So, I picked up a Mini 4 yesterday as part of the Best Buy sale to replace a Mini 2. The Mini 2 is on iOS9 and is in perfect condition, but as you would imagine it's getting a little pokey with certain websites and tasks. The Mini 4 seems like a pretty straightforward swap that, after selling the Mini 2, will probably be less than $200 to me. It's a very low-cost move. For reference, I also own an iPhone 6S.
After a few hours of work it's now set up to my liking and I've been using it normally. Is it better?.....yeah, I guess. It's slightly faster for certain things and doesn't refresh pages/programs as often when switching around. Touch ID is nice to have, but going back to the 1st generation of this technology is a letdown. The color accuracy of the screen is better, but it didn't really bother me on the Mini 2. It's slightly lighter, again, a non-issue for me.
In reality, it feels like 3 year old tech, which it is. It's less slow...but still kind of slow. It lags in spots that a brand new device just shouldn't, in my opinion. The A8 really isn't much faster and feels like it will struggle with iOS11. The current jump from the Mini 2 is, in my opinion, quite underwhelming.
This bothers me most because: A) I've used my wife's Air 2 extensively and vastly prefer the Mini size, and B) Despite how cheap this upgrade is, I am willing and able to pay significantly more to get a better product in this size. Apple is attempting to force a changeover to the 9.7" size and I'm not interested. With money as no object, I am using the fastest and best iPad Mini available and it's still kind of slow.
I don't play graphic-intensive games, I don't use an iPad for productivity, and I wouldn't choose to multitask on this small screen. All I'm asking for is a handheld couch web browser with up-to-date specs in 2017. Something that doesn't disappoint compared to a nearly 2 year old iPhone. What the Mini 2 was when it came out, basically. Is this so difficult?
I'm aware that I'm far from the first person on this forum to rant about this topic. Experiencing this gap in the market first-hand, even after reading about it extensively, is still frustrating. It's an absolute shame to see a well-loved product line disappear for no apparent reason. There's a good chance the Mini 4 goes back because I'm not sure it's even worth the sub-$200 cost to switch.
Apple, if you're reading this, please update your product so you can take (and keep) more of my money. Rant over.