Changed Features:IPad mini (Verizon LTE)

 Well, what's this, then? Another little tablet from Apple? We surprised ourselves by being quite fond of the first iPad mini, which crossed our desks just a few weeks ago. It strikes the perfect blend of size, performance and capability, but without a proper wireless connection its usability on the road is definitely hampered. Thin and light devices like these were meant to come with you when you leave the house, and you shouldn't leave high-speed data behind.

So, we're very glad to now be testing the $459 LTE version of that very tablet, this one Verizon-flavored. It's every bit as thin and very nearly as light as its WiFi-only predecessor but can send and receive your precious (and also your more disposable) data with way more oomph than before. Is such freedom of connectivity worth the $130 price premium? And, just how bad is the hit to battery life? Let's find out, together.

Hardware:
The hardware here is just what we saw on the WiFi-enabled mini -- other than a little opening for the nano-SIM tray on the lower-right, it's identical to that version we reviewed before. And that's a good thing. We love the thin, light, aluminum-backed design that bears a strong resemblance to the latest iPod touch.

Dimension:
It measures 7.87 x 5.3 inches (200 x 135mm) across and is 7.2mm thick. Up front is the same 7.9-inch, 1,024 x 768 IPS LCD, which has a far lower pixel density than the full-sized Retina iPads, but will still impress with its brightness, contrast and color accuracy, all noticeably improved over the iPad 2.

Wifi-Connectivity:
The WiFi version hits the scales at 308 grams but this one came out just a tick heavier, at 315. Presumably that's because of the extra wireless circuitry inside. With that you get GSM/EDGE, UMTS/HSPA+, DC-HSDPA on the GSM model and CDMA EV-DO Rev. A and B for the other. Both models support LTE, with the American AT&T model handling bands 4 and 17 (for Bell, Rogers and Telus in Canada) and the Sprint/Verizon model covering bands 1, 3, 5, 13 and 25, thus taking care of the rest of the international properties.

Battery Life Comparision to Other SmartPhones:
It's battery life we'd expected to take a hit and we're happy to report that's not the case. In fact, this iPad mini was within spitting distance of the WiFi model, despite having both LTE and WiFi enabled during our standard video run-down test, in which we set the display to a fixed brightness and see how long the machine lasts. The mini on LTE managed 12 hours and 31 minutes.

Tablet	Battery Life
Apple iPad mini (Verizon LTE)	12:31
Apple iPad mini (WiFi)	12:43 (WiFi)
Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7	12:01
Apple iPad (late 2012)	11:08 (WiFi)
Apple iPad 2	10:26
ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Prime	10:17
Kindle Fire HD (7-inch)	9:57
Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1	9:55
Apple iPad (2012)	9:52 (HSPA) / 9:37 (LTE)
Google Nexus 7	9:49
Microsoft Surface for Windows RT	9:36
Apple iPad	9:33
ASUS Transformer Prime Infinity TF700	9:25
Kindle Fire HD (8.9-inch)	9:01
Pantech Element	9:00
Motorola Xoom 2	8:57
HP TouchPad	8:33
Lenovo IdeaPad K1	8:20
Motorola Xoom	8:20
T-Mobile G-Slate	8:18
Acer Iconia Tab A200	8:16
Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus	8:09
Galaxy Note 10.1	8:00
Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet	8:00
Nexus 10	7:26
Archos 101	7:20
RIM BlackBerry PlayBook	7:01

We checked out the LTE speeds as well and they matched an iPhone 5 (also on Verizon) that we tested from the same location. Download speeds typically fell in the 15 - 20 Mbps range, with uploads running 12 - 15. Of course, your speeds may vary -- and they probably will.