iPad mini 11” iPad Pro user, could I replace it with a mini?

[Populus]

I don’t know if someone has made this transition, but I sometimes think about replacing my 11” M2 iPad Pro for a mini. A next gen iPad mini 7 anyway.

Sometimes I feel this iPad a bit too big and clunky, and I still think the 10” would be the ideal size. However, Apple only offers 11” devices, and the only one that is smaller, is the 8.3” iPad mini.

Sure, the mini is much more portable, that’s what I like about it. And lighter, I’m all about light devices. The lack of keyboard doesn’t bother me anymore because I no longer use an external keyboard on my 11”, I always use the on-screen keyboard (right now I’m writi from it). But… at the same time, I don’t think I could be typing comfortably on an iPad mini on my lap, resting on the thigh of my crossed leg. Because the mini would be too small to type in this position.

I don’t know, sometimes I appreciate the crispness and sharpness and smoothness of this 120Hz display, and I can use the extra space. But I know that, when it comes to holding it on my hand, it would be much more comfortable the mini. Also to surf the web on the coach, etc.

I bought this M2 iPad Pro with the intention of doing uni stuff, but NOT for taking handwritten notes with the pencil, but rather working with textbooks in PDF, studying, and having a laptop-like device, but I’m not fully using it for that. Also, when I replace my 2014 Mac mini for a new M3 or M4 Mac, I expect the iPad to be my secondary display with sidecar, or just a companion device to use along my Mac thanks to universal control. And for those things, the 11” iPad Pro offers a superior experience with the bigger display. Also, YouTube videos look gorgeous here, although I don’t watch movies on the iPad, just YouTube videos. The 8GB of RAM that the M2 offers are really great for multi-tasking, this M2 iPad Pro feels faster than my previous 2018 iPad Pro which only had 4GB of RAM.

So… I’m a bit confused about what I’ll do in the future, keep the M2, or sell it when the iPad Mini 7 is released, and get one of those. What I do clearly know, is that I am absolutely not going to have two iPads. That’s the only thing I know for sure.

 

[sparksd]

You have to figure out if you can live with just the small screen; that's not something anyone else can tell you. I could not - I have a Mini 6 and an M1 12.9.

 

[rui no onna]

Personally, I couldn’t.

The iPad has replaced my laptop for couch/bed web browsing. The mini is OK for forums and simpler websites. I get layout issues when browsing Amazon, eBay, etc. so for those, I need to switch to one of my bigger iPads.

 

[Greenmeenie]

I am an artist who loves & still use my 2018 11” iPad Pro as my main content creation & media consumption device. But when I want to travel light, I use my iPad mini. I tend to use the 11” at home and the mini when I’m out and about. Not suggesting you get both, but they do work together well. When it’s time to upgrade both, I may switch to a 12.9” iPad Pro & iPad mini combo.

 

[sracer]

I don’t know if someone has made this transition, but I sometimes think about replacing my 11” M2 iPad Pro for a mini. A next gen iPad mini 7 anyway.

Sometimes I feel this iPad a bit too big and clunky, and I still think the 10” would be the ideal size. However, Apple only offers 11” devices, and the only one that is smaller, is the 8.3” iPad mini.

Sure, the mini is much more portable, that’s what I like about it. And lighter, I’m all about light devices. The lack of keyboard doesn’t bother me anymore because I no longer use an external keyboard on my 11”, I always use the on-screen keyboard (right now I’m writi from it). But… at the same time, I don’t think I could be typing comfortably on an iPad mini on my lap, resting on the thigh of my crossed leg. Because the mini would be too small to type in this position.

I don’t know, sometimes I appreciate the crispness and sharpness and smoothness of this 120Hz display, and I can use the extra space. But I know that, when it comes to holding it on my hand, it would be much more comfortable the mini. Also to surf the web on the coach, etc.

I bought this M2 iPad Pro with the intention of doing uni stuff, but NOT for taking handwritten notes with the pencil, but rather working with textbooks in PDF, studying, and having a laptop-like device, but I’m not fully using it for that. Also, when I replace my 2014 Mac mini for a new M3 or M4 Mac, I expect the iPad to be my secondary display with sidecar, or just a companion device to use along my Mac thanks to universal control. And for those things, the 11” iPad Pro offers a superior experience with the bigger display. Also, YouTube videos look gorgeous here, although I don’t watch movies on the iPad, just YouTube videos. The 8GB of RAM that the M2 offers are really great for multi-tasking, this M2 iPad Pro feels faster than my previous 2018 iPad Pro which only had 4GB of RAM.

So… I’m a bit confused about what I’ll do in the future, keep the M2, or sell it when the iPad Mini 7 is released, and get one of those. What I do clearly know, is that I am absolutely not going to have two iPads. That’s the only thing I know for sure.

Your requirements have boxed you in so that there's no iPad that meets all of those criteria. You're stuck until or unless you discard one or more of your requirements.

Prioritize your requirements into 3 categories... must-have, prefer-to-have, and nice-to-have. Then start eliminating the items under nice-to-have until one model meets the requirements that are left. If none appear after eliminating the nice-to-have, repeat with the prefer-to-have.

 

[muzzy996]

I have an old 12.9 pro (2017 model) that I rarely use now that I’ve had a mini 6 for the past six months. I now alternate between the mini and my Surface Pro 9. The one thing that I know is that with my hand size I cannot type well on the mini, regardless of what keyboard layout I try the typing experience is subpar for me. I even tried using a third party keyboard case for it and I just can’t get used to typing on such a small form factor. I love my mini for the portability and convenience, but I personally don't see it as a device that I could ever be productive on. I primarily use it for web browsing, content consumption and online shopping etc. I'd say I put on a couple of hours of screen time per day on it primarily watching videos and browsing. For anything else I reach for something else.

For me I would rather have two tablets in order to have the option to upsize when wanting to do something more intensive that perhaps requires keyboarding and stage manager etc. or downsize to a mini when on the go. So no, I don't think a mini can replace a larger iPad unless one doesn't really take advantage of the large screen in the first place.

 

[Little Endian]

I have a 11'' 2018 iPad Pro and I love it. I don't feel that it is too bulky and use it as my main computing device when working in field with my clients. If I need more serious work done I have my 15" MBP which is bulky compared to the 11" iPad. I used to the laptop with me so the using an iPad on work sites is a dream. With that said I would say an iPad mini is too small for most tasks. I deal with a lot of spreadsheets, long documents, forms and using a mini is no fun for those tasks.

If I want ultimate portable I just use my iPhone 14 pro. Compare the screen size side by side to a Pro Max iPhone and an iPad mini the difference isn't that big. For me iPad mini sort of just gets lost in the shuffle. I would rather just deal with the smaller phone or a bigger iPad.

 

[Populus]

Your requirements have boxed you in so that there's no iPad that meets all of those criteria. You're stuck until or unless you discard one or more of your requirements.

Prioritize your requirements into 3 categories... must-have, prefer-to-have, and nice-to-have. Then start eliminating the items under nice-to-have until one model meets the requirements that are left. If none appear after eliminating the nice-to-have, repeat with the prefer-to-have.

Thank you for your approach, I will indeed do what you said. Because Apple is not going to make a 10” iPad for me, so I should establish my priorities, and then decide.

Personally, I couldn’t.

The iPad has replaced my laptop for couch/bed web browsing. The mini is OK for forums and simpler websites. I get layout issues when browsing Amazon, eBay, etc. so for those, I need to switch to one of my bigger iPads.

Yes, this is one of my fears. Whenever I’ve tried an iPad mini on a store, I feel the interface may be too limiting outside web browsing, email, and consulting PDFs. And I have doubts about the latter two.

I am an artist who loves & still use my 2018 11” iPad Pro as my main content creation & media consumption device. But when I want to travel light, I use my iPad mini. I tend to use the 11” at home and the mini when I’m out and about. Not suggesting you get both, but they do work together well. When it’s time to upgrade both, I may switch to a 12.9” iPad Pro & iPad mini combo.

Well, a possibility is to get a used mini in the future, as long as I find a good deal of a well cared and fairly priced one.

 

[Traverse]

I enjoy the iPad mini for reading books, manga, and forum posts but I find iOS too poorly optimized for it to be my only tablet.

 

[Pezimak]

I don’t know if someone has made this transition, but I sometimes think about replacing my 11” M2 iPad Pro for a mini. A next gen iPad mini 7 anyway.

Sometimes I feel this iPad a bit too big and clunky, and I still think the 10” would be the ideal size. However, Apple only offers 11” devices, and the only one that is smaller, is the 8.3” iPad mini.

Sure, the mini is much more portable, that’s what I like about it. And lighter, I’m all about light devices. The lack of keyboard doesn’t bother me anymore because I no longer use an external keyboard on my 11”, I always use the on-screen keyboard (right now I’m writi from it). But… at the same time, I don’t think I could be typing comfortably on an iPad mini on my lap, resting on the thigh of my crossed leg. Because the mini would be too small to type in this position.

I don’t know, sometimes I appreciate the crispness and sharpness and smoothness of this 120Hz display, and I can use the extra space. But I know that, when it comes to holding it on my hand, it would be much more comfortable the mini. Also to surf the web on the coach, etc.

I bought this M2 iPad Pro with the intention of doing uni stuff, but NOT for taking handwritten notes with the pencil, but rather working with textbooks in PDF, studying, and having a laptop-like device, but I’m not fully using it for that. Also, when I replace my 2014 Mac mini for a new M3 or M4 Mac, I expect the iPad to be my secondary display with sidecar, or just a companion device to use along my Mac thanks to universal control. And for those things, the 11” iPad Pro offers a superior experience with the bigger display. Also, YouTube videos look gorgeous here, although I don’t watch movies on the iPad, just YouTube videos. The 8GB of RAM that the M2 offers are really great for multi-tasking, this M2 iPad Pro feels faster than my previous 2018 iPad Pro which only had 4GB of RAM.

So… I’m a bit confused about what I’ll do in the future, keep the M2, or sell it when the iPad Mini 7 is released, and get one of those. What I do clearly know, is that I am absolutely not going to have two iPads. That’s the only thing I know for sure.

I thought about doing this too, I have the M1 11” Pro, and was thinking of a next gen iPad MinI to replace it, but I’ve decided not to. Thing is I use the iPad everyday, and I love its pro motion, it’s ludicrous speed, and the games I can play in it, Resident Evil Village helped make me decide to keep it! Only thing I don’t like is typing on the in screen keyboard all the time, so instead I’ve decided to invest in an Apple keyboard case for it instead so I can use it better. Plus my eyes are not the best these days so a bigger screen certainly helps. And having an iPhone 13 Pro, if I go back to my iPhone XR I really notice the slower screens.
Each to their own, but I already own this 11” Pro and changing it would maybe mean I lose money. And I’ll end up with less, like a slower chip and screen.

 

[Apple_Robert]

I recently sold my 2020 11" iPad Pro since I was hardly using it after getting the mini.

 

[TechGod]

You have to figure out if you can live with just the small screen; that's not something anyone else can tell you. I could not - I have a Mini 6 and an M1 12.9.

This is my setup too but it feels redundant. I wonder if I could combine my mini and 12.9" iPad Pro into an 11"?

 

[Traverse]

This is my setup too but it feels redundant. I wonder if I could combine my mini and 12.9" iPad Pro into an 11"?

This is what I'm planning to do. I agree with the sentiment expressed on this forum that there is no perfect size; there are always tradeoffs. There will always be times you wish the 12.9" iPad was more nimble and times you wish that the mini/11" were larger.

For the last year I've had a 12.9" iPad Pro and a 6th generation mini. I've found that I stopped reaching for the iPad Pro most of the time like I did my 10.5" iPad Pro due to the size. I started going all in on the mini and was frustrated by iOS' lack of optimization and the scaling I had to use to read anything (which makes you see only marginally more content than my iPhone 15 Pro Max).

I'm not sure what I'll do with the 12.9" and mini - but I plan to consolidated down to an 11" iPad Pro next year. It will be compromised in some aspects, but overall might get me back to my iPad usage that I had with my 10.5".

 

[Populus]

This is what I'm planning to do. I agree with the sentiment expressed on this forum that there is no perfect size; there are always tradeoffs. There will always be times you wish the 12.9" iPad was more nimble and times you wish that the mini/11" were larger.

For the last year I've had a 12.9" iPad Pro and a 6th generation mini. I've found that I stopped reaching for the iPad Pro most of the time like I did my 10.5" iPad Pro due to the size. I started going all in on the mini and was frustrated by iOS' lack of optimization and the scaling I had to use to read anything (which makes you see only marginally more content than my iPhone 15 Pro Max).

I'm not sure what I'll do with the 12.9" and mini - but I plan to consolidated down to an 11" iPad Pro next year. It will be compromised in some aspects, but overall might get me back to my iPad usage that I had with my 10.5".

Yeah, I feel like, while all the devices, all sizes have their trade-offs, In my case the 11” iPad Pro is the best compromise between features and portability.

Still, maybe this holidays with the extended return window is a good time to give the iPad mini a try. I wonder if it does something if I plug it to a monitor, like mirroring the screen or something.

 

[TechGod]

This is what I'm planning to do. I agree with the sentiment expressed on this forum that there is no perfect size; there are always tradeoffs. There will always be times you wish the 12.9" iPad was more nimble and times you wish that the mini/11" were larger.

For the last year I've had a 12.9" iPad Pro and a 6th generation mini. I've found that I stopped reaching for the iPad Pro most of the time like I did my 10.5" iPad Pro due to the size. I started going all in on the mini and was frustrated by iOS' lack of optimization and the scaling I had to use to read anything (which makes you see only marginally more content than my iPhone 15 Pro Max).

I'm not sure what I'll do with the 12.9" and mini - but I plan to consolidated down to an 11" iPad Pro next year. It will be compromised in some aspects, but overall might get me back to my iPad usage that I had with my 10.5".

Kinda feeling that too. I like my mini but it's too small to do most iPad things besides reading. The screen also isn't anywhere near as good as the M1 12.9" iPad Pro.

I will see what happens with the M3 iPads and might do the same.

 

[JSENNY25]

I am glad to see I am not the only one with these types of questions!

I have an 11 inch Pro from 2018. I use it at work for Keynote (I'm a teacher) and other things....but I am really not using the video/photo editing and aspects any more.

I really like it, it works well.... But I think I want to upgrade. To the M2.

But I know right now I will not use it to is potential (maybe in the future). And there is an M3 on the horizon.

The new Air would be silly. based off of what I have already.

BUT Darn it, the Mini may be fun to have at home on the couch and I could also use my Apple Pencil 2 for notes at work in a lighter form factor.

I have a iPhone 14 pro and I do not want the MAX... if the pro features were in a mini, I would be all over that.

At home I don't really love using the iPhone on the couch.

The 11 inch pro is ok, but a little big.... But do I need a MINI and AN 11 inch ?


I don't think I want to sell the pro for a mini....but do I ?

 

[rui no onna]

The 11 inch pro is ok, but a little big.... But do I need a MINI and AN 11 inch ?

I don't think I want to sell the pro for a mini....but do I ?

For what it's worth, the iPad mini works well for me like 70% of the time. For the other 25% though, I need a bigger iPad. The remaining 5% is PC.

 

[Rafterman]

I found that the Mini wasn't significally more advantageous than my iPhone Pro Max. The 11 gave me more bang for the buck.

 

[Populus]

Thanks for bumping this thread I created some time ago, @JSENNY25 , because this morning I had some thoughts regarding this, while commuting on the bus.

I was sat on the bus, and I wanted to type some text. I put the iPad Pro in landscape, with the case folded behind the top, to give it some inclination. Put it on my lap, and started to type. This, for instance wouldn’t have been possible with an iPad mini, because it would be so small that it would fall between my legs. It has been a moment when I’ve thought “wow, I’m so glad to have an 11” iPad”. And… It hasn’t been the first or the second time I have that thought.

 

[sparksd]

I found that the Mini wasn't significally more advantageous than my iPhone Pro Max. The 11 gave me more bang for the buck.

Different experience for me - I feel the Mini 6 is a lot more advantageous than my 14 Pro Max.

 

[tagumcity]

The mini 6 is more comfortable to hold than the 11 inch IPP. The 11 inch IPP doesn't handle well in various positions. As a laptop/desktop replacement I'm moving to the 12.9 IPP.

 

[thelookingglass]

I've got an itch for that 12.9 IPP, but I'm put off by all of the negative comments about size. The screen is just so beautiful though.

 

[xxFoxtail]

I am glad to see I am not the only one with these types of questions!

I have an 11 inch Pro from 2018. I use it at work for Keynote (I'm a teacher) and other things....but I am really not using the video/photo editing and aspects any more.

I really like it, it works well.... But I think I want to upgrade. To the M2.

But I know right now I will not use it to is potential (maybe in the future). And there is an M3 on the horizon.

The new Air would be silly. based off of what I have already.

BUT Darn it, the Mini may be fun to have at home on the couch and I could also use my Apple Pencil 2 for notes at work in a lighter form factor.

I have a iPhone 14 pro and I do not want the MAX... if the pro features were in a mini, I would be all over that.

At home I don't really love using the iPhone on the couch.

The 11 inch pro is ok, but a little big.... But do I need a MINI and AN 11 inch ?


I don't think I want to sell the pro for a mini....but do I ?

I'd personally wait for the next iPad refresh before deciding. Possibly around March next year going off of some rumors? Especially if you can live with your 2018 Pro for a few more months. Ideally, the next mini will have an M3 chip in it. Even better if they also debut a Magic Keyboard for it too, but I wouldn't hold my breath on that.

I'd like to get an iPad mini for regular browsing and reading, maybe taking it to work for spreadsheet editing and word processing. I use my 14 Pro for all of that right now, which works fine, so an iPad mini might be redundant in my life. Some content on the screen is a little tight. A iPhone Plus or Max would be ideal in this situation, but it's just too big for me for my other day to day uses.

Depending where you can buy one, you can always buy a mini before selling your Pro. Test it out in the return window. If it doesn't work out for you, just send it back and continue using your Pro. Upgrade when the M3 iPad Pro comes out.

 

[sparksd]

I've got an itch for that 12.9 IPP, but I'm put off by all of the negative comments about size. The screen is just so beautiful though.

It's a personal experience/preference thing and everyone is different. I have the M1 12.9 and the size has never been an issue for me.

 

[solarmon]

I don’t know if someone has made this transition, but I sometimes think about replacing my 11” M2 iPad Pro for a mini. A next gen iPad mini 7 anyway.

Sometimes I feel this iPad a bit too big and clunky, and I still think the 10” would be the ideal size. However, Apple only offers 11” devices, and the only one that is smaller, is the 8.3” iPad mini.

Sure, the mini is much more portable, that’s what I like about it. And lighter, I’m all about light devices. The lack of keyboard doesn’t bother me anymore because I no longer use an external keyboard on my 11”, I always use the on-screen keyboard (right now I’m writi from it). But… at the same time, I don’t think I could be typing comfortably on an iPad mini on my lap, resting on the thigh of my crossed leg. Because the mini would be too small to type in this position.

I don’t know, sometimes I appreciate the crispness and sharpness and smoothness of this 120Hz display, and I can use the extra space. But I know that, when it comes to holding it on my hand, it would be much more comfortable the mini. Also to surf the web on the coach, etc.

I bought this M2 iPad Pro with the intention of doing uni stuff, but NOT for taking handwritten notes with the pencil, but rather working with textbooks in PDF, studying, and having a laptop-like device, but I’m not fully using it for that. Also, when I replace my 2014 Mac mini for a new M3 or M4 Mac, I expect the iPad to be my secondary display with sidecar, or just a companion device to use along my Mac thanks to universal control. And for those things, the 11” iPad Pro offers a superior experience with the bigger display. Also, YouTube videos look gorgeous here, although I don’t watch movies on the iPad, just YouTube videos. The 8GB of RAM that the M2 offers are really great for multi-tasking, this M2 iPad Pro feels faster than my previous 2018 iPad Pro which only had 4GB of RAM.

So… I’m a bit confused about what I’ll do in the future, keep the M2, or sell it when the iPad Mini 7 is released, and get one of those. What I do clearly know, is that I am absolutely not going to have two iPads. That’s the only thing I know for sure.

I’ve thought about it. Next spring, new models (rumored)…my solution: I’ll probably get both. The mini for day travels, the Pro at home.