The iPad mini is arguablythe most polarizing production in Apple ’s portfolio . There ’s a section of die - hard fans that would find fault it over any other gadget in its course of study , and then there ’s another radical that ca n’t quite figure out what exactly it can give birth in terms of meaningful utility .
record ? Check . Is it honest for note - pickings ? It ’s credibly the world ’s best small journal . What about gambling ? It can blaze away past the best titles out there . All that excellence can be yours for a cool $ 500 , at the very minimum .
In my type , the collision I took for an entry - spirit level iPad mini this year was $ 771 after taxes . That ’s enough money to buy a full - fledged laptop computer or a enceinte tablet with some accessories bedevil into the admixture . Look no further than the excellentOnePlus Pad 2for that heavy dot of pad good .
Now , here ’s the kicker . Almost every billet where theseventh - gen iPad miniseems to stand out is where an Android twist can do better . The best part about the iPad mini — its pleasingly palm - well-disposed build — can also be its undo the consequence you start bear on it .
The iPad mini’s hardware is (mostly) great
Let ’s start with the anatomy . It ’s identical to its predecessor , but the iPad mini ’s esthetic are also its biggest draw . There are scarcely any other devices out there with the same step .
E - reviewer ? Sure , there are many , includingthe new Kindle Colorsoft . TheBoox Color Goeven runs Android , but its newspaper - like sluggish color screen is a test of patience even by conventional 60Hz CRT screen standard . Apple also solved the jelly - scroll issue this metre , which was a huge backup for me .
Now , I absolutely love the tablet ’s in - hand feeling and weightiness visibility . At 293 gramme , it ’s not exactly featherlight by any means , but thanks to its larger size and weight distribution , it really feels lighter and less assess on the hands compare to aniPhone 16 professional .
I make love that even with the Apple Pencil Pro attach to the side , the tablet neatly fits in the side pockets of my freight jeans . As someone who hates the rough-and-tumble of run a bag to a nearby deep brown store for a work dash on my laptop , I adore this side of the iPad miniskirt .
It ’s lovely for reading while slouch on a comfy bean pocketbook . As my co-worker Prakhar Khanna puts it , the iPad mini is an absolute joy for reading and watching video on a flight because one does n’t need to fiddle with the tray or even scramble for space .
I late tried to edit a video on theiPad Pro ( 13 - inch)in a flight posterior , and it was distressingly awkward . For TV redaction , I would strongly propose sticking to the rudiments . Anything with a right timeline , well , things will get overwhelmingly crowd , even for short clips .
Another scenario where the iPad mini excels with its pocket - well-disposed size is game . The A17 Pro atomic number 14 is enough to handle any nomadic plot you throw at it . But knowing that your hands wo n’t tense up to hold a tablet ( mini pad , bah ! ) while playing a few rounds ofPUBG Battle Royaleor grate inKatana Zeroinspires a billow of joy .
Interestingly , thing get live apace , even compared to the iPhone 16 Pro . I guess Apple has n’t check the same kind of thermal hardware inside the tablet as it did in its flagship phone , even though there is more breathing space inside and metal surface surface area around it for estrus wastefulness .
Of course , the small battery turn a loss steam rather chop-chop . My first brush with the iPad mini was nothing short of a disaster . I installed Chrome , and within half an hour , the app crashed unexpectedly over a dozen times . That ’s a little too much , given Apple ’s standards or thosr of any other $ 500 machine .
Once again , I ’ll play up the screen refresh rate yield — 60Hz is no longer enough . If you ’ve feel a 90Hz or 120Hz screen on any twist , the difference is noticeable from the get - go . I could n’t ignore this ocular disparity shifting between it and the iPhone 16 Pro and the iPad Pro , both of which suffice a ProMotion 120Hz screen .
For some reason , the animations matte sluggish and app passage matte up less fluent on the iPad mini than on the MacBook Air , which also has a 60Hz venire . This materialize even when run for the unchanging bod ofiPadOS 18 . Despite being on a developer beta build , the iPad Pro feels a lot more reliable .
Finding purpose far from home
I ’ve spend nearly a week with the iPad mini and have been struggle to find a purpose for it . Given its sizing , one would say , “ Do n’t remember too much about it , dude . ” But when you ’ve forked over half a grand piano on a gimmick , you ca n’t afford to cogitate that mode . Unless , of line , it was an on purpose “ spare ” leverage .
For me , the iPad miniskirt worked rather oddly , and not exactly in a economic value - focussed fashion . It ’s a fantastical comrade gadget , one that you could shore even against a common salt shaker on a board or any of those cheap $ 20 alloy stands for your work desk .
I have to simultaneously hoodwink between Slack and Teams for workplace communication while keep open an eye on undertaking management apps such as Trello and Teams . Of course , Gmail is a permanent fixture in the work flow , and so is WhatsApp for mobile communication .
A 13.3 - inch MacBook Air quickly operate out of space for app window . Plus , putting it in Stage Manager brings the machine to its knees . With the iPad mini on the side , all my confabulation apps run in stock split - screen mode , as do my news feed and societal media trackers .
With Universal Control enabled , controlling the iPad mini ’s UI with the MacBook Air ’s keyboard and touchpad is a gentle wind . Thanks to screen door mirroring , I even overcome the nastiest limitation of the iPad ’s mobile ecosystem .
I ’ll start with the most low - key lesson of them all : Google Docs . The nomadic version of Docs is excruciatingly circumscribed . For writing academic session — which is half my 24-hour interval job — where I need to keep multiple tabs opened to character reference screen , I use the iPad miniskirt as an external blind solely for Google Docs .
In doing so , all the editing Alexander Melville Bell and whistle of Google Docs are available to me on the iPad mini ’s screen . It ’s a chip cramp , for trusted , but not exactly in a deal - breaking fashion . I enjoy the distraction - free experience , and that ’s what counts when it comes to getting some genuine utility program out of it .
But those are not iPad mini benefits . Those are “ Apple ” benefits . Or , to put it more incisively , the Apple ecosystem perks . Those perks are pricey , mind you . In my instance , that unseamed interoperability be me roughly $ 3,000 , and I ’m not even weigh the Apple Watch and AirPods .
Just give me a reason
I did a “ taste - examination , ” if you will , of the iPad miniskirt among a group of students , roving gaming enthusiasts , and businesspeople . Everyone was universally in love with the clean intent and the minimum heft . Still , none of them could confidently peck out purpose - case scenario where the tablet could be essential for them .
“ I would favour to keep my social media confine to my earphone . ” “ For game , I by all odds want a bigger screen door , or I ’d plainly stick to a phone . ” “ It ’s nice for watching picture , but I do n’t see the screen looking any more appealing than my telephone ’s OLED panel . ” “ Oh , it does n’t feel as smooth as my iPhone . ”
All of those are valid business organization rooted in practicality . So far , the iPad mini has stood out for me primarily because of its one - of - a - kind form ingredient . Yet , it keeps running into an identity crisis , especially when you factor in the asking cost Apple has slapped on it .
It ’s not a spoilt twist , but it ’s just discombobulate in its own limiting ways . I will soon share my detailed findings after more comprehensive examination . I hope to run into more surprise ( the good kind , of row ) and few usable disability . stay put tune for my full review before long .
