All iPads Anyone went from Mini to larger iPad? Do you regret it?

[gdourado]

Hello,

Currently I have an iPad mini 5.
I bought in 2019 when it launched. Previously I had a mini 4 and the upgrade to the 5 was great at the time.
Now in 2022 I am thinking about upgrading.
The reasons are that battery life on my 5 is not as good as it used to be and I am finding more and more frequent app reloads and page reloads, probably due to the RAM not being enough anymore.
But another thing is also the size.
For me the mini 5 has been great due to its size for thumb typing and the weight to read while holding it one hand.
But also, as I am approaching 40, my eyesight is not what it used to be and sometimes I am finding the screen to small and it starts to be a bit uncomfortable at times to read.

So part of me wants to go for the M1 Pro, for the M1 Soc, 8gb of ram, Pro Motion, 4 speakers and Face ID.

But the other part of me is afraid the size and weight might be too much to handle.
Too heavy to hold one handed to read on the couch or on the go. Probably would need to be supported on the lap, making the viewing distance bigger and so probably negating the added screen size benefits.
Also, might be too wide for thumb typing.

So I am looking for examples of people here that went from a mini to a larger size Pro or Air.
Do you like it? Regret it? Was it worth it?

Thanks for sharing.
Best regards!

 

[*~Kim~*]

I upgraded the 5 to the 6 about a week after launch. Despite originally wishing that they had kept the original footprint and gone to 8.5” or something instead of shrinking it, it feels nicer to hold. It reloads less, but if I still had my 5 now, I’d be getting the Air 5 unless I could get the Mini 6 at a nice discount. It’s the 8GB RAM that makes me think I’m not going to enjoy this Mini 6 a year or so down the line, and that other forum users were right in thinking that Apple isn’t really interested in the Mini or its users. The RAM’s doubled and at the Mini 6 launch, while we knew it was now alternate years, it felt like there would be no chance of the Air getting an M chip and even 6GB RAM was far from certain.

I will be gifting an Air soon so I will be able to see what I think of the size before my next upgrade. Do you know anyone with an Air 4 or who is ordering the Air 5 so that you might be able to have a bit more of a play around than you would do in a store?

 

[Richard8655]

Yes, the size issue is understandable. I also have a Mini 5 and often yearn for easier reading with my larger iPad. But the light weight and portable size of the Mini 5 can't be beat. I now use it more for travel on public transportation or when out and about. So I decided to keep both - a larger iPad for home use and the Mini for easy portability when out. I don't notice page reloads much, though.

 

[sonictonic]

I had the 2018 iPad Pro 11” for three years, loved it, then upgraded to the 2021 iPad Pro 12.9” ONLY because of the mini LED screen. Honestly, after using it and the newness wore off, I didn’t like it. It’s so big, and so clunky, and I ended up keeping it in stands/folios because holding it to read or whatever became uncomfortable very fast. So last week, I actually decided to go the exact other direction and give in the cuteness of the latest iPad mini. I want to read on it and browse the web and watch YouTube and Twitch, lol. Honestly, I’m in love with this little thing. And since it’s so portable unlike my 12.9 which was mostly a PITA to lug around, I feel like I’m gonna get so much more use out of this mini not even just to consume media, but to take notes too. The 12.9 was a mistake lol. If only the 11” had the same screen I probably woulda been happy with that, but between the 12.9 and the mini? The mini is it for me.

 

[estabya]

I was an iPad mini user for years but ended up getting the first iPad Pro 11" because it's USB-C port made it useful for me as a tool at work. Instead of updating my iPad Pro last year, I opted for the new iPad mini, which I now use alongside my iPad Pro with Magic Keyboard.

I use the iPad Pro to do writing and schoolwork (I recently abandoned my career in IT to pursue a different path), but for anything else I reach for the mini. It's the perfect size and weight to use in bed, on the couch, on the light rail, or on the exercise bike. If I had to choose only one, it would definitely be the mini.

 

[Dfds]

I went from an iPad mini 2 to a iPad Pro 11” & yes it’s bigger & heavier but I can hold it one handed & I really appreciate the extra screen space together with pro motion. The speed & ram of the M1 means it should last me a long time. Regarding your point about text size you will appreciate being able to expand web pages etc on the larger screen, I know I do as my eyesight isn’t what it was, I’m in my late 50’s by the way.

 

[GMShadow]

My iPad path has been:
Air (Bought when released, sold in 2017)
Pro 10.5 (work, returned in 2020)
12.9 2nd gen Pro (returned due to hardware defect)
Mini 5 (sold in 2021)
Pro 12.9 4th Gen (still have)
Mini 6 (bought in Feb)

So, I didn't really regret getting rid of my Mini 5 - it felt a bit old compared to my 12.9 Pro, and I was glad to get back to more screen real estate.

But there's times when I want something small to just throw in a bag or hold on the couch, and that's where the Mini excels. The 6 is a nice advance for the form factor overall, and being able to easily swap my Pencil between the two iPads makes it more convenient than having both generations of Pencil.

It also makes it easier for me to leave the 12.9 in the Magic Keyboard.


If you can't have both, though, one of the 11" models may be a good middle ground, and I may go that route eventually.