used "Star Trek" 2009 and "In Time" for comparison. Skin tones tended toward green (!) on the iPad 4's, especially with "Star Trek". The red Corvette in Star Trek was much more red on the iPad 4, and the grass was more green as well. Once I established that, I never compared the two devices again, and began to use the Mini 99% of the time.