2nd Tablet: iPad Mini 4 or New iPad 9.7"?

[mossme89]

To put it bluntly, an iPad doesn't complement an iPad. If you're looking for a second tablet, I'd look into a refurbished or use surface pro, that way you can have an x86 processor to run applications that would need it.

But if you have your heart set in a smartphone os tablet, I'd say to get a Galaxy Tab S2 or S3. Cheap and easy

 

[Leo90]

Go for iPad 2017, it has much better processor hence better longevity for a lower price.

 

[Haserath]

I've been using an iPad 4 and nexus 7 2013 combination for a couple years. The only major downside to the smaller screen was typing being more difficult. I really liked the nexus for on the go because it was just small enough width wise to fit in a pocket with a little wiggle room; I could also comfortably grip it with one hand and I have average size hands. The extra 20mm from the mini would probably lose both those uses.

I would go for the 9.7 ipad especially if you dont need the storage. Im thinking about getting one myself since my 4's battery is shot.

 

[sracer]

I've been using an iPad 4 and nexus 7 2013 combination for a couple years. The only major downside to the smaller screen was typing being more difficult. I really liked the nexus for on the go because it was just small enough width wise to fit in a pocket with a little wiggle room; I could also comfortably grip it with one hand and I have average size hands. The extra 20mm from the mini would probably lose both those uses.

I would go for the 9.7 ipad especially if you dont need the storage. Im thinking about getting one myself since my 4's battery is shot.

I had my mind set on hr iPad mini 4 last week due to the price drop. Went to Best Buy to check it out, and I felt that it was a bit too small. The new iPad was on display right next to it, and it felt perfect. The Pro was there too, but I felt like the size was too big.

So... new iPad it is! And I'm very impressed with it so far. Love the look and feel of it. And I feel like the screen complaints are incredibly nitpicky. It looks great. I only noticed the color difference when comparing theme side by side. And the laminating thing... I had no idea until after reading about it. It's not noticeable to me in any way, especially any way that would affect my usage.

If you like the price, the new iPad is amazing. I highly recommend going to a store to look at them in person to decide which one you prefer most.

Do you both own a 12.9" iPad Pro in addition to the 9.7 iPads? If not then you are coming from a different perspective.

 

[cobracnvt]

Tablets are personal device, so I believe it depends your personal situation. How big of a screen do you need to comfortably read, your budget, and what you intend to use this second iPad for. Personally, I went with the larger iPhone to handle the situation you talk about.

I would recommend against a second iPad as it's one more device to charge, update, install apps and synch data to, not lose or break, lose money on depreciation, etc.

I also have a cheap Kindle Paperwhite that I use for reading at night as it's almost always charged, as the battery lasts a really long time. It allows me to focus on reading since it doesn't do anything else, make any noise or have distracting notifications pop-up.

 

[Haserath]

Do you both own a 12.9" iPad Pro in addition to the 9.7 iPads? If not then you are coming from a different perspective.

No, but I do use a windows 2-in-1 that is similar in size to the pro and even in tablet mode I dont like the extra size as a tablet. I can understand certain uses for the big pro but unless drawing or using for 'pro'ductivity, I don't like it.

I think the 10" form factor strikes a good balance of ease of use(specfically while holding it) and screen size.

 

[sracer]

No, but I do use a windows 2-in-1 that is similar in size to the pro and even in tablet mode I dont like the extra size as a tablet. I can understand certain uses for the big pro but unless drawing or using for 'pro'ductivity, I don't like it.

I think the 10" form factor strikes a good balance of ease of use(specfically while holding it) and screen size.

(and this is why I asked the question)
Sorry, but Windows 2-in-1 is not comparable in capabilities or experiences. Windows, Android, and iOS tablets all provide different experiences given a similar form factor. There are enough differences in personal user experience that adding different OSes into the mix simply makes it more difficult to compare.

 

[kevink2]

I can slide my mini 4 in my pants pocket. The previous 9.7" units I could not. +1 for that. +1 for reading ebooks, size better than the 9.7".

-1 for reading magazines on the mini. Probably -2 compared to the 12.9", which I've never used

My mini has an intermittent problem now where the on screen sensitivity goes bad. Hard to type messages when you randomly get doubled up keys, or non responsive. I'm going to take it into an apple store, see whether it can be repaired. Screen repairs are apparently $300. If can't repair, then I may consider trying a 9.7" myself again. My phone is the + model.

 

[Cosmo M3]

I was in the same boat with my 12.9 inch iPad Pro 128GB/LTE. I wanted to picked up another iPad Mini 4 Wi-Fi, but for the money, the new 2017 iPad 32GB Wi-Fi is a better buy. I picked up the new 2017 iPad a few days ago and it now stays home on my nightstand as my "go-to" home tablet.

 

[Table Top Joe]

I've just received my mini 4 to go along with my 12.9 today actually, its fantastic, it's far more portable than the 9.7, easily fits in my pocket, far better to read on in terms of size and comfort than the 9.7 too(I had an air 2 before the iPad Pro 12.9).....it's obviously all personal but I feel a 9.7 would be a little redundant with a 12.9, if I'm at home I'm gonna want the bigger screen and if I'm travelling id need something to carry the 9.7 in anyway and if I'm going to go to the bother of carrying an iPad why not carry the bigger one? .....if I'm just travelling light of course there's the option of throwing the mini into my pocket off I go


The pro took me a few days to love but I'm loving the mini already, I was thinking I'd try it out and return it if I didn't like it that much (in fairness, I don't really need a second iPad) but it's wonderful, no way I'm returning this

That's my 2 cents anyway!

 

[rui no onna]

Thanks for proving my point No two users will have the same experience, based on what they use their iPad for. Either way, technical specifications is exactly that. There are to many variations based on a users settings and preferences on how they choose to use it. Either way, both iPads are rated accordingly.

With similar usage at the same settings (particularly display brightness), I've found the 2017 iPad to have better battery life compared to the Air 2 or Pro 9.7.

Apple rates battery life on iPads pretty conservatively. I don't think they've gone any higher than 10 hours in the specs sheet. Quite likely, because 10 hours is already a very respectable number. Another thing, if they decrease battery capacity in order to reduce weight/thickness, you'll have less people noticing and complaining about battery life going from 14 hours to just 10 hours.
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I've just received my mini 4 to go along with my 12.9 today actually, its fantastic, it's far more portable than the 9.7, easily fits in my pocket, far better to read on in terms of size and comfort than the 9.7 too(I had an air 2 before the iPad Pro 12.9).....it's obviously all personal but I feel a 9.7 would be a little redundant with a 12.9, if I'm at home I'm gonna want the bigger screen and if I'm travelling id need something to carry the 9.7 in anyway and if I'm going to go to the bother of carrying an iPad why not carry the bigger one? .....if I'm just travelling light of course there's the option of throwing the mini into my pocket off I go

Guess that depends on your situation. Both 7.9 and 9.7 tablets fit inside my purse so aside from weight, there's no practical difference between the two for me. I can't fit a 5.5 iPhone in my pocket let alone an iPad.

 

[44267547]

With similar usage at the same settings (particularly display brightness), I've found the 2017 iPad to have better battery life compared to the Air 2 or Pro 9.7.

Apple rates battery life on iPads pretty conservatively. I don't think they've gone any higher than 10 hours in the specs sheet. Quite likely, because 10 hours is already a very respectable number. Another thing, if they decrease battery capacity in order to reduce weight/thickness, you'll have less people noticing and complaining about battery life going from 14 hours to just 10 hours.

I agree with this. And to the fact, the New 9.7 iPad has a 32.4 Watt battery compared to the 27.3 Watt Battery in the Air 2. I think when you factor settings, application usage, and how one uses the iPad for media, battery life can be difficult to measure, especially being everyone uses it differently.

 

[RickTaylor]

If you do get a mini 4, I'd recommend considering getting one with LTE. They're great as a GPS, showing a larger map than a phone, but still compact and easy to carry around.

 

[kjvmartin]

For my kid at age 3, the Mini 4 is great. Pop a $10 case from Amazon on it, goes with us in the car everywhere just in case. She has autism and it's a great tool for calming a meltdown. The Mini 4 fits well in a jam packed diaper bag or my wife's purse. We got two on sale for $249 each at Best Buy a while ago. It's also our "sound machine" for white noise during naps.

For me, personally, iPad mini 4 not snappy enough to use for anything other than viewing videos. My cutoff is apparently the A9 chip in terms of usability.

I can pre-load Netflix or iTunes and hit the elliptical for an hour, sure. On the other hand, the 9.7 or 10.5 does that even better.

 

[Shanghaichica]

I’ve just bought a mini 4 as my second tablet. I already have a 10.5 iPad Pro. My mini is for commuting. It will mainly be used as a video player so the A8 chip won’t be a problem. I like the compact size of the mini. I’ve had all three previous generations of the mini.

 

[DoubleFlyaway]

I have a 12.9 and an Air 2. I often use them in tandem... video conferencing and white boarding on the big one and using the “small” one as a replacement for books and papers. I love this setup! The mini is too small to me... it doesn’t add much of anything to me over using my 8 plus phone. The 9.7 is the sweet medium spot.

 

[subjonas]

Another possible factor is the size of your phone. If you have a large phablet, then the 9.7 might be a better middle ground between the phone and the 12.9. If you have a small phone, then the mini 4 might be a better middle ground (if middle ground is what you’re looking for).

I have a 12.9 and an SE. And while my mini 4 does split the difference well, my main purpose for the device is more to just have something a bit bigger than my SE for when I’m at home or when I’m e-reading for long periods. And for that I’d actually prefer something a little smaller than the mini so that I can easily grasp it in one hand and fit it in a back pants pocket. Yeah so everything is very subjective.

 

[Shanghaichica]

Another possible factor is the size of your phone. If you have a large phablet, then the 9.7 might be a better middle ground between the phone and the 12.9. If you have a small phone, then the mini 4 might be a better middle ground (if middle ground is what you’re looking for).

I have a 12.9 and an SE. And while my mini 4 does split the difference well, my main purpose for the device is more to just have something a bit bigger than my SE for when I’m at home or when I’m e-reading for long periods. And for that I’d actually prefer something a little smaller than the mini so that I can easily grasp it in one hand and fit it in a back pants pocket. Yeah so everything is very subjective.

I agree about the size of your phone being a factor. I have been thinking of getting an iPad mini again for almost 2 years but I’d been using the plus sized iPhones and at that time I had a 9.7 inch iPad. This year I switched to the 10.5 inch iPad Pro and I just downsized from the 7 plus to the iPhone X. A mini makes more sense now and hence why I’ve bought one.

 

[subjonas]

I really liked the nexus for on the go because it was just small enough width wise to fit in a pocket with a little wiggle room; I could also comfortably grip it with one hand and I have average size hands. The extra 20mm from the mini would probably lose both those uses.

I can’t tell you how much I wish Apple made a device the same width as the nexus 7. That thing felt so comfortable to hold, I could read on it for hours without any hand fatigue.

I can slide my mini 4 in my pants pocket.

Really?? Either you are a big person or you are only referring to sweat pants and basketball shorts. The mini is a good inch too wide to fit into any of my other pants’ pockets.

easily fits in my pocket

I assume you mean jacket pocket? Sadly it’s hot where I live so I don’t usually have that option.