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Wrong... 326 rMini and 264 air

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So back onto the topic, imho, I don't think you'll notice it unless you compare it side by side. Or obviously if you use both an iPad air and a mini. Therefore unless you plan on using/getting more than one iPad, I believe that shouldn't be the only factor when considering an iPad air or a mini.
 
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I have both. It is almost impossible not to notice. Just watch some video side by side.

If you only have an rMini, the screen will be fine for most. But once one starts comparing they will have to decide if the weight and portability outweighs the difference. For me right now, the Air being lighter and thinner than ever makes me leans towards it more because I plan to watch lots of video.
 
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 think that is a good move. You can do comparisons for yourself but I bought the rMini before almost anyone seeing it available in BB when I was there. That is what I get for being curious with the rMini. No biggie though, I'll just return it and keep the Air which I really liked in the first place.
 
I wonder if the Air has an IGZO screen and the Mini 2 does not? That would explain a lot.

LG produces the mini screen and they don't do IGZO. Its probably bleeding edge a-Si and has more limitations that IGZO as PPI goes up. They should have gone LTPS but its hard to get those yields right at that screen size.
 
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Here's the air to compare 100% brightness

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The main differences I see is that the mini is incapable of producing the deep blues on the App Store and safari icons. The red in the music icon is more muted... As well, the mini has an overall yellow look to it.
 
I hate to pile on the conspiracy here but I now have both an Air and a retina mini. I can confirm the mini has a gorgeous screen. I can also confirm it's inferior compared to the air. Pixel density increase is not noticeable but the lack of saturation/vibrancy is.

My theory is that the display tech for this size and density screen is so new that color reproduction has taken a back seat. It's like you didn't get a dual clutch transmission with the first car that had an auto gearbox :p
 
I am 10 min into my rMini and loving it. I am one who prefers a little cooler colors, so take that for what it is worth, but...

Having exclusively use a full sized iPad for past few weeks (I gave my beloved original mini to my kid a few weeks ago), I am thrilled to be back to the smaller form factor for my day to day life. Compared to the original mini, the new screen is amazing. Compared to the iPad 4 that sits on my kitchen table and is used all the time, the screen pretty much looks the same. I can't speak to the comparison with air, but I am delighted with the mini.

Everyone has different needs and requirements. There are many right decisions when it comes to tech.
 
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.
 
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).
 
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).

if the price had stayed 329 or dropped to 299 and then the original mini at 199, I think it would be acceptable. With the deals out there, the air is only 30some more than the rMini and I want my good colors for the good chunk of money that we are dropping on these things.
 
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 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.
 
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.
 
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.

You might want to rechecked at best buy dark room.
 
I'd like to take this opportunity to point out that using the iPad Air as a reference point is a bit silly. According to Displaymate, the iPad Air oversaturates colors a bit, as it reproduces 108% of the sRGB color gamut. Especially oversaturated are the blues.

So comparing a panel that reproduces anything less than 108% of the sRGB color gamut would appear washed out in comparison.

The only way to be sure of what's going on is to wait for an official, professional analysis of the display (from Anand, Displaymate, etc...). So far, everybody (except for those here in this particular forum) are praising the hell out of the rMini display (including it's vibrance).

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.
 
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.

Check your facts, Anand in his review of the Air specifically mentions that the screen is an improvement over the previous generations in all respects!
 
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.

The person doing the color grading for Star Trek had a monitor that displayed colors much closer to the iPad 4 than the Mini. So the iPad 4 displayed colors as they were designed to be.

It's fine to disagree with that person's color grading choices, though.
 
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