iPad mini iPad mini worth it

[Blake123abc]

Hi,

I’m trying to decide if I should buy an IPad mini 6th gen or not. I currently have an iPhone 12 Pro, an iMac and a work laptop. I would mostly use the iPad for light tasks such as watching YouTube videos, browsing the web and budgeting apps, etc. I like the idea of having a bigger screen than my iPhone for those light tasks, however is it worth 400.00?

Thank you

 

[rui no onna]

This is pretty subjective. The best way to know is to try it out yourself (and return if it doesn’t meet your needs).

Personally, I find iPhone screens (even Pro Max) way too small so the iPad mini is definitely worth it for me. I even got the cellular model so the iPad is not dependent on my phone for internet. And since I always have the iPad in my purse, I can downsize to an iPhone SE3 for easier pocket-ability and single handed use.

The combined cost of my iPhone SE3 128GB (Walmart $250, iirc) + iPad mini 6 256GB ($800) is slightly cheaper than an iPhone Pro Max 128GB.

 

[sparksd]

It is for me. I have a 14 Pro Max, M1 12.9 & cellular Mini 6. The Mini is that middle device that is great for around the house and on the go. I use it primarily for reading ebooks, some video watching, browsing, and email.

 

[The Game 161]

for me yes

perfect portable tablet.

 

[spiderman0616]

I love my mini 6 and was just commenting in another thread that I often plug it into my LG UltraFine monitor and use it with all my Mac peripherals like a quick little desktop computer. Most versatile iPad I've ever owned.

 

[eifelbube]

This is pretty subjective. The best way to know is to try it out yourself (and return if it doesn’t meet your needs).

Personally, I find iPhone screens (even Pro Max) way too small so the iPad mini is definitely worth it for me. I even got the cellular model so the iPad is not dependent on my phone for internet. And since I always have the iPad in my purse, I can downsize to an iPhone SE3 for easier pocket-ability and single handed use.

The combined cost of my iPhone SE3 128GB (Walmart $250, iirc) + iPad mini 6 256GB ($800) is slightly cheaper than an iPhone Pro Max 128GB.

For iPad mini not to depend on your iPhone for internet, I assume you chose to buy the monthly extra $$ cellular plan from your provider?

 

[rui no onna]

For iPad mini not to depend on your iPhone for internet, I assume you chose to buy the monthly extra $$ cellular plan from your provider?

$20 per month for unlimited data. I use like 50GB/mo on iPad so it’s worth it to me for always on internet.

Having a “failed to turn on personal hotspot” message at the most inopportune times is mighty frustrating.

 

[ct2k7]

In the UK, the price of a mini is more than that of iPad 10th gen. Not entirely sure why, but it doesn’t seem like the best buy, with the same 64GB storage.

 

[Zmmyt]

The Mini is by far my favourite device. I don’t even have a computer any longer.

 

[The Game 161]

In the UK, the price of a mini is more than that of iPad 10th gen. Not entirely sure why, but it doesn’t seem like the best buy, with the same 64GB storage.

yeah here price is just high on all apple products now. I picked my mini 6 for £499 but brand new same model was a good £200 more expensive

 

[sailingHobbit]

I am also torn between getting an refurbished iPad mini now, waiting for the new model and hopefully a reversal of the price hike (Apple raised the iPad mini 256 GB price from 719€ to 849€ with the introduction of the 10th gen iPad) or getting a refurbished iPad Pro 11".
For me the current mini has a seriously bad value at Apple charging price. I don't need 256 GB but 64 GB is not enough and there is no 128 GB option. In Germany a refurbished 128 GB iPad Pro M1 11" costs 749€ while the refurbished 256 GB iPad mini is 719€.
While I would prefer FaceID over TouchID, the size of the mini is just way more appealing.

Also when I look at the US pricing, it makes way more sense (the refurb 11" M1 with 128 GB is $639 while the refurb mini 6 with 256 GB is $549).
Just for comparison: if I buy a refurb 256 GB iPad mini in the US with 8% sales tax and pay the additional import taxes in Germany (19%), it would still be ~640€ instead of the 719€ charged by Apple.

So in conclusion: right now buying an iPad mini 6 in Germany is totally not worth it as Apple has not adjusted the price to the changed Euro<>Dollar exchange rate. With the prices in the US I'd totally get one.

 

[RobM_]

I'm in the process of swapping my iPad Pro 11" for a Mini 6. There's no doubt the Pro is 'better' in many ways, but my use case has changed. My Pro was always used for a combination of personal use (reading the news, flicking through websites, basic consumption) and work (Teams calls, email, note taking). The work tasks have now gone away, so I'm left with a large and not-lightweight device to try and relax and consume content on.

The Mini will be perfect for this. It's meaningfully bigger than my iPhone 14 Pro, yet light and compact enough to hold one-handed comfortably for an extended period.

The morale of the story is buy for your use case more than on-paper specs. We're at the stage where every iPad has way more performance than most people need, so there are no bad options in that regard, so buy the right product for the way you want to use it. For me, that means I'll gladly sacrifice specification for comfort and convenience.

 

[muzzy996]

We're at the stage where every iPad has way more performance than most people need, so there are no bad options in that regard, so buy the right product for the way you want to use it. For me, that means I'll gladly sacrifice specification for comfort and convenience.

Totally agree with this. The pandemic changed my use case where I no longer needed my 2nd gen iPP 12.9 for work related use and after dozens of times putting various models of iPad Pro and Air into an online shopping cart it wasn't until a friend offered to sell me her hardly used cellular mini 6 that I made a switch.

We each have our own use cases so if the screen size fits your intended use then by all means try it out and return it if it doesn't fit your needs.

 

[StaceyMJ86]

It all depends if it’s worth it for you. You can order it and use it during the return period and if it doesn’t fit your qualifications. I have the 14 Pro Max, mini 6 and pro 12.9, and I love the Mini 6 for its portability. It’s the perfect device to type on 2 handed, read my books from my kindle app, and browse social media or the web. I use it to view my medical records, since I can see more on the mini 6 screen vs the Pro Max. My Pro 12.9 is my laptop replacement, so my use case for that is different than the mini 6 and Pro Max.

 

[FreakinEurekan]

To each their own, of course. Our experiences won’t make an iPad mini any more or less useful to you. That said - I have a 12.9” iPad with Magic Keyboard that is my primary portable “computer” (also have a Mac mini and a 16” MacBook Pro if I really NEED macOS). I also have an iPad mini… I go back & forth between lugging around the 12.9” or using the mini. But I do love the small size, particularly for books. So I’m glad I have both of them; in my mind an 11” would just be too big for some purposes and too small for others. This gives me the best of both worlds but of course the trade-off is that it cost more.

 

[emembee]

Problem is having to maintain more than one iPad if you go that route. I don’t honestly see the 11 inch or air as that much of a strain if used with a light case. Also if using a pencil with mini , it takes up the whole of 1 side, just seems a bit insecure. I do like the mini format, have a 5, but hardly use due to keeping all the stuff in sync, too much of a headache. Prefer just 1 device and the 11 for me is the most versatile.

 

[sublunar]

In the UK, the price of a mini is more than that of iPad 10th gen. Not entirely sure why, but it doesn’t seem like the best buy, with the same 64GB storage.

Brexit and subsequent exchange rate crash pushed all Apple products up in price. If size were not an issue there’s still M1 iPad Pros around at pre price bump prices at third party retailers - even Apple have started doing refurbished models. the ipad mini is a popular size though.

i wouldn’t have minded an iPad mini, size seems ideal as current ipad Pros may seem a bit too big for Casual users.

current prices for the iPad mini in the uk are ridiculously high now and you only get discounts on the ordinary iPads right now. I got a much bigger iPad Pro model for less than a well appointed mini 6 (or an air for that matter) And the mini is less well specified than either.

got to say a 12.9 iPad is a lot less luggable than an 11, such a pity that a mini 6 has a higher price than it used to.

 

[rui no onna]

Problem is having to maintain more than one iPad if you go that route. I do like the mini format, have a 5, but hardly use due to keeping all the stuff in sync, too much of a headache. Prefer just 1 device and the 11 for me is the most versatile.

iCloud syncing works fairly well for me.

In fact, I usually don’t bother restoring my iPads from backup anymore to avoid any crud that might have built up.

I just set up the iPad as new and let iCloud handle syncing settings and data (iCloud keychain, contacts, photos, Safari bookmarks and tab groups, etc). As for apps, I just install as needed.

Now the bigger annoyance is charging all my iPads.

 

[ct2k7]

Brexit and subsequent exchange rate crash pushed all Apple products up in price. If size were not an issue there’s still M1 iPad Pros around at pre price bump prices at third party retailers - even Apple have started doing refurbished models. the ipad mini is a popular size though.

i wouldn’t have minded an iPad mini, size seems ideal as current ipad Pros may seem a bit too big for Casual users.

current prices for the iPad mini in the uk are ridiculously high now and you only get discounts on the ordinary iPads right now. I got a much bigger iPad Pro model for less than a well appointed mini 6 (or an air for that matter) And the mini is less well specified than either.

got to say a 12.9 iPad is a lot less luggable than an 11, such a pity that a mini 6 has a higher price than it used to.

Surely if this were true, the iPad 10th gen would also be quite expensive, but other product pricing doesn’t seem to have followed….

i travel with my M1 11” and sometimes I wish it were a little smaller; when I look at the mini in the Apple Store, it feels too small at times

 

[subjonas]

You said you like the idea of having a bigger screen than your iPhone, but whether it’s worth $400 depends entirely on how much you like the idea (ie. how much you want it), and how much $400 is worth to you—neither of which anyone here can know unless maybe you share your life story. Those are things you’re just going to have to determine.

We could answer more specific questions however, such as—what makes the Mini unique in the iPad lineup? For me it’s the only iPad I can stand holding one-handed for long periods (using a Pop Socket). And it’s the only iPad that can fit in my jacket pockets. So if those things matter to you…
But if lower price matters more, then you might want to just get the significantly cheaper 9th gen standard iPad, even though it’s heavier and bigger and older, but also has a bigger screen (but lower quality).

 

[AVBeatMan]

I've always loved iPad Mini's. For me it's the portability that's the main thing. I take mine into the office with me. It's so small it's easy to carry around.

 

[subjonas]

Problem is having to maintain more than one iPad if you go that route. I don’t honestly see the 11 inch or air as that much of a strain if used with a light case. Also if using a pencil with mini , it takes up the whole of 1 side, just seems a bit insecure. I do like the mini format, have a 5, but hardly use due to keeping all the stuff in sync, too much of a headache. Prefer just 1 device and the 11 for me is the most versatile.

I don’t think OP is considering more than one iPad. But also, I use two iPads and “having to maintain them” isn’t something I’ve ever thought about. They sync everything automatically. Obviously one does have to charge both devices, but if you set up a routine, that also becomes mindless. I plug my Mini into charge before I leave for work, and I charge my 12.9” iPad at my work desk.
I don’t use a Pencil with my Mini, but the Pencil being insecure seems like an odd concern. I don’t imagine it being any more insecure than a bigger iPad, but maybe someone who actually uses a Pencil with their Mini and larger iPad can compare and weigh in.

I do, however, find medium size 10-11” iPads the worst of both worlds—a strain to hold for long periods of time for very casual use, and an unnecessarily small screen if I’m using a keyboard stand anyway. But I understand it’s a happy medium for some. To each their own there.

 

[sparksd]

I don’t think OP is considering more than one iPad. But also, I use two iPads and “having to maintain them” isn’t something I’ve ever thought about. They sync everything automatically. Obviously one does have to charge both devices, but if you set up a routine, that also becomes mindless. I plug my Mini into charge before I leave for work, and I charge my 12.9” iPad at my work desk.
I don’t use a Pencil with my Mini, but the Pencil being insecure seems like an odd concern. I don’t imagine it being any more insecure than a bigger iPad, but maybe someone who actually uses a Pencil with their Mini and larger iPad can compare and weigh in.

I do, however, find medium size 10-11” iPads the worst of both worlds—a strain to hold for long periods of time for very casual use, and an unnecessarily small screen if I’m using a keyboard stand anyway. But I understand it’s a happy medium for some. To each their own there.

With an M1 12.9 and a cellular Mini 6, I find the mgmt. of two devices to be trivial, not a problem.

 

[StaceyMJ86]

iCloud syncing works fairly well for me.

In fact, I usually don’t bother restoring my iPads from backup anymore to avoid any crud that might have built up.

I just set up the iPad as new and let iCloud handle syncing settings and data (iCloud keychain, contacts, photos, Safari bookmarks and tab groups, etc). As for apps, I just install as needed.

Now the bigger annoyance is charging all my iPads.

I do the same thing when I get a new iPhone or iPad. It’s a headache to set up all of my apps and settings, but it’s worth it in the long run.

 

[sublunar]

Surely if this were true, the iPad 10th gen would also be quite expensive, but other product pricing doesn’t seem to have followed….

i travel with my M1 11” and sometimes I wish it were a little smaller; when I look at the mini in the Apple Store, it feels too small at times

Compared to 9th gen the 10th gen has had a price increase. I guess that counted world wide. It’s less noticeable as it’s a new product though, every product that was unchanged at the last refresh had a price increase on refresh day: the minis, the airs and the new m2 pros, all had U.K. price rises over and above the dollar values of the same devices which were unchanged.

It made the minis and airs very poor value in my opinion.

That said, something the size and (importantly) weight of the mini would be ideal for casual home use.

If they could do a version with more pro features like pro-motion to get rid of jelly scrolling I am sure the mini 7 would be very popular.