Before we get there, though, we need to run through the basics. To anyone hoping Apple would unveil a sleek, new look for the mini, I'm sorry. From its sizable forehead and chin (complete with physical home button and Touch ID sensor) to its headphone jack and Lightning connector, the new iPad mini looks exactly like the old one. This isn't an issue unique to the mini; the new Air looks just like the 10.5-inch Pro. Still, I can't help but feel a little disappointed that Apple didn't see fit to revise the mini's design after a more than three-year hiatus. It looks a little dated.

That's not to say there aren't any noticeable changes here though. For instance, the 7.9-inch display up front runs at the same resolution as older minis, but colors are much more vibrant here, and the addition of Apple's TrueTone technology means they look more accurate under different kinds of light.

This version of the mini also packs one of Apple's A12 Bionic chipsets -- that's the same chipset you'll find thrumming away inside the iPhone XS family. Since Apple hasn't yet updated its entry-level iPad, that means the mini is noticeably more powerful than its cheaper, bigger sibling. (Apple wouldn't confirm whether it plans to keep its cheap iPad using slightly older hardware to keep costs down, but that's a story for another time.) Hardly anything I've done to the mini over the past few days has phased it, from flicking through multiple webpages at the same time in split-screen mode to kicking back with Civilization 6 or Fortnite late at night.