iPad mini Ipad Mini 7: what storage did you choose?

[ctjack]

I am torn between 128 GB and 256 GB. My 15 Pro has optimized icloud and sits at 70 GB used. My icloud media is 160GB so not like 256GB of any help should i decide to store locally. Even then 256GB when storing locally will be full and then the jump to 512GB is needed and so on forever - never ending loop. I never had an ipad so who knows how the cards will play out.

 

[Apple_Robert]

I think you should get the 128 model. No need to overthink the obvious, especially when you don’t need to store everything on the mini.

 

[rui no onna]

Depends on what you use the iPad for. Mostly streaming and web-based stuff, 128GB is fine. If you download large apps (particularly games) and a bunch of movies and TV series, even 512GB may not be enough.

I don't always have fast internet (or even internet at all) so I'm planning on 512GB. That way, I can store a fairly large collection of manga/comics and still have spare room for the odd movie or series.

 

[FreakinEurekan]

I had planned on 256 since that was the “other option” and 64GB was waaaay to small on my mini 6. Was pleasantly surprised to see the 128GB base now, but still wanted more. Waffled back & forth a bit, then chose the 512. I’m using it as an “electronic flight bag” in a small airplane, and this way I can just have it download the whole country & not have to worry about it.

 

[ctjack]

Depends on what you use the iPad for. Mostly streaming and web-based stuff, 128GB is fine. If you download large apps (particularly games) and a bunch of movies and TV series, even 512GB may not be enough.

I don't always have fast internet (or even internet at all) so I'm planning on 512GB. That way, I can store a fairly large collection of manga/comics and still have spare room for the odd movie or series.

that is me! I think this choice and $$$ crippled me into downsizing. I no longer know who I am.

Back in the day of measly windows laptops with 128GB and 64GB macbooks, I had a dell and swapped out the cd-rom with another hdd for a total of 2 TB of usable space back in 2011. I had all my manga and anime stored in hi-res locally.

Since then I became apple convert and was scraping by 16,32,64 gb iphones and 128gb macs while holding my 2TB past as an external drives.

I almost feel like a bird raised among penguins - who knows how far/high i can fly with an ipad.

 

[ctjack]

I can just have it download the whole country & not have to worry about it.

this a great point! I love maps me app and it has the whole US sectioned by states. Having them all at once locally offline is such a luxury given the size but it is a nice hiking map with all hidden trails.

 

[Moukee]

Went with 256 GB, based off of what I currently use on my iPad Pro (about 110 GB used, and that includes Divinity 2 with >30 GB). Maps and music for offline listening is already on my iPhone, and large amounts of free storage for recorded videos prior to uploading to iCloud is also an iPhone thing, where I went with 1 TB. Figured I'd save the 250,-€ upgrade pricing with the mini.

 

[rui no onna]

Back in the day of measly windows laptops with 128GB and 64GB macbooks, I had a dell and swapped out the cd-rom with another hdd for a total of 2 TB of usable space back in 2011. I had all my manga and anime stored in hi-res locally.

I’ve been upgrading my anime collection from DVD to Blu-ray as they become available. Alas, I haven’t been able to rip most of my Blu-rays as I’ve already run out of space on the 20TB NAS. Admittedly, I’ve been too lazy to do any ripping as well.

Since then I became apple convert and was scraping by 16,32,64 gb iphones and 128gb macs while holding my 2TB past as an external drives.

The one time I went with a base 16GB OG iPad Air, I constantly wanted to throw it on the wall due to all the out of space messages when trying to update apps. Forget OTA updates. I had to do all firmware updates via iTunes due to lack of free space.

The only data I had stored locally was ~500MB worth of ebooks. Everything else was just system data and apps+app data. iCloud Photos was completely disabled on the OG Air since there’s simply no space even with optimize.

I had always gone for top storage prior to the OG Air and that mistake made me decide to never skimp on storage again.

 

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

I wasn't sure.

512, to accomodate all my iCloud photos (±200GB) was tempting.

But, on the other hand, I only use ±60GB of 256 on my iPhone 15 pro.

Also, I haven't really used my iPad mini 4 since before Covid hit, so I'm not 100% sure how it will fit into my current usage pattern:
* I want to read more magazines and graphic novels.
* The iPad mini has also always been my travel companion, and only this year we got back to "normal" travelling after Covid (and some other stuff).

So - in the end - I got the baseline 128 GB, wifi only (all my previous ones have been cellular).

If the iPad becomes a success again, and I feel the constraints of the baseline, I'll just upgrade later (maybe just in time for the 8th gen?).

 

[ofarlig]

I got 256GB just so I can load it with movies and stuff for travel even though that doesn’t happen that often. Having some apps/games and just the OS takes a decent chunk today so 128GB wouldn’t fit that much content.

 

[dumastudetto]

The upgrade pricing on the storage options is really good this year so I went with the 512GB. I can't see a reason not to max it out.

 

[Fraserpatty]

I’d like to have my movies downloaded on my device, so I went with 512. I’d rather have too much storage than not enough. Anyway, the iPad mini is just a device to help take some of the load off of the battery life of my M2 iPad Pro. And the difference is I will be taking the mini out of the house and using it when I go to appointments, etc. The Pro stays at home.

 

[gsmornot]

I was away from the house when I ordered and could not remember what size my iPad Pro was so I matched the size of my iPhone 15 Pro Max. I don't think I need 256 on the mini but it's what I'm getting. I normally go with whatever is the entry level storage. If I replace my iPad Pro, the base is 256 so might as well have them all the same. Looked when I got home, current iPad Pro is 128 and I have plenty of space since 550GB of photos and videos live in the cloud.

 

[Greenmeenie]

I am definitely upgrading my iPad mini 5 to the iPad mini 7. I’m an artist, and even tho my iPad Pro is my main content creation device, I always grab my iPad mini when I want to travel light. It’s the perfect size digital sketchbook when on the go. I plan to get the cellular iPad mini 7 in blue. I just have to decide btwn the 256 & 512 gb models. 🤔 My iPad mini 5 is 256gb And not maxed out yet. But the 512 gb capacity is tempting. I’d be able to store more complex artwork on it as well as 4k videos. Having said that if I go with 256 gigs, I save money & can use icloud or external hds if i ever run out of room in the future.

 

[Gengar]

256 GB. I already have a 512 GB iPad Pro M2 (11-inch), and I'm not even halfway to filling that up (mostly because I store pictures and videos on my iPhone, and just use iCloud on my iPads).

 

[ctjack]

256 GB. I already have a 512 GB iPad Pro M2 (11-inch), and I'm not even halfway to filling that up (mostly because I store pictures and videos on my iPhone, and just use iCloud on my iPads).

So just to recap: i had 72 used out of 128 on my iphone, but i felt i am holding myself back a little bit because of storage anxiety and no time to doom scroll.

But I can't be deciding such a major purchase out of the blue and provisioning that i will use 256gb because well I have a new shiny ipad if i am not able to use up that space on my iphone.

So cards aligned well and my apple music kicked me out and had troubles downloading the music for offline usage - my office has bad reception. So i went nuts and downloaded all my music from ssd directly to iphone worth of 10GB. The same day doom scrolled telegram videos and now my phone sits at 100GB and i did not even get started on offline movies/shows. Of course telegram cache can be cleaned, but who am i to go there each day to do that exercise when the thing just should work.

All in all proved the point for myself that 256Gb is the sweet spot, cause i can't live with mini ipad having 100GB out of 128GB used up day 1.

 

[*~Kim~*]

If you find that you need more storage, USB-C allows external devices to be used. Obviously not as convenient as having the local storage, and with its limitations in that some things can only be stored on the iPad, but at least it’s an option that wasn’t there with the Mini 5 or earlier.

 

[Beyonder88]

128gb is enough. No point since it is the same design.

 

[rulymammoth]

128gb is enough for me. It's always been enough for me.

 

[Gengar]

So just to recap: i had 72 used out of 128 on my iphone, but i felt i am holding myself back a little bit because of storage anxiety and no time to doom scroll.

But I can't be deciding such a major purchase out of the blue and provisioning that i will use 256gb because well I have a new shiny ipad if i am not able to use up that space on my iphone.

So cards aligned well and my apple music kicked me out and had troubles downloading the music for offline usage - my office has bad reception. So i went nuts and downloaded all my music from ssd directly to iphone worth of 10GB. The same day doom scrolled telegram videos and now my phone sits at 100GB and i did not even get started on offline movies/shows. Of course telegram cache can be cleaned, but who am i to go there each day to do that exercise when the thing just should work.

All in all proved the point for myself that 256Gb is the sweet spot, cause i can't live with mini ipad having 100GB out of 128GB used up day 1.

Yeah. I also like to download movies and tv shows to watch while on planes or on the road, so more storage is always a plus.

 

[goodthymes]

128GB. Plenty for me since I use it mostly for epub and sometime imgur doom scrolling. Already spent 2 hours reading on it while waiting for an unplanned urgent vet office visit - was purrfet - haha.

 

[ctjack]

128GB. Plenty for me since I use it mostly for epub and sometime imgur doom scrolling. Already spent 2 hours reading on it while waiting for an unplanned urgent vet office visit - was purrfet - haha.

So i took a look and icloud doing its’ thing. I am at 90gb. Can shave 10gb by autocleaning the telegram cache, so will be 80.

And realistically 40gb is enough for my travel movies. Also iphone offers to offload 18gb of unused apps - i am an app hoarder even though doesn’t look like i have unneeded things: one time on 64gb iphone i had no uber/lyft installed(it offloaded itself) and 20 minutes before work near my car mechanic was no fun with bad reception.

 

[Biro]

I have always followed the dictum that if one isn’t sure they need more storage, then they don’t. It’s always worked for me. 128GB is fine. YMMV.

 

[MM07]

128GB for me. Perfect amount. Just picked it up today.

 

[rui no onna]

I have always followed the dictum that if one isn’t sure they need more storage, then they don’t. It’s always worked for me. 128GB is fine. YMMV.

True. Usually, if you need more storage, you know it.

That said, there are times iOS updates render “enough” storage to become too little (e.g. 32GB iPad 9 updated to iPadOS 17 & 18).