Touchscreen technology has marched on since the iPad 2. The iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5 and third- and fourth-generation iPads all have the 2048-by-1536, 264 pixels-per-inch retina screen. All three of the main competing 7-inch tablets -- the Kindle Fire, Nook and Nexus 7 -- also have higher-resolution screens.

If you've never used a higher-resolution display, you might not even notice. But if you're already using a device with a better screen, the iPad Mini can look a bit grainy. It's like eating at In and Out Burger and then trying to go back to McDonald's.

What is great about the display is how it fills the front of the device. The edges around the touchscreen, called bezels, are incredibly thin on the left and right sides. Apple also tweaked the software so that the screen is less sensitive to an errant thumb resting on the front of the device.

Other specs

The screen isn't the only thing the iPad Mini got from the iPad 2. It is using the same processor, the A5. This processor is now two generations old, but it also doesn't have to power a big retina display, so it continues to feel speedy.

There are two speakers for some decent stereo sound (not one as originally thought, according to an iFixit teardown), and the iPad Mini uses the new lightning connecter port.

The cameras on the iPad Mini aren't as good as the iPhone 5, but they are exactly the same as what you'll find on the newest iPad. Taking a photo on the 10-inch iPad has always seemed awkward, but holding up an iPad Mini to take a quick video feels a bit more natural.