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Every few years, all iPad mini enthusiasts hold their breath as they wait to see if this very specific device will keep rolling or hitting the chopping block. Well, they probably don’t need to worry for a while, as the device just got a facelift with Apple’s new iPad Pro-like design, an A15 Bionic SoC, and some new tech from Apple. display.
They probably shouldn’t be so worried either, as the iPad mini is selling extremely well in a handful of markets. Professionals, including pilots, healthcare workers, and industry workers all use tablets for essential job functions – and Apple’s iPad is essentially the only device with penetration and performance. compatibility sufficient to be viable. There is basically no cockpit in the sky without an iPad. And where space is at a premium, like strapped to a pilot’s leg or in the large pocket of a lab coat, the iPad mini reigns supreme.
There is, of course, an equally wide range of people who find the iPad mini to be the perfect portable travel size and much easier to hold in the hand for long sessions of reading or watching.
This new iPad mini brings all these people up to date in hardware and software. The redesign of the mini to incorporate the iPad Air and Pro design language is a welcome unification of Apple’s “high-end” iPad design theory.
Image credits: Matthew Panzarino
The iPad – the entry point – also gets a behind-the-scenes upgrade while still being priced the same, which is good. It doesn’t get any of the new design or compatibility hints with the new pencil, but it’s still a very capable machine for the price. Considering that Apple essentially owns the tablet market, Apple could have phoned in the entry-level model, but it’s still very good value for money, and using it still feels fast and familiar. An IPS display and A13 Bionic might not be the edge of the casing, but if your only need is “an iPad”, it’s good to be able to buy the base model and not be sold at short at all.
But the iPad mini gets both barrels – and a price to match. At $ 499, Apple is not aiming for the entry point with this. The message is clearly “this is the best iPad we can make at this size”, and not at all “smaller, cheaper”.
For users who like the form factor but don’t like being stuck a generation or two behind, this is an ideal scenario.
Image credits: Matthew Panzarino
The most prominent new behavior here is the top-mounted Touch ID, which debuted with the iPad Air. This is fine – works quickly and easily for the most part, although it can lead to annoying loops where you “sit to unlock” but accidentally press the power button to turn it off. Overall I would say it is actually Easier to be used here as Air, however, since your hand fits around the edge much more easily.
Some usage notes that aren’t that different from years past but still persist include that the split-screen implementation is barely enough. It works but sometimes feels a bit cramped, there might be a better solution here. The icon sizing is also a bit rough in vertical mode but looks perfect in horizontal. The sum is that there really has to be a modified version of iPadOS specifically designed for the iPad mini. At times in his life I think it really felt more like a really long term in the ‘will this happen? Department, but now with the renewed and refreshed model on the table, I’m ready to push for a 2022 bump that puts the iPad mini on its own usability plane.
Everything else is really nice. The speed, lightness and increased screen size really make it one of the more “iPad” iPads since the original. Looking back, the iPad OG was actually quite heavy – but using and touching it then, in context, was really shocking. A pure computer screen. This version of the mini brings that feeling back to me.
I have read, browsed and watched with over the past couple of days and it was awesome. The addition of the new version of Apple Pencil (made possible by the flat sides and magnetic charge) is a nice twist and makes it a great drawing tool.
If you know you want an iPad mini, you probably already know you want one – but if you’re on the fence, that’s all the iPad Air has to offer and more in a smaller package with all the last muscles. Very attractive overall.
Image credits: Matthew Panzarino
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