iPad mini Waiting next iPad Mini 6 or switching on Macbook Air M1?

[bubulol]

Hi, i have a dilemma, i love my iPad Mini 5 but:

• Its outdated design with huge bezels (i have white/silver version which is even worse with those white bezels)
• Mostly watching video contents (streaming, netflix, youtube...)

I have heard about rumors about next iPad Mini with similar design and specs as iPad Air 4
Now Macbook Air M1, its a Macbook, its bigger and heavier, however you got a physical keyboard, bigger screen optimized for watching videos
I use often iPad or laptop on the bed before sleeping
What do you think? Should i wait for next iPad Mini or switching on Macbook Air M1?

Thanks

 

[AutomaticApple]

Hi, i have a dilemma, i love my iPad Mini 5 but:

• Its outdated design with huge bezels (i have white/silver version which is even worse with those white bezels)
• Mostly watching video contents (streaming, netflix, youtube...)

I have heard about rumors about next iPad Mini with similar design and specs as iPad Air 4
Now Macbook Air M1, its a Macbook, its bigger and heavier, however you got a physical keyboard, bigger screen optimized for watching videos
I use often iPad or laptop on the bed before sleeping
What do you think? Should i wait for next iPad Mini or switching on Macbook Air M1?

Thanks

A new iPad mini will likely be released in early 2021. I would wait for that if I were you.

 

[Apple_Robert]

Stick with what you have, unless you want to primarily use the M1 moving forward to replace iPad mini use.

 

[ericwn]

Keep your mini and buy a proper television for movies.

 

[minik]

I love the iPad form factor with bezel or not for media consumption, a traditional laptop just doesn't fit right to me. The keyboard and trackpad are there without serving any purpose while watching video. I can put the iPad on a stand and all set to go. I have the current 12.9" iPad Pro, iPad mini 5, and 10.5" iPad Pro (2017). The 10.5" iPad Pro fits the sweet spot, sadly no spatial audio supports.

 

[tops2]

If you love the size and always hold the mini 5, I’d say wait for the mini 6. I have the mini 4 and still prefer it to my 11” Pro most of the time for the size/weight and convenience. I did have the mini 2 so many have just gotten used to the size..

The main times when I use the 11” Pro is when sitting at the table in a stand to do work as the screen size if the mini is too small for work.

 

[Dhonk]

I want the mini 6, but I'm not holding my breath. I need to trade in some old products. My 5 is starting to have weak battery life, so it's a little frustrating.

 

[Infinitewisdom]

I like the tablet form factor but the new MacBooks are outstanding. And the battery lasts longer as well. You do lose on the portability, but that's a personal consideration as to how important that is.

 

[BigMcGuire]

I have put a lot of thought into whether or not I want to try to sell my iPad Pro and get an M1 MacBook. I have a 2020 MBP 13’ but I use it mostly for work as a desktop attached to a 4K monitor.

I would love to reduce the number of devices I have but ... I can’t bring myself to sell my iPad Pro. My 12 Pro Max just doesn’t have a big enough screen to read comfortably on for hours and hours like my iPad 11 Pro. And while reading on my MacBook isn’t terrible, I read mostly on my iPad.

The mini is a great iPad - I sold it to help finance an iPad 11 Pro. I love the amount of text I can get on this screen and comfortably read for hours on end. I’ve spent 6 hours reading without issue on this iPad.

Still, I’d love to reduce my devices. Move some reading to my MBP and my iPhone - one less device I have to worry about... But I keep coming back to my iPad for reading (news/books).

I don’t think I could get rid of my iPad. But I don’t use it as a primary device.

 

[kristalsoldier]

I have put a lot of thought into whether or not I want to try to sell my iPad Pro and get an M1 MacBook. I have a 2020 MBP 13’ but I use it mostly for work as a desktop attached to a 4K monitor.

I would love to reduce the number of devices I have but ... I can’t bring myself to sell my iPad Pro. My 12 Pro Max just doesn’t have a big enough screen to read comfortably on for hours and hours like my iPad 11 Pro. And while reading on my MacBook isn’t terrible, I read mostly on my iPad.

The mini is a great iPad - I sold it to help finance an iPad 11 Pro. I love the amount of text I can get on this screen and comfortably read for hours on end. I’ve spent 6 hours reading without issue on this iPad.

Still, I’d love to reduce my devices. Move some reading to my MBP and my iPhone - one less device I have to worry about... But I keep coming back to my iPad for reading (news/books).

I don’t think I could get rid of my iPad. But I don’t use it as a primary device.

I have come to grips with the fact that I need 3 devices, namely, my Thinkpad (best KB in the business and quite a tough machine even though I use the X1 Carbon series), my phone (Android by choice), and my iPad 11 Pro (2020). Each of them are critical for my work and leisure and none of them are dispensible though, the Thinkpad is truly indispensable.

Edit: I don’t think I could replace the 11” Pro with a mini. Screen size of the 11” is just right for me.

 

[BigMcGuire]

I have come to grips with the fact that I need 3 devices, namely, my Thinkpad (best KB in the business and quite a tough machine even though I use the X1 Carbon series), my phone (Android by choice), and my iPad 11 Pro (2020). Each of them are critical for my work and leisure and none of them are dispensible though, the Thinkpad is truly indispensable.

Edit: I don’t think I could replace the 11” Pro with a mini. Screen size of the 11” is just right for me.

Awesome! I have had this same setup for most of 2020 - with a MBP and iPhone and iPad 11’ pro. Agreed completely. This setup just works. 2021 here we come.

Also agreed about the mini. It was too small for me. 11 Pro really works. I’ve read 15 books on it this year.

 

[KittyKatta]

So what does everyone expect a Mini6 to cost?


I love the Mini but as phones got bigger and as the standard iPad became more versatile/accessorized then it feels like it has become a niche product and we ended up selling ours. I’m still interested in seeing what the future of the Mini turns out to be but if its $399 for a Mini5 with an outdated design then I can’t imagine what Apple will charge for one with a modern update.

 

[The Game 161]

I would expect it to cost more seeing as rumoured mini led if that report is correct

 

[BigMcGuire]

So what does everyone expect a Mini6 to cost?


I love the Mini but as phones got bigger and as the standard iPad became more versatile/accessorized then it feels like it has become a niche product and we ended up selling ours. I’m still interested in seeing what the future of the Mini turns out to be but if its $399 for a Mini5 with an outdated design then I can’t imagine what Apple will charge for one with a modern update.

For me the mini is way too expensive. I agree with @The Game 161 - I bet it goes up tho. :/

 

[bubulol]

I m torn between an iPad and Macbook, i m currently using a 15 inches laptop, very similar to a Macbook Pro 15 inches BUT

PROS

• 15 inches and full display without any black bar (16:9, Macbook are in 16:10)
• Web surfing is so damn comfortable
• Physical keyboard for writing some mails, social networks, for anything that requires writing, its a real benefit

CONS

• Its too big and heavy, probably because it weight nearly 2 kg, Macbook Air will be much lighter tho!
• Battery life, it should last 8/9 hours but i can get only an half
• Cooling fan, poor cpu (Intel lol) performances overall, my iPad Mini 5 is more powerful, makes zero noise while my laptop cooling fan can be so much noisy for nothing (just web browsing with few opened tabs...)
• Trackpad, not as smooth as a Macbook trackpad

M1 overall performances are impressives, Macbook Air would be much smaller (but still 13 inches), lighter (1.3 kg), thinner, so much more powerful in overall specs, way better battery life i would ever imagine
But in the other hands i can keep or upgrade my iPad Mini 5:

PROS

• Simply the lightest and smallest tablet/device i could pick
• Around 9/10 hours of battery life which is pretty solid tho
• Tactile and iOS
• Accessories if i want to (Magic Keyboard cover, Apple Pencil...)
• 4:3 screen aspect ratio really fits for web browsing, reading paper/magazines/manga/comics
• Portability anywhere (toilets, couch, bed, travel...)
• Cheaper (i have bought my iPad Mini 5 less than 370 eur lol, i still believe Mini 6 would cost much more but still cheaper than a Macbook Air for sure!)

CONS

• 4:3 screen aspect ratio isnt really great for video consumption, a lot of black bars
• Youtube, apps, mobile web browsing, too much advertising
• In general, i think when its comes to light desktop usage, a laptop/macbook gives me a smoother experience, less advertising, physical keyboard, multi tasking (real one)
• iOS vs MacOS, a mobile and tactile OS vs a true desktop OS

I am basically torn between using a tablet or a laptop because we all know iPad is becoming step by step more into a computer and vice versa, now Macbook with M1 can get iOS apps
Does anyone have switched from iPad to Macbook M1 and vice versa?