iPad Pro 11 or 12.9 Pro ?

[jimmy_uk]

I think I'm set on waiting for an Apple refurb 11" ipad Pro 2018 to show up in stock and couple with an AMK. This will mainly be a consumption device - youtube, Internet surfing, comics etc. I'll be happier with the refurb price and the 11" size when using as a tablet.

I know I'll always end up thinking "I should have gotten the 12.9"" but could never stomach the price when it's nearly laptop money with the AMK but still running a mobile OS. Also I gave up the Gen 2 12.9 years ago because I hated the size and weight when reading comics etc so just have to remember that.

 

[zehcnassurfero]

I think I'm set on waiting for an Apple refurb 11" ipad Pro 2018 to show up in stock and couple with an AMK. This will mainly be a consumption device - youtube, Internet surfing, comics etc. I'll be happier with the refurb price and the 11" size when using as a tablet.

I know I'll always end up thinking "I should have gotten the 12.9"" but could never stomach the price when it's nearly laptop money with the AMK but still running a mobile OS. Also I gave up the Gen 2 12.9 years ago because I hated the size and weight when reading comics etc so just have to remember that.

You have to think that it’s not the same size as the Gen 2, so it’s more portable than your old iPad.

 

[Nautilus007]

My 3 year old IPP 10.5-inch screen is starting to go, so I’m looking at replacing it with a new IPP 11-inch. I wanted to hold out for the rumored mini-LED screen iPads, but my current iPad won’t last that long, lol.

I also love my current 10.5 it has a crack on the glass but still very usable and you can’t notice it when the screen is on. I contemplate upgrading to an 11 inch but always tell myself just wait because there will be no difference in use.

 

[cambookpro]

I'm coming from a 10.5" Pro - my 2020 11" came in this morning, been using it non-stop. I know this might not help some people, but...

Holy moly, I love this size. I thought I'd really regret not getting the 12.9", but it's everything I want it to be. Really easy to whip off the Magic Keyboard to use one handed whilst stood in the kitchen looking up a recipe or to lie on the sofa and do a soduku. It feels great when using the Pencil in apps like Affinity Designer. Then the MK is big enough to type out emails without skipping a beat. (Quick aside on the keyboard - tiny detail, but on the International English 11", the [ and ] keys are different sizes. This is pretty perplexing from a design standpoint IMO. Luckily, on my British English 11", they are both half-size, which I think is better than making one a different size, even if it is bigger. I find the key layout to be great, it certainly doesn't feel too compromised.) It's a substantial upgrade from my 10.5", there are loads of small things that make a difference, like Face ID making the process of filling in passwords from iCloud Keychain super seamless compared to having to reach up and scan my fingerprint.

I do tend to prefer smaller devices - I have an iPhone 11 Pro and 13" MacBook Pro. The only larger variant of an Apple product I own is a 44mm Watch, and that was largely a fashion choice. There's something wonderful about holding all that power in such a small and thin slab of glass and aluminium.

(One unrelated note - my favoured silver colour was back ordered so relented and purchased a Space Grey iPad. Think it looks better with the MK, as the metal bar at the back of the keyboard is Space Grey in colour. It's a small detail, but makes the whole thing look more cohesive. I do wish there were more colours for the keyboard - I'd love a Product Red, but even having a white/silver option to better match the silver iPad would be nice.)

 

[Jamacfer]

I'm coming from a 10.5" Pro - my 2020 11" came in this morning, been using it non-stop. I know this might not help some people, but...

Holy moly, I love this size. I thought I'd really regret not getting the 12.9", but it's everything I want it to be. Really easy to whip off the Magic Keyboard to use one handed whilst stood in the kitchen looking up a recipe or to lie on the sofa and do a soduku. It feels great when using the Pencil in apps like Affinity Designer. Then the MK is big enough to type out emails without skipping a beat. (Quick aside on the keyboard - tiny detail, but on the International English 11", the [ and ] keys are different sizes. This is pretty perplexing from a design standpoint IMO. Luckily, on my British English 11", they are both half-size, which I think is better than making one a different size, even if it is bigger. I find the key layout to be great, it certainly doesn't feel too compromised.) It's a substantial upgrade from my 10.5", there are loads of small things that make a difference, like Face ID making the process of filling in passwords from iCloud Keychain super seamless compared to having to reach up and scan my fingerprint.

I do tend to prefer smaller devices - I have an iPhone 11 Pro and 13" MacBook Pro. The only larger variant of an Apple product I own is a 44mm Watch, and that was largely a fashion choice. There's something wonderful about holding all that power in such a small and thin slab of glass and aluminium.

(One unrelated note - my favoured silver colour was back ordered so relented and purchased a Space Grey iPad. Think it looks better with the MK, as the metal bar at the back of the keyboard is Space Grey in colour. It's a small detail, but makes the whole thing look more cohesive. I do wish there were more colours for the keyboard - I'd love a Product Red, but even having a white/silver option to better match the silver iPad would be nice.)

It’s fun because I also went from a 10.5” to an 11” and felt disappointed because the new one was very similar to the old one (even “smaller”...) and in my opinion kinda unable to exploit all the potentiality of the new combo hardware and software. So I returned it for a 12.9” and now I am very satisfied. By the way I also tend to prefer smaller mobile devices (iPhone 11“ Pro and an old MacBookAir 11”) but I think that 12.9“ it is not at all a big device but a great hybrid between a laptop and a tablet. It is just a matter of personal preferences.

 

[ssledoux]

I'm coming from a 10.5" Pro - my 2020 11" came in this morning, been using it non-stop. I know this might not help some people, but...

Holy moly, I love this size. I thought I'd really regret not getting the 12.9", but it's everything I want it to be. Really easy to whip off the Magic Keyboard to use one handed whilst stood in the kitchen looking up a recipe or to lie on the sofa and do a soduku. It feels great when using the Pencil in apps like Affinity Designer. Then the MK is big enough to type out emails without skipping a beat. (Quick aside on the keyboard - tiny detail, but on the International English 11", the [ and ] keys are different sizes. This is pretty perplexing from a design standpoint IMO. Luckily, on my British English 11", they are both half-size, which I think is better than making one a different size, even if it is bigger. I find the key layout to be great, it certainly doesn't feel too compromised.) It's a substantial upgrade from my 10.5", there are loads of small things that make a difference, like Face ID making the process of filling in passwords from iCloud Keychain super seamless compared to having to reach up and scan my fingerprint.

I do tend to prefer smaller devices - I have an iPhone 11 Pro and 13" MacBook Pro. The only larger variant of an Apple product I own is a 44mm Watch, and that was largely a fashion choice. There's something wonderful about holding all that power in such a small and thin slab of glass and aluminium.

(One unrelated note - my favoured silver colour was back ordered so relented and purchased a Space Grey iPad. Think it looks better with the MK, as the metal bar at the back of the keyboard is Space Grey in colour. It's a small detail, but makes the whole thing look more cohesive. I do wish there were more colours for the keyboard - I'd love a Product Red, but even having a white/silver option to better match the silver iPad would be nice.)

I agree with you regarding the size. For me if I can only have one, the 11” makes the most sense Because it’s just more portable and usable (again, for ME - I know others have no issues using the 12.9 in their laps). I came from the 2nd gen 12.9 when I got my first 11” pro.

I ordered the space gray accidentally. I always get silver. I was stressing over it, but then I realized how good it was gonna look with the MK, or the Smart Keyboard if I wind up not liking the MK. I think the cohesiveness there will make me happy.

 

[cambookpro]

It’s fun because I also went from a 10.5” to an 11” and felt disappointed because the new one was very similar to the old one (even “smaller”...) and in my opinion kinda unable to exploit all the potentiality of the new combo hardware and software. So I returned it for a 12.9” and now I am very satisfied. By the way I also tend to prefer smaller mobile devices (iPhone 11“ Pro and an old MacBookAir 11”) but I think that 12.9“ it is not at all a big device but a great hybrid between a laptop and a tablet. It is just a matter of personal preferences.

Yep choices are always good - although I think some here (me included!) were suffering from a paradox of choice! Would get why people choose the 12.9”, especially if it’s replacing their laptop. I still see the iPad as a device to complement a laptop/desktop, but am doing a whole lot more real work on it than ever before. It’s much more fun to use than my Mac.

I agree with you regarding the size. For me if I can only have one, the 11” makes the most sense Because it’s just more portable and usable (again, for ME - I know others have no issues using the 12.9 in their laps). I came from the 2nd gen 12.9 when I got my first 11” pro.

I ordered the space gray accidentally. I always get silver. I was stressing over it, but then I realized how good it was gonna look with the MK, or the Smart Keyboard if I wind up not liking the MK. I think the cohesiveness there will make me happy.

Yep I think I prefer the silver on its own, but SG looks really great with the (Magic or Smart) keyboard. I wouldn’t worry about it. Just wish there was a black Pencil to complete the look!

 

[ssledoux]

Yep choices are always good - although I think some here (me included!) were suffering from a paradox of choice! Would get why people choose the 12.9”, especially if it’s replacing their laptop. I still see the iPad as a device to complement a laptop/desktop, but am doing a whole lot more real work on it than ever before. It’s much more fun to use than my Mac.



Yep I think I prefer the silver on its own, but SG looks really great with the (Magic or Smart) keyboard. I wouldn’t worry about it. Just wish there was a black Pencil to complete the look!

You could probably get a skin for the pencil - at least it wouldn’t stick out like a sore thumb.

 

[xxray]

I currently have a 10.5” iPad Pro. I probably won’t be upgrading for another 2 years since my iPad isn’t even 3 years old yet and it still runs like it did on day 1, besides some battery degradation and iOS 13 bugs. I hope by then that I can make the iPad my sole computing device. I would get the 12.9” model and the Magic Keyboard. Hopefully by then, there will be mini-LED or OLED and maybe even some bezel and weight reductions which would make it that much more appealing to me.

The modular idea really appeals to me the most, though. Being able to set my iPad on my desk and have a keyboard and trackpad and then take just the iPad and go sounds amazing. I already do a similar setup with a case and Bluetooth keyboard, but it’s not the same not having a trackpad, having to reach to touch the screen, and having to take an iPad out of a case. I can’t justify buying a mouse or a trackpad for it now.

 

[Sumter]

I’ve had my 3rd gen 12.9 since launch, so it’s been a year and a half now. My takes:

The good:
1) It’s GREAT when you are consuming content with the iPad propped on a table, or if you position it right on bed

2) Reading documents (PDFs, word files, and probably textbooks if you’re a student) and editing documents, as well as taking notes = amazing experience, does not compare to 11” for sure.

The meh:
1) Games - mostly great, but sometimes my arms get tired. Sometimes I wish the screen was a bit smaller so my fingers have less travel on a busy game. I found the best gaming experience on the 12.9” has been visual-novel type games (like Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney series), a bit more interactive story-telling games (Life is Strange for example), casual puzzle games (hidden folks, match-3 games, etc.) and turn-based strategic RPG games (FF series, Steven Universe games, etc.). I also play rhythm games but I definitely would prefer a smaller 11” for those if I had a choice.
2) Portability - slightly unwieldy, not as much as before redesign but still. Would prefer 11” for outside usage
3) Sometimes it just feels too big to casually use.


I find myself wondering about 11” often, as I had a 10.5” before which I adored and used very well. Might be “grass greener on the other side” mindset. I’m probably going to try 11” or whatever the equivalent is on my next upgrade. 12.9” is great especially when taking notes and editing documents but it definitely feels like 11” would be a better choice for somebody on-the-go. I have a desktop at home for heavy lifting, iPhone for casual browsing, messaging, and even gaming, and I primarily use my iPad for note-taking, document editing, and media consumption like watching videos when I don’t feel like getting off the bed.

 

[Jamacfer]

I’ve had my 3rd gen 12.9 since launch, so it’s been a year and a half now. My takes:

The good:
1) It’s GREAT when you are consuming content with the iPad propped on a table, or if you position it right on bed

2) Reading documents (PDFs, word files, and probably textbooks if you’re a student) and editing documents, as well as taking notes = amazing experience, does not compare to 11” for sure.

The meh:
1) Games - mostly great, but sometimes my arms get tired. Sometimes I wish the screen was a bit smaller so my fingers have less travel on a busy game. I found the best gaming experience on the 12.9” has been visual-novel type games (like Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney series), a bit more interactive story-telling games (Life is Strange for example), casual puzzle games (hidden folks, match-3 games, etc.) and turn-based strategic RPG games (FF series, Steven Universe games, etc.). I also play rhythm games but I definitely would prefer a smaller 11” for those if I had a choice.
2) Portability - slightly unwieldy, not as much as before redesign but still. Would prefer 11” for outside usage
3) Sometimes it just feels too big to casually use.


I find myself wondering about 11” often, as I had a 10.5” before which I adored and used very well. Might be “grass greener on the other side” mindset. I’m probably going to try 11” or whatever the equivalent is on my next upgrade. 12.9” is great especially when taking notes and editing documents but it definitely feels like 11” would be a better choice for somebody on-the-go. I have a desktop at home for heavy lifting, iPhone for casual browsing, messaging, and even gaming, and I primarily use my iPad for note-taking, document editing, and media consumption like watching videos when I don’t feel like getting off the bed.

It definitely depends on the use and personal preferences. For casual and on the go usage I agree that 11" is a good choice (but sometimes I might wonder why to choose the Pro?). By the way, in my opinion, 12.9" is a better choice to fully exploit all the potential of a Pro device both in terms of hardware and software.

 

[aZZaneko]

It definitely depends on the use and personal preferences. For casual and on the go usage I agree that 11" is a good choice (but sometimes I might wonder why to choose the Pro?). By the way, in my opinion, 12.9" is a better choice to fully exploit all the potential of a Pro device both in terms of hardware and software.

iPad has gone a long way and is far from a toy it used to be but, I believe, most "pro" users would still prefer a proper workstation when available. Desktop software is still more powerful and 12.9" screen is still too small for a lot of professional tasks.

It's the power that iPad offers off the desk and on the go that makes it such an interesting option for pro users. And here different people would have different needs for the extent of portability. If someone rolls a cart with equipment around or carries a laptop sized bag on their shoulders, the bigger can indeed be the better. For someone requiring one handed usage, having to fit into smaller spaces or just needing something more compact to carry on their person 24/7, it will be a whole different story. I definitely wouldn't call their needs any less "pro" just because of that.

I do most of my work on a desktop in my home office, personally. iPad is not there software wise to replace the computer for me and will likely never be there screen estate wise. But I need something for the moments I'm away from my desk. Something that allows me to efficiently communicate, access remote desktops and camera feeds, write and draw my ideas down as they come, edit a design mockup or fix an urgent bug on a website, look up information, collect reference and present data to people around me.

And while a 12.9" is definitely more convenient for doing most of these things, a device that is "upstairs", "in another room", "in the car", "in the backpack" etc is much less useful than the one "in my hands right now". And 11" is so much more likely to be the latter kind of a device.

 

[ssledoux]

It definitely depends on the use and personal preferences. For casual and on the go usage I agree that 11" is a good choice (but sometimes I might wonder why to choose the Pro?). By the way, in my opinion, 12.9" is a better choice to fully exploit all the potential of a Pro device both in terms of hardware and software.

Why choose an 11” pro? Why not? Certainly if it didn’t fit the needs of a lot of people, Apple wouldn’t bother. Not everyone needs the size of the 12.9 to handle their workflow, and the portability factors in. For me, part of my workflow (well, it may still be after all this mess) is meeting clients and helping them plan out their Disney vacations. That means I’m toting my iPP with me, having to use it on small coffee shop tables a lot of the time, and wanting it to be a manageable size. At home, I want something that I can type on when needed, but also have comfortably in my lap when I want to play games, read books, or just peruse the internet. For me, the 12.9 is not nearly as comfortable for that.

I, and I’m sure I’m not the only one, want a device that can “do it all,” and luckily the 11” comes pretty darn close.

 

[rui no onna]

Why choose an 11” pro? Why not? Certainly if it didn’t fit the needs of a lot of people, Apple wouldn’t bother. Not everyone needs the size of the 12.9 to handle their workflow, and the portability factors in. For me, part of my workflow (well, it may still be after all this mess) is meeting clients and helping them plan out their Disney vacations. That means I’m toting my iPP with me, having to use it on small coffee shop tables a lot of the time, and wanting it to be a manageable size. At home, I want something that I can type on when needed, but also have comfortably in my lap when I want to play games, read books, or just peruse the internet. For me, the 12.9 is not nearly as comfortable for that.

I, and I’m sure I’m not the only one, want a device that can “do it all,” and luckily the 11” comes pretty darn close.

I'm guessing what @Jamacfer was getting at is why buy the iPP 11 when something like the less expensive Air 3 or iPad 10.2 will also handle casual, on-the-go usage just fine.

To me, this is akin to asking "Why buy a BMW M3 over a Honda Civic?". Both will get you from Point A to Point B but the former provides a nicer experience.

 

[secretk]

I'm guessing what @Jamacfer was getting at is why buy the iPP 11 when something like the less expensive Air 3 or iPad 10.2 will also handle casual, on-the-go usage just fine.

To me, this is akin to asking "Why buy a BMW M3 over a Honda Civic?". Both will get you from Point A to Point B but the former provides a nicer experience.

I kind of see the point and then not fully go behind it you know. I can tell that the second generation of the pencil is definitely preferable if you will use the pencil a lot. Like I got carpal tunnel because of the first generation pencil. Not everyone has my issues but some might.

And then it depends on what kind of work you do on meetings with customers. USB C kind of can get offer you more than the Lightning. That being said in the end of the day we all decide based on our personal preferences on how much we want to spend.

 

[aZZaneko]

I'm guessing what @Jamacfer was getting at is why buy the iPP 11 when something like the less expensive Air 3 or iPad 10.2 will also handle casual, on-the-go usage just fine.

To me, this is akin to asking "Why buy a BMW M3 over a Honda Civic?". Both will get you from Point A to Point B but the former provides a nicer experience.

That question assumes the user of the iPP 11 plans to do less with their device and so should be ok with less power, no USB-C, worse screen or a poor pencil experience. It would be like saying a user of an iPhone Pro needs a worse camera just because they prefer a smaller screen. It's just a weird assumption to make.

 

[kamikazeeMC]

Why buy the 11”, because some people want/can take advantage of the features without needing to go for the bigger one.

 

[ssledoux]

I'm guessing what @Jamacfer was getting at is why buy the iPP 11 when something like the less expensive Air 3 or iPad 10.2 will also handle casual, on-the-go usage just fine.

To me, this is akin to asking "Why buy a BMW M3 over a Honda Civic?". Both will get you from Point A to Point B but the former provides a nicer experience.

Well yeah, I see that, but what I’m saying is, not everyone who chooses an 11 is necessarily just using it casually. It’s still a pro, and can still handle tasks the 12.9 can, albeit maybe with size limitations on some things. It seems like for people who need the power of the pro, but want the portability for their casual use, the 11 makes sense.

But sure, if you never need the heavy lifting, I can see why buying a pro is overkill, as is buying the pro phones, although an awful lot of people buy those. ;-p

 

[rui no onna]

Well yeah, I see that, but what I’m saying is, not everyone who chooses an 11 is necessarily just using it casually. It’s still a pro, and can still handle tasks the 12.9 can, albeit maybe with size limitations on some things. It seems like for people who need the power of the pro, but want the portability for their casual use, the 11 makes sense.

But sure, if you never need the heavy lifting, I can see why buying a pro is overkill, as is buying the pro phones, although an awful lot of people buy those. ;-p

What I meant by that post is we don't question people why they buy Acura, BMW or Lexus instead of Toyota, Honda, Ford, etc.

Why question folks buying the iPad Pro 11 instead of lower end models?

As expensive as iPads are, they're still a lot more affordable than luxury cars.

 

[jb1280]

Just picked up an 11”. Been using the 12.9” since 2018 and they really feel like two different classes of devices. Before that, it was using the 10.5” and old 12.9”.

It’s similar to using an iPad mini when it first came out in 2012 compared to iPad 2 or the “new iPad”.

My perspective is that if you enjoy using an iPad in portrait, get the 11. If you enjoy landscape, get the 12.9. This is despite aspect ratio.

Definitely keeping my 12.9 with magic keyboard. Debating whether or not to keep this one. The one thing I’m curious about is if iPadOS has better external display support and Microsoft updates Office to 13.4 support in a solid manner, the 11 hooked up as a desktop and highly portable could be super intriguing

 

[subjonas]

Some people do have an iPad for only casual use, ie. their productive needs are 100% fulfilled by other means. But even then, I agree they could simply want the best device for consumption, and who’s to judge.

My question is more— is 11” the best size for 100% casual use. Personally, I’ve never been a fan of the mid size iPads for either productive or casual use. I like more dedicated devices, and for casual use that would be the mini, but mini users seem to be in the minority. Maybe if there was a mini pro, more people would consider the mini.
(Also I should note- I only like watching movies and shows on my tv, so I don’t need a big screen iPad for casual consumption)

 

[rui no onna]

My question is more— is 11” the best size for 100% casual use. Personally, I’ve never been a fan of the mid size iPads for either productive or casual use. I like more dedicated devices, and for casual use that would be the mini, but mini users seem to be in the minority. Maybe if there was a mini pro, more people would consider the mini.

I doubt it. The best selling iPads are on the low end of the price spectrum. There will likely be more purchases with a design change but I don't think it's going to start outselling the mid-size models.

I have a mini 4 and even back when I first got it, it's my least used iPad. There was no honeymoon period whatsoever. Either the text was just a bit too small for my comfort or there's too little content displayed. Most comfy iPad for gaming, though.

I like dedicated devices as well but the iPad mini doesn't serve any of that for me at the moment. I've seen a number of users on MobileRead use the iPad mini as ereader but if I'm going lighter than mid-sized iPads, I prefer the sub-200g Kindle Paperwhite or Kobo Libra.

 

[ssledoux]

Some people do have an iPad for only casual use, ie. their productive needs are 100% fulfilled by other means. But even then, I agree they could simply want the best device for consumption, and who’s to judge.

My question is more— is 11” the best size for 100% casual use. Personally, I’ve never been a fan of the mid size iPads for either productive or casual use. I like more dedicated devices, and for casual use that would be the mini, but mini users seem to be in the minority. Maybe if there was a mini pro, more people would consider the mini.
(Also I should note- I only like watching movies and shows on my tv, so I don’t need a big screen iPad for casual consumption)

I can definitely see where you’re coming from, and it makes sense for those who want to or do own multiple devices. I am not the kind of user who can justify having a small iPad and a large iPad, or a pro and an iMac. I just don’t use any single device enough to justify it when I have several devices.

I sold my 11” pro months back because I had an iMac I needed to keep, and the pro was just not getting used enough to justify the cost. I had a 6th gen sitting here, so I sold the pro. Then, with some musical iPads going on with the grandkids, and trying to get them all onto devices with pencil support (a couple were still on 5th gens), I wound up with a mini 5, which I loved. Then I realized I was able to sell my iMac and go back to iPad as my only computing device, so I contemplated keeping the Mini and going with a 12.9, or selling the mini and getting an 11’.

Ultimately I chose to do the latter because I just couldn’t justify two iPads, even though the uses would be different. I knew I would want to use the pro in my lap for games, and not the mini, the pro to read, etc. I knew the mini would get pushed aside, and I knew the 12.9 would be too big to enjoy in certain situations (for me, personally). Plus I have a more minimalist mindset, so having one device that can do everything just fits my mentality I guess.

I realize many others would choose the opposite, but I’m really happy with my decision.

 

[subjonas]

I doubt it. The best selling iPads are on the low end of the price spectrum. There will likely be more purchases with a design change but I don't think it's going to start outselling the mid-size models.

I have a mini 4 and even back when I first got it, it's my least used iPad. There was no honeymoon period whatsoever. Either the text was just a bit too small for my comfort or there's too little content displayed. Most comfy iPad for gaming, though.

I like dedicated devices as well but the iPad mini doesn't serve any of that for me at the moment. I've seen a number of users on MobileRead use the iPad mini as ereader but if I'm going lighter than mid-sized iPads, I prefer the sub-200g Kindle Paperwhite or Kobo Libra.

You’re probably right that it’s not a huge group of people.

The mini definitely isn’t ideal for everyone’s consumption needs (eg. using as main device for video, comics, preferring e-ink, or even just plain not caring about having a small device that can be held one-handed comfortably for long periods). Although as far as text being too small vs. showing less text on the screen at once—for mostly text-based consumption I don’t find it that important to show a lot of text at once. Also the increase in scrolling caused by increase in text size doesn’t seem like too much of an issue, since it’s only a 1:1 relationship. So since text on this page is about 25% bigger on my 12.9” iPP than on my mini, if I matched the bigger text size I’d only have to scroll 25% more. I think this doesn’t bother me especially because I spend a lot more time reading than I do scrolling, so the slight increase of something I’m not doing constantly anyway makes the difference not too significant. If for some reason I was already scrolling more than I wanted to, or if I had to increase the text size by a lot, say 50% or more, then that would start to become a different story, I think.
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I can definitely see where you’re coming from, and it makes sense for those who want to or do own multiple devices. I am not the kind of user who can justify having a small iPad and a large iPad, or a pro and an iMac. I just don’t use any single device enough to justify it when I have several devices.

I sold my 11” pro months back because I had an iMac I needed to keep, and the pro was just not getting used enough to justify the cost. I had a 6th gen sitting here, so I sold the pro. Then, with some musical iPads going on with the grandkids, and trying to get them all onto devices with pencil support (a couple were still on 5th gens), I wound up with a mini 5, which I loved. Then I realized I was able to sell my iMac and go back to iPad as my only computing device, so I contemplated keeping the Mini and going with a 12.9, or selling the mini and getting an 11’.

Ultimately I chose to do the latter because I just couldn’t justify two iPads, even though the uses would be different. I knew I would want to use the pro in my lap for games, and not the mini, the pro to read, etc. I knew the mini would get pushed aside, and I knew the 12.9 would be too big to enjoy in certain situations (for me, personally). Plus I have a more minimalist mindset, so having one device that can do everything just fits my mentality I guess.

I realize many others would choose the opposite, but I’m really happy with my decision.

I actually didn’t even really mean having two iPads necessarily. I do use a 12.9 for productivity, but some people only use their Mac (or pc) for productivity, and just use the iPad as a consumption device. As an aside, I think since we’re in a time where an iPad can be interchangeable with a MacBook for a lot of people, it shouldn’t be too crazy to have two iPads, one for productivity and one for consumption. Or at least only as crazy as it is to have a MacBook for productivity and an iPad for consumption.

But back to what I was saying, I was just posing the question of whether the 11” is the best size for such a use case (consumption only). It definitely can be best if one uses it a lot for watching movie/shows or comics, basically more image-based type of consumption. That’s probably a lot of people, if not most, but if anyone is like me who really just needs to do text (or audio)-based consumption, it’s my opinion that those needs are served pretty much just as well on a small device, which then has the added huge benefit (to me) of being able to be held comfortably with one hand for long periods of time, as well as going places that larger iPads can’t go.

Again, not to say the mini is for everyone. Definitely not for people who want a productive device (with rare exceptions). You make a good point that how much one makes use of their dedicated device is a key factor. If I didn’t do a lot of text-based casual consumption, then I wouldn’t have the mini. Or if I didn’t have much need to be productive while very mobile, then I wouldn’t have the 12.9”, and would just make do with my bulky 15” MacBook Pro. Or if I did both, but just to less extremes than I do now, then I would probably get an iPad size in the middle. Like we all keep saying, it comes down to individual needs and preferences.

 

[rui no onna]

The mini definitely isn’t ideal for everyone’s consumption needs (eg. using as main device for video, comics, preferring e-ink, or even just plain not caring about having a small device that can be held one-handed comfortably for long periods). Although as far as text being too small vs. showing less text on the screen at once—for mostly text-based consumption I don’t find it that important to show a lot of text at once. Also the increase in scrolling caused by increase in text size doesn’t seem like too much of an issue, since it’s only a 1:1 relationship. So since text on this page is about 25% bigger on my 12.9” iPP than on my mini, if I matched the bigger text size I’d only have to scroll 25% more. I think this doesn’t bother me especially because I spend a lot more time reading than I do scrolling, so the slight increase of something I’m not doing constantly anyway makes the difference not too significant. If for some reason I was already scrolling more than I wanted to, or if I had to increase the text size by a lot, say 50% or more, then that would start to become a different story, I think.

I think you probably have much better eyesight than I do. To me, going from 9.7" to 7.9" already requires 20-25% adjustment in font size. I use my iPads in landscape so even on 9.7", there's more scrolling on websites than I'd like already. I prefer pagination to scrolling and I find reading in 2-column lansdcape mode with my favorite ereader app on mid-size iPads is pretty perfect.

Also, in my case, 300g is still too heavy for single-handed use (RSI). Even the Kindle PW3 (205g) is stretching it comfort-wise. All my purses fit mid-sized iPads just as well as the iPad mini so the mini doesn't really give me any benefits over the mid-size iPads.

Going by my large extended family, the ones who have good eyesight are content to stick to their smartphones. Those with not so good eyesight prefer mid-size iPads or even bigger. The only small tablets I see are Amazon Fire but I expect that's more because it's ~$50 ($25-35 on sale) rather than because it's small.