IPad Mini (1st generation)

The iPad Mini (stylized as iPad mini), known retrospectively as the iPad Mini 1, is the first generation of the mini tablet computer developed and marketed by Apple Inc. It was announced on October 23, 2012, as the fourth major product in the iPad line and the first of the iPad Mini line. It features a reduced screen size of 7.9 inches (20 cm), compared to the 9.7-inch (25 cm) display on standard iPads at that time.

The first generation iPad Mini was succeeded by the iPad Mini 2.

Before its official unveiling, the iPad Mini was the subject of months of speculation about its development and launch, with several photos of the possible product circulating online. Since 2010, reports and discussions suggested that Apple was working on a smaller tablet. Steve Jobs himself initially dismissed the idea of a 7-inch iPad and a larger-screen iPhone, though both concepts were later realized with the introduction of the iPhone 5 and the iPad Mini.

On October 16, 2012, Apple announced a media event for October 23 at the California Theatre in San Jose, California. The company did not predisclose the subject of the event, but it was widely expected to be the iPad Mini. On the day of the event, Apple CEO Tim Cook introduced a new version of MacBook family and new generations of the MacBook Pro, Mac Mini, and the iMac before the iPad Mini and the higher end fourth-generation iPad.

The iPad mini was released on November 2, 2012. The US list price started at $329 for the 16 GB model; the UK list price was £269 for the 16 GB model, £349 for the 32 GB model and £429 for the 64 GB model. Similar releases were made in nearly all of Apple's markets. The 32 GB and 64 GB models were discontinued with the release of its successor, the iPad Mini 2 and the iPad Air 1 on October 22, 2013. After almost 3 years on June 19, 2015, the remaining 16 GB model was discontinued as well. It was discontinued from stores, and from Apple's software updates and support.

The iPad Mini was shipped with IOS 6.0 It can act as a hotspot with some carriers, sharing its Internet connection over Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or USB, and also access the App Store, a digital application distribution platform for iOS that is developed and maintained by Apple. The service allows users to browse and download applications from the iTunes Store that were developed with Xcode and the iOS SDK and were published through Apple. From the App Store, GarageBand, iMovie, iPhoto, and the iWork apps (Pages, Keynote, and Numbers) are available. Currently the latest versions are IOS 9.3.6 (for Wi-Fi+Cellular models) and iOS 9.3.5 (for Wi-Fi only models)

The iPad Mini comes with several pre-installed applications, including Siri, Safari, Mail, Photos, Video, Music, iTunes, App Store, Maps, Notes, Calendar, Game Center, Photo Booth, and Contacts. Like all iOS devices, the iPad can sync content and other data with a Mac or PC using iTunes, although iOS 5 and later can be managed and backed up with iCloud. Although the tablet is not designed to make telephone calls over a cellular network, users can use a headset or the built-in speaker and microphone and place phone calls over Wi-Fi or cellular using a VoIP application, such as Skype. The device has dictation, using the same voice recognition technology as the iPhone 4S. The user speaks and the iPad types what they say on the screen provided that the iPad is connected to a Wi-Fi or cellular network.

The device has an optional iBooks application, which displays books and other ePub-format content downloaded from the iBookstore. Several major book publishers including Penguin Books, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster and Macmillan have committed to publishing books for the device. Despite being a direct competitor to both the Amazon Kindle and Barnes & Noble Nook, both Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble offer e-reader apps for the iPad.