All iPads Talk Me Down from Going Mini to 12.9

[culo77]

I am looking for opinions from folks who have switched (switched, not rock both) between Mini 6 and a 12.9. I am internally debating on selling the mini and upsizing.

Back story;
I was a full on iPad user with the base iPad, even did 87% of my remote work on the iPad. I was a multitasker savant with multiple slide overs, split screen, and Picture in Picture. Then I scooped up the M1 MacBook Air because of a great deal and was able to do 100% of my remote work on the MBA. Gave the iPad to the kids. Now we have been back at the office full time, now I just needed a consumption device and the MBA was not a "move around the house use in bed device". So I scooped up a Mini 6, I have been using it for a year now and like it but...

Reasoning;
My aging eyes are shaking me with father time's back hand. Needing to use reading glasses that I am annoyed to wear plus having to go find them is a 1st world pain. So add to that the Mini's stupid UI scaling, and the constantly having to change text size and some apps not supporting it or just not fitting in an app. Many times I just want to pick up the iPad and use it of 3-5 minutes for email or texting without searching for a pair of glasses. Or want to sit in the yard mulling about on the interwebs and not spend most of the time changing text size, or run back inside for glasses.

I will point out I do have about 5 sets of readers spread throughout the house and at work, as to make it convent to use. In reality it doesn't work out that way. I do ponder the 11 inch, but am worried it will be too close to the same with the mini and will have to do the selling and buying dance again. I also may just get progressive lenses so I always have glasses on, but knowing myself probably won't wear them.

Anyone have a similar issue? Anyone go from the 12.9 down to the mini? Am I searching for a solution to a problem I don't have?

 

[Jay Tee]

I'm thinking about the 6 mini. What's the experience watching YouTube on this thing, and how are the speakers ?

 

[velocityg4]

Do you use the mini mostly by holding it, rather than setting on a table and using a keyboard? The large iPads get mighty uncomfortable holding and using for extended periods. As though they were a giant phone.

I feel you on the text size issue though. Too many websites detect an iPad and give a tablet or desktop layout. Rather than a phone layout. Giving you tiny text an UI elements rather than huge text and UI elements. The only browser I've found to correct for this is iCab. As you can change the User Agent to iPhone. Unfortunately, iCab isn't that great a browser in other respects.

 

[okkibs]

If you do decide to get glasses I recommend you get the highest-quality varifocal glasses you can find, ask the optician for varifocal glasses with wavefront aberrometry correction. Few opticians offer it. They will cost significanty more but should give you clear sight a bit closer to the edges than others and should from then on be the only glasses you'll need and you'll likely wear them throughout the day. (Otherwise they wouldn't be worth the money either if they're merely some gadget.) And the frame should fit relatively big lenses since it will reduce eyestrain, some people choose the frame based on aesthetics and end up with tiny lenses since that's all the frame can be fitted with.

A pair of cheaper progressive lenses will likely not offer good quality.

 

[sparksd]

I have a Mini 6, M1 12.9 and also need reading glasses for the Mini (I'm 70). The Mini is just so much more convenient to use around the house but I also don't like carrying my glasses around all the time or have to search for them. My solution - I bought a few pair of 2x reading glasses and put them in the locations where I'll most likely be using the Mini. Problem solved, works great for me.

 

[Spaceboi Scaphandre]

Honestly hot take: If you need a 13 inch screen, just get a Macbook Air at that point with how expensive the 13 inch iPad Pros are and how terrible iPadOS is. I always found the 13 inch iPad Pro to be too big to comfortably hold.

 

[koelsh]

My aging eyes are shaking me with father time's back hand. Needing to use reading glasses that I am annoyed to wear plus having to go find them is a 1st world pain. So add to that the Mini's stupid UI scaling, and the constantly having to change text size and some apps not supporting it or just not fitting in an app. Many times I just want to pick up the iPad and use it of 3-5 minutes for email or texting without searching for a pair of glasses. Or want to sit in the yard mulling about on the interwebs and not spend most of the time changing text size, or run back inside for glasses.

I will point out I do have about 5 sets of readers spread throughout the house and at work, as to make it convent to use. In reality it doesn't work out that way. I do ponder the 11 inch, but am worried it will be too close to the same with the mini and will have to do the selling and buying dance again. I also may just get progressive lenses so I always have glasses on, but knowing myself probably won't wear them.

I have an 11 inch pro and feel that it's closer in practice to the 13inch. It's too heavy to hold one handed for any length of time and two handed it can become troublesome after a while. It feels like both the 11 and especially the 13 are intended to remain in a case on a table top.

If you prefer the on-screen keyboard the 11 is a bit too small to use landscaped with 2 hands while it's too big to use in portrait with thumbs since the split keyboard was discontinued. As for using it for 3 to 5 minutes for email or texting; reading is just fine with an 11 but replying/writing takes some settling in each time to comfortably type unless you use dictation or the swipe keyboard.

When it comes time to replace my 11 the plan is to get a mini though my eyes might disagree by then.

 

[darngooddesign]

Do it!!!

 

[culo77]

I'm thinking about the 6 mini. What's the experience watching YouTube on this thing, and how are the speakers ?

It's great watching, the speakers are meh but I use head phones. I also use safari to watch YouTube which is glitchy, the app is better.

Do you use the mini mostly by holding it, rather than setting on a table and using a keyboard?

I do both. I usually rock no case and hold it but do set it on a table with a folio case. The Base iPad I had I did the same thing, the size or weight didn't bother me. The 12.9 is a different beast though.

If you do decide to get glasses I recommend you get the highest-quality varifocal glasses you can find, ask the optician for varifocal glasses with wavefront aberrometry correction. Few opticians offer it. They will cost significanty more but should give you clear sight a bit closer to the edges than others and should from then on be the only glasses you'll need and you'll likely wear them throughout the day. (Otherwise they wouldn't be worth the money either if they're merely some gadget.) And the frame should fit relatively big lenses since it will reduce eyestrain, some people choose the frame based on aesthetics and end up with tiny lenses since that's all the frame can be fitted with.

A pair of cheaper progressive lenses will likely not offer good quality.

Thank you for the tips!
My eye doc is a friend and he just tells my to buy the cheap readers at Wallgreens. I will have to ask him about the wavefront.

I have a Mini 6, M1 12.9 and also need reading glasses for the Mini (I'm 70). The Mini is just so much more convenient to use around the house but I also don't like carrying my glasses around all the time or have to search for them. My solution - I bought a few pair of 2x reading glasses and put them in the locations where I'll most likely be using the Mini. Problem solved, works great for me.

Thank you. This what I do also right now. Problem is I need to learn to put things back from where I took them.

Honestly hot take: If you need a 13 inch screen, just get a Macbook Air at that point with how expensive the 13 inch iPad Pros are and how terrible iPadOS is.

Already have a MacBook Air M1, which is fantastic.

If you prefer the on-screen keyboard the 11 is a bit too small to use landscaped with 2 hands while it's too big to use in portrait with thumbs since the split keyboard was discontinued. As for using it for 3 to 5 minutes for email or texting; reading is just fine with an 11 but replying/writing takes some settling in each time to comfortably type unless you use dictation or the swipe keyboard.

For iPad I use the floating keyboard and dictation. I would prefer to use only dictation speech-to-text but Apple still isn't there yet. Getting closer but not fully there yet.

 

[MrAperture]

The 12.9 is huge.

 

[muzzy996]

I am looking for opinions from folks who have switched (switched, not rock both) between Mini 6 and a 12.9. I am internally debating on selling the mini and upsizing.

Back story;
I was a full on iPad user with the base iPad, even did 87% of my remote work on the iPad. I was a multitasker savant with multiple slide overs, split screen, and Picture in Picture. Then I scooped up the M1 MacBook Air because of a great deal and was able to do 100% of my remote work on the MBA. Gave the iPad to the kids. Now we have been back at the office full time, now I just needed a consumption device and the MBA was not a "move around the house use in bed device". So I scooped up a Mini 6, I have been using it for a year now and like it but...

Reasoning;
My aging eyes are shaking me with father time's back hand. Needing to use reading glasses that I am annoyed to wear plus having to go find them is a 1st world pain. So add to that the Mini's stupid UI scaling, and the constantly having to change text size and some apps not supporting it or just not fitting in an app. Many times I just want to pick up the iPad and use it of 3-5 minutes for email or texting without searching for a pair of glasses. Or want to sit in the yard mulling about on the interwebs and not spend most of the time changing text size, or run back inside for glasses.

I will point out I do have about 5 sets of readers spread throughout the house and at work, as to make it convent to use. In reality it doesn't work out that way. I do ponder the 11 inch, but am worried it will be too close to the same with the mini and will have to do the selling and buying dance again. I also may just get progressive lenses so I always have glasses on, but knowing myself probably won't wear them.

Anyone have a similar issue? Anyone go from the 12.9 down to the mini? Am I searching for a solution to a problem I don't have?

I've got reading glasses all over the place too so i can relate. For me my aging IPP 12.9 gen 2 was giving me touch screen sensitivity issues (something that I believe is limited to that particular model) and i was on my 3rd AppleCare replacement when I decided just to shelve the thing and replace it with a mini 6. i just couldn't justify the price of the pros for just content consumption and a deal on the mini 6 came up (friend selling it to me for a great price) so I jumped on it rather than an Air.

To me the reading glasses issue won't go away with a larger iPad pro. The UI text is still going to be small although sure, you can zoom into things in some cases (like web browsing). I sometimes miss the better speakers though, but I like the portability of the mini 6.

Are you able to buy from somewhere and take advantage of a return window to try before you sell the mini? That would be my suggestion.

 

[culo77]

To me the reading glasses issue won't go away with a larger iPad pro. The UI text is still going to be small although sure, you can zoom into things in some cases (like web browsing).

Are you able to buy from somewhere and take advantage of a return window to try before you sell the mini? That would be my suggestion.

Thank you for pointing out that the UI text isn’t that much better. Great idea, I need to check if the Apple refurbished allows returns.

 

[TechnoMonk]

I had a mini 2, went to iPad Pro in 2020. The 12.9 display is amazing. Get it from Costco, if you have one near. Costco has great deals and 90 day return policy.

 

[Yebubbleman]

I've personally found that the iPad mini and the 12.9-inch iPad Pros are two very different iPads geared at two very different styles of use. I don't find them to be mutually exclusive in the way that one might compare either to one of the FOUR 10.2-11-inch iPad options that Apple sells. In fact, I'd argue that the combination of 12.9-inch iPad Pro AND iPad mini covers your bases in ways that a single 10.2-11-inch iPad (whether standard, Air, or Pro) would not.

 

[Surfsalot]

I have an 11 inch pro and feel that it's closer in practice to the 13inch. It's too heavy to hold one handed for any length of time and two handed it can become troublesome after a while. It feels like both the 11 and especially the 13 are intended to remain in a case on a table top.

If you prefer the on-screen keyboard the 11 is a bit too small to use landscaped with 2 hands while it's too big to use in portrait with thumbs since the split keyboard was discontinued. As for using it for 3 to 5 minutes for email or texting; reading is just fine with an 11 but replying/writing takes some settling in each time to comfortably type unless you use dictation or the swipe keyboard.

When it comes time to replace my 11 the plan is to get a mini though my eyes might disagree by then.

hold Mine easily between thumb and ring finger one handed

 

[Surfsalot]

Not Hard pick up iPad pick up glasses

 

[Surfsalot]

Thank you for pointing out that the UI text isn’t that much better. Great idea, I need to check if the Apple refurbished allows returns.

If you need glasses you need them for everything no matter the size

 

[okkibs]

My eye doc is a friend and he just tells my to buy the cheap readers at Wallgreens. I will have to ask him about the wavefront.

This is a decade-long investment towards your health. Glasses should be of high enough quality that all they do is sharpen your view without interfering with your sight. This requires accurate measurements of your eyesight which Walgreens is not equipped to handle, nor do they offer high quality glasses from manufacturers such as ZEISS. Any solid optician will be able to offer this. Buying glasses from Walgreens is the equivalent to replacing worn out shoes with a walking stick. It's cheap and better than nothing at all, that's about it.

 

[IJBrekke]

You will find the larger size to be excellent when in your lap, on a tabletop, etc. but very cumbersome to handle. I also personally struggle to type on larger iPads, as the Mini is the perfect width for thumb typing in portrait orientation. Agreed that the text on the Mini is sometimes just a bit too small, but for content consumption (mostly internet) it’s still my favorite device.

Your best bet is to purchase a 12.9 and use for two weeks right next to your Mini. You can return if you don’t like the change.

 

[JtheLemur]

Have and love my Mini 6, no case, with Moft adhesive folding stand on the back.

Recently tried out an 11” iPad Pro. I lasted a few hours. While I love the screen size, it was much harder to handle physically for my use cases. The Mini is like a paperback book, the 11” like a coffee table book kinda.

 

[Lounge vibes 05]

I wouldn’t really recommend the 12.9 unless it’s going to be spending the majority of its time on a keyboard/stand.
It is incredibly uncomfortable to try to hold and use on its own.
I would personally recommend the 11 inch Air or Pro. It’s a bit more manageable.

 

[Bill_D]

I hang my readers on the neckline of my shirt. Always handy.

 

[culo77]

If you need glasses you need them for everything no matter the size

Not really, I see your point but not everything.

I use an iPhone Mini without glasses. Yes I set most apps to 120% text and it works fine. I think Home Screen I set to 110%. All is readable without glasses on the iPhone. Yet iPadOS on the mini 6 is not the same and some apps won’t scale on iPadOS. It just feel like the iPad mini OS is neglected by Apple.

 

[culo77]

I had a mini 2, went to iPad Pro in 2020. The 12.9 display is amazing. Get it from Costco, if you have one near. Costco has great deals and 90 day return policy.

Thank you for the tip. Canceled Costco membership years ago, for our family didn’t save us money. But I can always use a friend’s membership if I go that route

I've personally found that the iPad mini and the 12.9-inch iPad Pros are two very different iPads geared at two very different styles of use. In fact, I'd argue that the combination of 12.9-inch iPad Pro AND iPad mini covers your bases in ways that a single 10.2-11-inch iPad (whether standard, Air, or Pro) would not.

If I was ipad only I would go that route of having both probably

This is a decade-long investment towards your health. Glasses should be of high enough quality that all they do is sharpen your view without interfering with your sight. This requires accurate measurements of your eyesight which Walgreens is not equipped to handle, nor do they offer high quality glasses from manufacturers such as ZEISS. Any solid optician will be able to offer this. Buying glasses from Walgreens is the equivalent to replacing worn out shoes with a walking stick. It's cheap and better than nothing at all, that's about it.

Due for my annual next month, thank you I will now be armed with info to throw at him. Going to do some duckduckgo searches on these this weekend.

You will find the larger size to be excellent when in your lap, on a tabletop, etc. but very cumbersome to handle. I also personally struggle to type on larger iPads, as the Mini is the perfect width for thumb typing in portrait orientation. Agreed that the text on the Mini is sometimes just a bit too small, but for content consumption (mostly internet) it’s still my favorite device.

Your best bet is to purchase a 12.9 and use for two weeks right next to your Mini. You can return if you don’t like the change.

Thank you. I do wonder how cumbersome it is for me. The old base iPad I would usually hold in portrait one hand and didn’t have a problem. Landscape did bother me after a while.

Have and love my Mini 6, no case, with Moft adhesive folding stand on the back.

Recently tried out an 11” iPad Pro. I lasted a few hours. While I love the screen size, it was much harder to handle physically for my use cases. The Mini is like a paperback book, the 11” like a coffee table book kinda.

I have the Moft origami rise case. Don’t use it much but like how it rises the screen when I do pull it out for desk use.

I wouldn’t really recommend the 12.9 unless it’s going to be spending the majority of its time on a keyboard/stand.
It is incredibly uncomfortable to try to hold and use on its own.
I would personally recommend the 11 inch Air or Pro. It’s a bit more manageable.

Mostly will be used in portrait mode no case no stand. Well if I do watch something in bed it will be in landscape on a stand.

I hang my readers on the neckline of my shirt. Always handy.

Yeah I have been pondering going the neck chain route. Will have to give up all fashion sense when I do.

 

[culo77]

So it is a big fat capitol NO for changing to the 12.9 iPad!

I swung by the Apple Store and played around with it. That is one chunky beast. Because I mostly one hand my iPad, the 12.9 was just too heavy for that and even though the weight is balanced it felt top heavy in portrait. The screen is amazing and the extra real estate would be highly useful. For my particular iPad use it just too big for me.

Odd thing, I compared the UI text on the 12.9 to the 11, and it was the same. It wasn’t scaled bigger you just see more. Compared to the mini where it’s scaled down like an afterthought.

I ruled out the 12.9 quickly while I was there. I turned my attention to comparing my Mini to the 11. The 11 UI text is better and the one hand ability is still great. The refurb M1 is a good price, but don’t know if it’s worth difference from my mini. I would like if I changed to go with a Pro because the screen brightness on paper would seem better outdoors. Anyone actually notice the outdoors brightness being better? (500 to 600 nitz)