I do basic things like reading and notes writing on the mini. I also have the pencil. Is this a big upgrade? better resolution? noticeable screen size? what is a mini 5 256gb with apple care+ worth now?
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iPad mini upgrade form mini 5 to mini 6?
- Thread starter Lucas Curious
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I’m in the same boat.
I have an iPad Pro 12.9 (2020) with a magic keyboard as my daily driver, but recently picked up an immaculate Mini 5 for £280 to use for reading and light surfing whilst in bed etc.
I love the idea of the Mini 6 and the new form factor… but struggling to justify the 100% uplift for one.
I have an iPad Pro 12.9 (2020) with a magic keyboard as my daily driver, but recently picked up an immaculate Mini 5 for £280 to use for reading and light surfing whilst in bed etc.
I love the idea of the Mini 6 and the new form factor… but struggling to justify the 100% uplift for one.
The stereo speakers in landscape mode alone is making me sweat a little over potentially upgrading. But $499 for only 64GB of storage in a year in which the iPhone models got a storage bump feels a little difficult to swallow.
I’m definitely upgrading from my 5. My battery already doesn’t last that long and I’ve been waiting for a mini with smaller bezels for years.
I'm upgrading from the mini 2. Nothing was wrong with it. The mini is the perfect size for me. I love the 6.
I’m upgrading from my 256 Gb mini 5 to a comparable size mini 6 because of the A15 chip and the support for the Apple Pencil 2. The USB-C connector and 20 W power adapter are also nice.
Support for the Pencil 2 is huge for me because it will facilitate keeping my Pencil with the iPad, meaning I’m a lot more likely to use the mini 6 for taking handwritten notes than I have with the mini 5. Every time I want to take handwritten notes with the mini 5, I have to hunt up the Pencil and most of the time I then need to charge it because it’s sat dormant for so long.
Do I NEED to upgrade? Probably not but as someone else mentioned, my mini 5’s battery is getting a little long in the tooth, so that and the Pencil 2 support help me justify the cost. But mainly I’m getting a mini 6 because I WANT one.
FWIW, I’ll be keeping my mini 5 because it still does a lot of things very well, especially serving as a reader for eBook, since it is pretty much exactly the size of a trade paperback but lots thinner. If I’m worried about battery life, I can always grab a portable battery pack to take along. When the battery finally gives up the ghost, I can always mount it on the wall, plug it in, and use it as a control panel for my smart lights.
Support for the Pencil 2 is huge for me because it will facilitate keeping my Pencil with the iPad, meaning I’m a lot more likely to use the mini 6 for taking handwritten notes than I have with the mini 5. Every time I want to take handwritten notes with the mini 5, I have to hunt up the Pencil and most of the time I then need to charge it because it’s sat dormant for so long.
Do I NEED to upgrade? Probably not but as someone else mentioned, my mini 5’s battery is getting a little long in the tooth, so that and the Pencil 2 support help me justify the cost. But mainly I’m getting a mini 6 because I WANT one.
FWIW, I’ll be keeping my mini 5 because it still does a lot of things very well, especially serving as a reader for eBook, since it is pretty much exactly the size of a trade paperback but lots thinner. If I’m worried about battery life, I can always grab a portable battery pack to take along. When the battery finally gives up the ghost, I can always mount it on the wall, plug it in, and use it as a control panel for my smart lights.
It’s basically an iPad Air mini without the Smart Connector. The iPad Air is $599 with 64GB.
I think it is worth it. I have an iPad mini 5. Probably won’t upgrade right away. I might wait until the iPad mini 6 can be had for a discount on Amazon or something but I think it is a fantastic upgrade in basically every way. In particular the wider side bezels will make it easier to hold in portrait and it is a little smaller and lighter than the mini 5. Easily the best product update Apple announced yesterday.
For those purposes, I don't think the Mini 6 is worth the upgrade... at this time... especially considering the increased price. (I'm not complaining about the price, it is what I expected)
Since you use the Pencil, you'll need to buy the Pencil 2 (which is more expensive). Depending upon what covers, cases, and keyboards you have, those will be additional costs as well.
I did a quick cost analysis of what it would take for me to upgrade my 256GB Mini 5 to the 6. It would be an extremely costly upgrade... because I have things like the Pencil, multiple smartcovers, and a Zagg keyboard case. On top of that I'll lose the ability to have a smartcover and lose the 4:3 aspect ratio.
It would actually be cheaper for me to keep the Mini 5 and pick up an iPad 9.
I sold my mini 2 in 2014 because it was extremely slow. wow this is going to be night and day for you.
I think I’ll hold onto my mini 5 for a while longer. It’s my second iPad after my 11 inch pro. I have no issues with the form factor and I’m not really looking for an increase in screen size. The only things I wouldn’t mind about the new iPad mini is the improved speakers and Apple Pencil 2 support. Simply because charging is better. However I don’t use my Apple Pencil enough to justify the upgrade.
Looks like I am the same as most, I have the mini 5 and husband has my previous mini which was 3 so he wants my 5 lol. Oddly his battery seems to last longer on the mini 3. Mine was good for a long time and in the last few months I am needing to charge it daily and I am really only spending 2 hours a day on it. It seems the 5 battery as not been nearly as good. I do like all the new upgrades to the new 6 just questioning if I will like the new touch ID location. That will take some getting use to.
Don't forget that you'll have to get the Pencil 2 if you get the Mini 6 as well!
anyone tried to get apple to replace the iPad mini 5 under apple care due to battery loss? im assuming they replace the whole iPad instead of swapping the battery
The problem with all those discussion is we don't know when the next iPad Mini revision will be released !
I currently have a 2016 iPad mini 4. Battery die at 50% ! I can wait up to next year but not 2 or 3 years.
Thus, Since the mini probably won't be updated until 2024, i will probably buy one on September 24 of this year since pushing the purchase in the future bring no advantage !
I currently have a 2016 iPad mini 4. Battery die at 50% ! I can wait up to next year but not 2 or 3 years.
Thus, Since the mini probably won't be updated until 2024, i will probably buy one on September 24 of this year since pushing the purchase in the future bring no advantage !
Not necessarily. There might be discounts in the future. Alas, ever since COVID those have gotten rare so if I were in your shoes, I'd just buy one right away.
Me too! My mini 2 still works very well but doesn't have enough storage unfortunately. The battery life is very good - it's been the best Apple device in that respect by far. Very excited about the 6 coming next week!
I'm going to upgrade from the mini 5 to the 6 primarily for the 5G connectivity. I use it as a hotspot for my laptop and other iPads at trade shows. They want 2-300 dollars for internet connectivity at conferences per day.