Apple unveiled a new iPad Mini with 128GB of storage for $399, this is the same amount of money you would have spent on the 32GB model with Wi-Fi, which has been discontinued. If you would like to get the cellular model, it is retailing for $529.
It is important to note that this iPad Mini 4 with 128GB of storage is the exact same model that came out in 2015 and it continues to use the same 7.9-inch 2048 x 1536 Retina display from the iPad mini 2 and iPad mini 3. Instead of using the A8X processor from the iPad Air 2, the iPad mini 4 has the 64-bit A8 processor that was first used in the iPhone 6. The A8 in the iPad mini 4 runs at 1.5 GHz, which is slightly faster than the 1.4 GHz it runs at in the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. Apple likely elected to use the A8 over the A8X because of heat-related concerns with the smaller body of the iPad mini 4.
I think the iPad Mini is a fairly good device to read digital comics, manga, newspapers and eBooks. The device is small and lightweight, which makes it extremely portable. The main reason I endorse this model is primarily due to the increased storage. The vast majority of comics these days are HD and they normally range between 200MB and 400MB for each title. The other reason is most app development companies normally introduce new features on iOS first and Android second.
I elected to write about the Mini, rather than the new 9.7 inch iPad equipped with an A9 chip and a brighter Retina display to replace the iPad Air 2, which has been discontinued. The main reason I did not recommend this tablet because it does not have True Tone display with a wide P3 color gamut, Smart Connector, Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard support, 4K HD video recording, LTE Advanced, Live Photos, True Tone flash, and four-speaker audio. The iPad Pro 9.7 and 12 inch models have all of these features, which makes it a better buy.
Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the past fifteen years. Newspapers and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
