# iPad Mini & Fourth-Generation iPad Have Most Responsive Tablet Touch Screens



## Kid_Eternity (Oct 8, 2013)

Nothing about this surprises me, iPad is a clear winner when it comes to slick fluid interaction. I've used pretty much every tablet on the market and not one has been as nice a UX ime....









> In a result that's perhaps now unsurprising, the iOS devices are more responsive than its competitors. Interestingly, the iPad mini – with its smaller screen and 1024×768 resolution – performs similarly to the larger fourth generation iPad and its 2048×1536 resolution, suggesting that responsiveness is not reduced by the larger screen size or resolution.
> 
> Our previous speculations continue to apply – more responsive devices may process touches earlier in the stack, poll for touches more frequently or have touchscreens optimized or calibrated to be more responsive. In our latest review of our test apps, we discovered an optimization that suggests that the GPU or GPU drivers in the devices might also add significant latency.



Read the full article here.


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## Sunray (Oct 9, 2013)

Somewhat odd statistic to measure. 

I prefer to note that Android was cheating on its benchmarks for its phones and tablets. Detected by Anand Li Shimpi, they detect key benchmarks and crank the CPU to the max. Interestingly Samsung have all but said they are liars. 

http://www.anandtech.com/show/7384/state-of-cheating-in-android-benchmarks

I look forward to a retina mini which I will go out and buy like a true fanboi because this mini is ace.


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## editor (Oct 9, 2013)

Can't say I've ever found my S4 or Nexus 4 to be noticeably unresponsive in any way at all and I wonder if these microscopic differences actually translate into anything meaningful in the real world.


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## Kid_Eternity (Oct 9, 2013)

Sunray said:


> Somewhat odd statistic to measure.
> 
> I prefer to note that Android was cheating on its benchmarks for its phones and tablets. Detected by Anand Li Shimpi, they detect key benchmarks and crank the CPU to the max. Interestingly Samsung have all but said they are liars.
> 
> ...



You can clearly notice the difference when you actually use the devices but yeah those cheating stats are the funniest thing I've read in tech this past week. All those poor fan droid idiots who've flung them about in the past...


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## elbows (Oct 9, 2013)

editor said:


> Can't say I've ever found my S4 or Nexus 4 to be noticeably unresponsive in any way at all and I wonder if these microscopic differences actually translate into anything meaningful in the real world.



Well this particular form of latency is certainly not a guide to overall feeling of device responsiveness. That doesn't make it utterly meaningless in the real world, but it depends what a particular user is doing in the real world.

The actual original source of this story does make it clear, at the very end, what sort of applications this stuff can matter for:

http://appglimpse.com/blog/touchmarks-ii-touchscreen-latencies-in-flagship-tablets/



> Conclusion: if you primarily use your tablet for reading, watching videos or browsing the web, then shop around and pick the best tablet – iOS, Android, Windows 8 – that suits your needs. With their lower price points and high PPI screens you may find an Android tablet works perfectly for you. If, however, you’re into latency-sensitive applications like games or interactive music apps, then your best bet might be an iPad.


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## editor (Oct 9, 2013)

elbows said:


> Well this particular form of latency is certainly not a guide to overall feeling of device responsiveness. That doesn't make it utterly meaningless in the real world, but it depends what a particular user is doing in the real world.


So for the vast majority of users... it's pretty much meaningless apart from giving increasingly obsessed fanboys something to squeak with pointless delight over.

If I was buying a tablet for high end music, I'd get an iPad anyway seeing as there's far better apps available, but for everyday use I really don't think most users will give much of a fuck.


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## elbows (Oct 9, 2013)

Even saying 'high end music' doesn't cover the devilish detail thoroughly since this latency test is not just about how quickly the touch input is process, but also how quickly a visual response to the touch is displayed, as opposed to other kinds of response such as making a noise.  And for high end use much of the input may be coming from a midi device rather than the touchscreen anyway. I think thats why they use the term 'interactive music app'. You are quite correct that the iPad happens to be the best choice for such tasks due to the range of music apps available, but also due to one of the other forms of latency that this article doesn't cover - e.g. that many android devices have suffered from latency in the audio system. There are a few android devices that do not suffer from bad latency in the audio system, and there are a few more music apps these days, so anyone looking for an android device for making music just needs to do some careful research about which models don't have that flaw.

I recognise the fanboy phenomenon, I don't recognise the idea that they are increasingly obsessed, for both they and those obsessed in the opposite direction are maintaining fairly consistent levels of fixation.

Personally I think its fair enough to attempt to establish the real-world implications of various benchmarks and to get it in perspective. Some exaggerate the implications, but going too far the other way in dismissing the details out of hand also fails to do complete justice to the tech. But yes, for many users the sort of touch latency that is actually likely to impact on their experience when using these devices is not thoroughly dealt with by these particular tests. For example my place of work is trying to use some very cheap tablets in the factory and I am about to find out whether the absolutely atrocious response to touch is something they will live with or whether they will decide to spend more than £100 per tablet in order to eliminate that bottleneck. I'm talking about a response so poor that no special equipment is required to monitor it, the sort of terrible responsiveness that doomed many pre-2007/8 smartphones to user hatred.


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## editor (Oct 9, 2013)

Cheap tablets are bound to be shonly performers, and I doubt if anyone spending £100 on one will seriously be expecting an iPad like experience, given they cost multiple times more.

But for most users spending a similar amount of money, I'd imagine most they'll be happy with their experience, e.g.



> The phablet absolutely flies along, with near-instant app loading and no perceptible lag anywhere within the operating system...
> 
> *If you're after a phablet, the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is the best one available right now.*
> 
> ...


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## elbows (Oct 9, 2013)

Indeed, and I have not suggested otherwise. And these days you probably only need to spend £20 more than £100 in order to get a tablet that escaped the hideous user experience category. The problem with my workplace is they are trying to get an acceptable 10ish" tablet for £100, as opposed to a 7" one, and that doesn't work out too well right now. And I mentioned this only to describe a situation that does not require these particular responsiveness benchmarks to illuminate the reality, i.e. a shoddy responsiveness that is easily felt by the user straight away, and goes well beyond 100-200 ms.

Returning to the tests in question, the issue of games also has some devilish detail. It depends what sorts of games and the skill level of the player as to how much the exact touch->screen response latency matters.


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## Kid_Eternity (Oct 20, 2013)

Was in PC World yesterday and did the usual play with the new gadgets, it's amazing that the iPad mini with it two year old tech is more responsive and a richer UX than the newer Nexus 7 or any offering by Samsung. Apple have nailed how tablets should feel and so far no other company has managed that.


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## editor (Oct 20, 2013)

Sorry to interrupt your fanboy gushing here, but exactly how is the iPad mini "two year old tech"?


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## ChrisFilter (Oct 20, 2013)

It's a really odd affliction, this aggressive fanboiism. Aren't there so many more important things to care about?


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## dervish (Oct 20, 2013)

Isn't the ipad mini basically a ipad two with a smaller screen? So probably would be about two years old. 

How do you measure a richer UX? Surely this is entirely subjective and subject to any changes made by the user.


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## RedDragon (Oct 22, 2013)

I'm going to have to wait and see, because if the iPad Air is as light as they say I might be more tempted to get that rather than buy the long wished for iPad mini retina.


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## editor (Oct 22, 2013)

dervish said:


> Isn't the ipad mini basically a ipad two with a smaller screen? So probably would be about two years old.


If not a single component was changed and the screen was the same, yes. But, that's not the case at all, so no.


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## Wolveryeti (Oct 22, 2013)

Kid_Eternity said:


> slick fluid interaction


fnar


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## editor (Oct 22, 2013)

Problem solved!


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## Kid_Eternity (Oct 22, 2013)

ChrisFilter said:


> It's a really odd affliction, this aggressive fanboiism. Aren't there so many more important things to care about?



Yeah like your usual snide remarks? It's not aggressive anything, it's just an opinion based on experience. Kinda important to know what you think about stuff.


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## Kid_Eternity (Oct 22, 2013)

RedDragon said:


> I'm going to have to wait and see, because if the iPad Air is as light as they say I might be more tempted to get that rather than buy the long wished for iPad mini retina.



It certainly looks slim but I'm not sure how much lighter it can be with a screen that size...nice cpu update though, but they should have put in Touch ID, Apple are resting on their laurels here.


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## ChrisFilter (Oct 22, 2013)

Kid_Eternity said:


> Yeah like your usual snide remarks? It's not aggressive anything, it's just an opinion based on experience. Kinda important to know what you think about stuff.



It's always comically aggressive. It always has to be what you like vs what others like. Why not just appreciate something for what it is? 

Don't get me wrong. I get how fun the 'banter' can be. I love a wind-up of this nature, but this goes to odd extremes of relentlessness.


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## editor (Oct 22, 2013)

Interesting seeing how Apple's tablet market share has slumped.



> Apple put up some impressive numbers today: 170 million iPads sold to date. 475,000 iPad apps available. $13 billion paid to app developers. Yet those numbers only tell part of the story. While the iPad may continue to be the top-selling tablet line, it no longer dominates the market the way it once did.
> 
> A year ago, 60 percent of all tablets sold were iPads, according to numbers from IDC. By this summer, that number was down to 32 percent, with Android models soaring from 38 percent to 63 percent. Even Windows models jumped from just 1 percent of the market to 4 percent -- and that was before Microsoft slashed the prices of older Surface models and released its second-generation tablets...
> 
> ...


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## editor (Oct 22, 2013)

Comparison here:


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## skyscraper101 (Oct 24, 2013)

I just bought the OH an ipad retina. Now they go and release a new one. Do I get some kind of refund or do I have to accept those are the breaks and keep abreast of fanboy speculation sites before purchasing the latest Apple toy?


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## RedDragon (Oct 24, 2013)

skyscraper101 said:


> I just bought the OH an ipad retina. Now they go and release a new one. Do I get some kind of refund or do I have to accept those are the breaks and keep abreast of fanboy speculation sites before purchasing the latest Apple toy?


There's a 14 day no quibble return policy at Apple.


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## beesonthewhatnow (Oct 24, 2013)

skyscraper101 said:


> I just bought the OH an ipad retina. Now they go and release a new one. Do I get some kind of refund or do I have to accept those are the breaks and keep abreast of fanboy speculation sites before purchasing the latest Apple toy?


Does it do what you want it to do? Are you happy with it? If so, keep it. The new one is a bit faster and a bit thinner, that's all.


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## dervish (Oct 29, 2013)

I'll take your pointless test and raise you another pointless test.

http://www.geek.com/apple/iphone-5s...laxy-s3-in-touchscreen-accuracy-test-1575249/


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## Callum91 (Oct 29, 2013)

skyscraper101 said:


> I just bought the OH an ipad retina. Now they go and release a new one. Do I get some kind of refund or do I have to accept those are the breaks and keep abreast of fanboy speculation sites before purchasing the latest Apple toy?


Why would they give you a refund just 'cos they brought out a new product?


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## skyscraper101 (Oct 29, 2013)

Callum91 said:


> Why would they give you a refund just 'cos they brought out a new product?



I've known them to offer deals to people who've just invested in the top line product a few days before bringing out a new version.


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## Callum91 (Oct 29, 2013)

skyscraper101 said:


> I've known them to offer deals to people who've just invested in the top line product a few days before bringing out a new version.


That's insane.

Edit: Considering that the internet is awash with Apple news. Two seconds on Google will tell you when the next model is out.


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## skyscraper101 (Oct 29, 2013)

Callum91 said:


> That's insane.
> 
> Edit: Considering that the internet is awash with Apple news. Two seconds on Google will tell you when the next model is out.



Aye well, normally I do check out Apple rumour threads but this was a gift for my wife's birthday so I couldn't hold off until Apple decided on releasing their next line. As it happens she doesn't want the latest version anyway now so its all academic

However I've since learned that its better to get new products from John Lewis because their return policy is better than Apple so that's what I'll do in future if something like this comes around again. Assuming I'm in the UK at least.


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## Callum91 (Oct 29, 2013)

skyscraper101 said:


> Aye well, normally I do check out Apple rumour threads but this was a gift for my wife's birthday so I couldn't hold off until Apple decided on releasing their next line. As it happens she doesn't want the latest version anyway now so its all academic
> 
> However I've since learned that its better to get new products from John Lewis because their return policy is better than Apple so that's what I'll do in future if something like this comes around again. Assuming I'm in the UK at least.


I'll swap if for my 3 month old (mint condition) retina model if you like?  John Lewis is fantastic for taking things back, no complaints from me there.


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## Kid_Eternity (Oct 29, 2013)

dervish said:


> I'll take your pointless test and raise you another pointless test.
> 
> http://www.geek.com/apple/iphone-5s...laxy-s3-in-touchscreen-accuracy-test-1575249/



Hasn't that been debunked?


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## dervish (Oct 29, 2013)

Kid_Eternity said:


> Hasn't that been debunked?


Has it? Haven't seen it if so.


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## editor (Oct 29, 2013)

Kid_Eternity said:


> Hasn't that been debunked?


Links please.


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## editor (Oct 29, 2013)

It was also on CNet. 


> Apple's iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C have a bit of improving to do on the touch-accuracy front, according to new data from OptoFidelity, a Finland-based tech test and measurement company.
> 
> OptoFidelity said that it used its own Touch Panel Performance Tester to measure the iPhone 5C, iPhone 5S, and Samsung Galaxy S3. The device uses a robot to "touch" exact coordinates on a screen. It then measures the coordinates of the touch device to see how closely they matched.
> 
> ...


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## elbows (Oct 29, 2013)

Debunked is probably too strong a word. There are articles that point out that Apple deliberately use some kind of compensation for the angle that the phone is likely to be used at. And perhaps all some compensation for size of finger/finger tip.

http://www.macrumors.com/2013/10/25...phone-5s5c-neglects-perspective-compensation/


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