Apple iPad mini launched in India starting at Rs 21,900

After a ton of rumours and speculation surrounding its launch date, the Apple iPad mini has finally made its way to India. This mini tablet from Apple is now available at authorised Apple resellers for a starting price of Rs 21,900.

The 16 GB iPad mini Wi-Fi only version is available for Rs 21,900, while the 32 GB and 64 GB versions costs Rs 27,900 and Rs 33,900, respectively. The iPad mini Wi-Fi + cellular version costs Rs 29,900 for the 16 GB version, and the 32 GB version is priced at Rs 35,900. The high-end 64 GB iPad mini Wi-Fi + cellular version sells for Rs 41,900.

With the iPad mini starting at Rs 21,900 (16GB), it can compete directly with the Nexus 7 and the Galaxy Tab 2 (310), both of which are priced slightly below Rs 20,000. Read our comparison of these three tablets here.

At the announcement of the iPad mini in late October, Apple declared that the new iPad design is such that it is now 23 percent thinner and 53 percent lighter than the third generation iPad. The new iPad mini sports a 7.9-inch multi-touch display, FaceTime HD, and iSight cameras.

The iPad mini has come to India

The iPad mini has an aluminium and glass design 7.2 mm thick, and weighs only 0.68 pounds. As per an official statement by Apple, the iPad mini has 35 percent more screen real estate than 7-inch tablets, and up to 67 percent more usable viewing area when browsing the web. The dual-core A5 chip on the iPad mini allows for responsive graphics and a multi-touch experience that Apple believes to be both, fast and fluid while still providing all-day battery life.

The iPad mini features a front-facing FaceTime HD camera and a 5-megapixel iSight camera at the back, which allows for recording full 1080p HD video. The iSight camera includes video image stabilisation and both cameras feature backside illumination, which Apple claims will allow users to capture great pictures in low light. The iPad mini also allows easy sharing of photos with friends and family using iCloud’s Shared Photo Streams.

Can fit in a hand

The iPad mini features dual-band 802.11n Wi-Fi support for speeds up to 150 Mbps, which Apple says is twice the Wi-Fi performance compared to previous the iPad models. The iPad mini is available in a Wi-Fi version and a cellular one, which are world-ready with built-in support for most wireless standards, including LTE and DC-HSDPA. Using the Personal Hotspot feature you can share a fast cellular data connection via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or USB with up to five other devices such as the MacBook Pro, the iPod touch or another iPad.

The iPad mini features support for the Lightning connector, which Apple states is smaller, smarter, and more durable than the 30-pin connector. Lightning connector accessories are available to support cameras, SD cards, and VGA or HDMI digital video.

Read our review of the iPad mini here.