everal years ago, I was in love with the iPad Mini. It had a 7.9-inch
high-res Retina display and it wasn't much larger than a Kindle. It
could handle my everyday work and was small enough to sneak along with
me wherever I went. It was the perfect travel gadget. It made me wonder
why I ever needed a larger iPad at all.
Now, of course, I wonder whether I even need an iPad at all, since phones are larger and laptops
have gotten more versatile. But the iPad Mini 4 has caught my eye again
and I've used it constantly. I like it. But I don't know if it's my
favorite iPad anymore.
2014's iPad Mini 3 wasn't really an update; it was, quite literally, just a 2013 iPad Mini 2 with the addition of a Touch ID
home button for fingerprint identification. The Mini 4 is the iPad I
wanted last year: it has an upgraded A8 processor, better cameras, and a
more vivid, color-rich Retina display, and on top of all that it's a
bit thinner and lighter. It also supports split-screen apps, the coolest
part of iOS 9 -- the Mini 4 joins the iPad Air 2 and the upcoming iPad Pro as the only iPads that can do it.
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iPad Mini 4 to the right of iPad Air 2: Similar features, but Air 2 still has a slightly better processor.
Sarah Tew/CNET
In a lot of ways, the Mini 4 is like a shrunken iPad Air 2. But it'll
cost you close to the territory of one: $399, £319, AU$569 for the 16GB
Wi-Fi model, $499, £399, AU$699 for the 64GB version, and $599, £479,
AU$829, for 128GB.
To add LTE support -- for using cellular data
when there's no Wi-Fi to be found -- add $130 (or £100, AU$160) at each
price point, and adjust your cellphone billing plan accordingly. My
review version is the 64GB $629 model with Verizon LTE service.
It's also worth pointing out that -- at each storage capacity -- you're
saving $100 over that larger Air 2, Apple's 2014 9.7-inch model which
remains in the lineup. But it begs the question: If you're spending this
much on a tablet, why not get the larger, faster iPad Air 2? (With that model already seeing some impressive holiday discounts, the question is even more relevant.)
The reverse is also true. Apple's 2013 iPad Mini 2
remains on the market, with a reduced list price of $269 (16GB) and
$319 (32GB) -- £219, AU$369 or £259, AU$429, respectively -- and
already seen on sale for as little as $199. Yes, it's not as zippy as the Mini 4, and it lacks the newer model's Touch ID fingerprint reader.
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Reading on iPad Mini is still perfect.
Sarah Tew/CNET
But for anyone looking to handle basic tasks such as web browsing,
email, Facebook and casual gaming, it gets the job done, and with the
same eye-pleasing screen resolution, to boot.
The best part of
the Mini was always how portable it was, without much sacrifice. That's
still true here. iOS 9 feels like a perfect fit, too, and that might be
the best reason to look into this iPad. If you liked the design before
and don't already have a huge phone, this is a versatile little tablet.
But there's little reason to trade up from an iPad
Mini 2 or Mini 3, and I don't think it's worth spending up to the
top-tier Mini 4; I'd switch over to the Air 2 at those prices.
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Sarah Tew/CNET
A 'tweener tablet
So, let's assume you have a 5-inch or larger phone. The extra space of a
7.9-inch tablet is nothing to sneeze at; it adds up to significantly
more screen real estate than you'd expect, and its 4:3 aspect ratio fits
word processing and productivity apps better than 16:9.
But the
days of clear divisions between gadget screens are over. It's a gentle
curve from tiny all the way up to super-big, and you pick the size that
works best for you.
The Mini still feels like a superior e-reading device: it's Kindle-like
and easy to tuck away in a small bag. I've taken notes on mine, too, in
landscape mode. But you can do a lot of movie-watching and game-playing
on larger-screened phones now, too.
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The rear camera has slow-mo now.
Sarah Tew/CNET
With their 5.5-inch screens, the iPhone 6 Plus and 6S Plus are not the same type of device as the Mini, but they handle some of the same needs.
Compared
to previous recent iPad Mini models, the screen is enhanced. It has the
same 2,048x1,536 "Retina" resolution as the iPad Mini 2 and 3, and adds
the same laminated display and antireflective coating as the iPad Air 2
and iPad Pro. The difference was noticeable, giving the screen a real
pop -- colors seem richer and more vivid, too, matching the quality of
the Air 2.
The front-facing 1.2-megapixel FaceTime camera is the
same one found on all current iPads (except for the addition of burst
mode), but the rear iSight camera gets ramped up from 5 to 8 megapixels
to match the one on the iPad Air 2.
I wouldn't want to shoot a
feature film with it, but it's good for the sort of home movies that are
the more common target of tablet video shoots. More importantly, it's a
very solid tablet for making FaceTime and Skype video calls.
The GoodThe
Gear VR's relatively low price belies a compelling VR experience, and
the
games are quickly catching up to the hype. The headset is fairly
light, and offers a completely cordless experience.
The BadIt
only works with some recent Samsung phones. The mobile VR experience
still pales in comparison to more robust upcoming PC- and console-based
options.
The Bottom LineThe
Gear VR is the best virtual-reality gadget you can buy right now, and a
great way to jump into the world of VR gaming and entertainment -- just
make sure you own a compatible Samsung phone first.
It's just after 6 p.m. on a
Monday night, and I'm lost. And soaked. The Nemesis, one of my favorite
ships in the game Eve Online but just a sneaky, cloaking foe in Eve
Gunjack, has flattened my latest high score attempt. The glass that held
my post-work apéritif, the same glass I'd so carefully positioned on a
table behind me, to my right, is now apparently in front of me, to my
left. The lovingly mixed Manhattan it contained is in my lap.
Such are the hazards of reviewing the Gear VR, the accessory built by Samsung with help from VR pioneer Oculus, which costs $99 in the US and £80 in the UK. In Australia you can pick up the Gear VR for AU$159.
The
headset converts Samsung's latest Galaxy smartphones into a full-on
mobile virtual-reality headset. It's the third model, but the first that
feels ready for prime time, with a decent batch of games and apps to
choose from. Each of them effectively transports you to a variety of
"you are there" 3D landscapes, letting you explore your surroundings by
tilting and shaking your head, or totally spinning around without fear
of leaving the "screen."
One of the first things I tell people who try the Gear VR
is to sit down, preferably in a swivel chair. Competing VR devices like
the Oculus Rift and the HTC Vive
need to be wired to a PC, offering up a glorious trek into imaginary
virtual spaces, but limiting your movement in the physical world.
There's no such limitation when a smartphone is powering the experience,
so there's a temptation to stretch your legs and meander. This can
prove comical for onlookers, but embarrassing for you. You'd think I'd
learn by now that a rolling chair is just as dangerous as stumbling
about in the dark, but when you're solving puzzles on far-flung islands,
racing a go kart down colorful tracks or just blowing up spaceships
that are charging from all sides...well, mistakes are made.
This year, we'll see at least three major new VR devices: the aforementioned HTC Vive and Oculus Rift, as well as PlayStation VR. I've tried them all, and -- yes -- they all offer a more powerful illusion, as you'd expect from something that's powered by a PC or PlayStation 4.
But the Gear VR is the only one of the bunch you can take with you. And
while it's not going to make me switch to a Samsung phone, it's an
inexpensive, must-have purchase for existing owners of compatible Galaxy
phones who are gamers itching for a glimpse at the future.
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Unless you've got a guide, I recommend sitting down.
Nate Ralph/CNET
The mobile VR experience
I'm
of two minds about this whole mobile virtual reality thing. You'll look
silly with a headset and smartphone strapped to your face, but it's far
more approachable than devices like the Oculus Rift or the Vive, which
require you to be tethered to a PC. And your smartphone is always with
you: toss the Gear VR into a backpack, and your virtual escapades will
follow you wherever you go. The Gear VR experience is tied to the
hardware that's powering the experience, which is a nod in Oculus and
Samsung's favor here. The new Gear VR is light and compact, which lends
itself well to extended sessions spent strapped to your face. The
original Gear VR only worked with the Galaxy Note 4.
The Innovator Edition for the Galaxy S6 worked with the S6, and the S6
Edge. This time, you've got more options. The phones tuck into a docking
port cryptically labeled "A" or "B" -- the 5.7-inch Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge+ fit into A, and you'll need to slide the port over to B to fit the 5.1-inch Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge. The Gear VR will also support the new Samsung Galaxy S7, and Galaxy S7 Edge.
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The Gear VR is only compatible with select new Samsung phones.
Nate Ralph/CNET
Once
your phone is docked, the spring-loaded clasp on the opposite end of
the headset will lock your phone into place and the Oculus app will fire
up, dropping you into a virtual world. There's a TV set off to the
side, some couches, and what looks like an infinity pool. You can look
around in 360 degrees, but you can't actually interact with any of the
stuff around you: you're just at the Oculus menu, where you'll pick the
apps and games you want to check out.
The Oculus app on your
phone is rendering a pair of images, side by side; when you look through
the Gear VR's biconvex lenses, your brain is tricked into merging them
into a single image. There's a focus wheel up on top of the headset
that'll let you adjust the image until it's just right. I don't wear
glasses, but my CNET colleague Scott Stein found that while the Gear VR
Innovator Edition for the S6 didn't fit with glasses, it worked just fine
once he'd adjusted the focus to his liking. The new Gear VR offers a
far better fit for specs, but he found the goggles didn't fit as
tightly, which led to fogging. And the focus wheel doesn't accommodate
his "horrible vision" (-9) without glasses anymore, though it suited
others well.
Pair the optical illusion with the motion sensors in
the phone that track your head's movements, and you've got the fairly
convincing illusion that you've been transported to an entirely new
space -- the best games and apps will give you a compelling reason to
stay there.
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The headset's lenses merge two images into one.
Nate Ralph/CNET
The phone you choose makes a difference, too: the
Gear VR's latch mechanism means they'll all fit snugly, but the phones
with a smaller display will have a slightly lower field of view.
Conversely, the smaller devices have screens with a greater pixel
density (577 pixels per inch versus 518 pixels per inch, on the larger
phones), so you're going to find a slightly crisper experience there.
I
spent most of my time trying Gear VR on the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+,
and I didn't find the slightly lower pixel density problematic. The
hardware was also well equipped to handle all of the experiences I threw
at it, from fast-paced games to sedentary video experiences.
Most
of the action in games and apps is handled by the touchpad on the right
side of the device and looking around, and it works well enough. On
the Gear VR the touchpad gets a few grooves, so it's shaped like the
directional pad you'd find on a gamepad -- this makes it much easier to
swipe in the direction you're looking for. There's also a little flat
nub in the center so your fingers can always find their place while
you're fumbling about in the dark.
A back button sits above the
touchpad; it's been moved to the right just a smidgen, so it's easier to
find than it was on the Innovator Edition. The simple, ski-goggle-like
elastic bands on the side remain easy to adjust, and the vertical strap
found on the Innovator Edition loses its plastic guard, which makes for a
much more comfortable fit. It's also optional, so you can get rid of it
if you don't want to mess up your hair.
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The touchpad and back button are your primary controls.
Nate Ralph/CNET
Developing all new experiences that rely on gaze and one hand will
definitely be a challenge for developers, but some of the best games
available in the Oculus Store are already doing a great job. You can
always grab a Bluetooth controller for a more traditional approach --
I've been using the SteelSeries Stratus XL. The Gear VR doesn't support
the sort of motion controls you'd find on more robust platforms, like
the Oculus Rift's Touch controller, or the HTC Vive's wands, which is a
bummer -- virtual reality feels far more immersive when you're going
hands-on, but the mobile experience simply isn't there yet.
Gaming
in VR is also obviously a bit different than your standard PC- or
console-based fare, doubly so when you're gaming with a smartphone. A
bluetooth headset is a must: the audio pumping out of your phone's
speakers isn't nearly as engrossing as having the enclosed aural
experience you'll get from a good set of headphones.
I definitely recommend sitting in a swivel chair. The Gear VR doesn't
offer support for the sort of head-tracking you'll find on the Oculus
Rift or the HTC Vive, so you aren't going to be peering under or around
anything.
You also won't be able to lean back or forward either,
which can make certain experiences feel disjointed. Oculus Arcade is one
example: it emulates the feeling of strolling into an arcade and
playing classic games like Pac-Man or Sonic the Hedgehog, but you can't
lean in to get closer to the arcade cabinets. And while the lack of
wires technically means you're free to move, you'll probably just bump
into things or people around you -- I have enough trouble figuring out
where I am after spinning in circles on a chair.
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Ditch the vertical strap, if you'd like.
Nate Ralph/CNET
You'll
want to make sure that the Gear VR is strapped firmly to your head:
Samsung says it has improved the venting, but if the headset is at all
loose things start to fog up rather quickly. Keep a microfiber cloth
handy, too. The fingerprints and stray gunk that usually sits on our
smartphone screens looks downright unsettling when magnified by the Gear
VR's lenses. And do yourself a favor: turn on your phone's Do Not
Disturb mode. I can't count the number of times I was fully immersed in a
video or game, only to be ripped out into the real world by an instant
message or text from a coworker or friend. Oh, keep a charger nearby
too: VR will devastate your phone's battery life.
Playing in virtual worlds
Developers
are still experimenting with VR's possibilities, which can lead to a
lot of fun little experiences to discover. There are gems like Temple Gates Games' Bazaar,
a simple magic carpet ride simulator that sees you coasting along a
colorful world, exploring and picking up trinkets. But it quickly
devolves into a nerve-wracking, item-juggling fiasco: fill your chest
with gold and snacks, and you'll have no room to carry the shield you
need to block projectiles, or a crossbow and arrows to fend off snakes.
But now that you're armed to the teeth, your belly's rumbling because
you're out of food, or you don't have a med kit to patch yourself up
after that alligator got the drop on you. And you still need to save a
spot for the key you need to unlock the exit.
