When Apple first launched its small-scale tablet, the iPad mini, back in October 2012, it was a quiet revelation. All the goodness of the iPad but in a compact form. But since then, the updates to the mini have been infrequent and, apart from the addition of a Retina display and Apple Pencil support, rather gentle.
All that changes with the sixth-generation iPad mini which adopts a whole new style, the same Apple chip found in the iPhone 13 series and 5G connectivity in the Wi-Fi + cellular version.
The iPad mini has always been more expensive than the regular iPad, not least because of its regularly more powerful processor, a higher-resolution display in terms of pixel density and more. Where the iPad comes in at $329 and up, the iPad mini costs from $499. Now, perhaps for the first time, it really justifies the extra cost. Here’s everything you need to know about the iPad mini, whether you should buy it and if it’s the best Apple tablet for you.
Apple iPad mini In a Nutshell
Pros:
- Cool design
- Great Touch ID unlock set-up
- High-resolution, bigger display
- Convenient size
Cons:
- Screen still too small for some eyes
- Pricier than the iPad
- Display is not miniLED
Apple iPad mini: Technical Specifications
Price From $499 | Cameras: Front 12MP ultra wide, Rear 12MP wide | Processor Apple A 15 Bionic | Display: 8.3-inch LED display 2266 x 1488 pixels, 326 pixels per inch| Storage: No SD slot, 64GB- or 256GB internal Memory: not stated | Battery: Up to 10 hours | Dimensions: 7.69 x 5.3 x 0.25 inches, 195.4 x 134.8 x 6.3mm | Weight Wifi only 0.65 pound, 293g, Wifi + cellular 0.66 pound, 297g
iPad mini gets an all-new design
The flat-edged styling introduced on the iPad Pro, iPad Air and iPhone 12 has now come to the iPad mini, leaving the entry-level iPad as the only tablet sporting the previous design. It’s a classic design, but it’s beginning to look a little over-familiar, perhaps.
The new iPad mini design is way better, adopting the all-screen front of the Air and Pro, and providing the flat long edge to which the second-generation Apple Pencil can magnetically click. The last iPad mini used the first-generation Pencil, by the way. Although the Pencil looks like it’s almost too thick for the slim mini, it’s a perfect fit.
The Pencil charges from the iPad mini, and pairs with it using the same magnetic connection. In order to do this, the iPad has had a redesign no other iPad has: To provide enough space for the Pencil, the volume buttons have been moved from the long side to the top. Oh, and this being Apple, it has led to a detail no other company would bother with: How the volume buttons react. You can hold the tablet in landscape orientation two ways round, with the power button on either the left or right edge. Whichever way you hold it, the function of the volume buttons switches so the uppermost one is volume up, the lower one is volume down. Neat, huh?
The iPad mini comes in four colors: Starlight (a mix of silver and gold), Space Grey (a near-black shade), Pink and, best of all, Purple, which has a cute look to it that is simultaneously pastel and punchy. As you’d expect from Apple’s meticulous attention to detail, it’s not just the back of the tablet that has the specific color: the edge, including the thin antenna band, is color-matched, and the Apple logo on the back has a hint of the color in its reflective finish.
This is also the first time the mini has had a USB-C connector rather than Lightning, which gives faster data transfer from, say, a connected hard drive or camera. Unlike the iPad Air and iPad Pro, the mini does not have a smart connector so you can attach a keyboard, for instance. But the Magic Keyboard for the Air and Pro models is a perfect match for the size of the display, but the mini is too small to accommodate a comfortably usable keyboard. You can connect Bluetooth keyboards separately.
Touch ID
Previous iPad mini models and every regular iPad has used Touch ID. This has always sat at the base of the display—it’s still there on the entry-level full-size iPad—but it’s not there on the new iPad mini.
So, where’s the Touch ID fingerprint sensor, you ask? It has snuck into the power button which sits on the top edge, a design introduced on the iPad Air last year.
It works brilliantly, better than other fingerprint sensors I’ve used on other devices. That’s because it’s fast. So fast that you unlock the tablet near-instantly and it stays on the lock screen. But if you want to open the iPad mini to go to the last app you were looking at, just hold your finger or thumb in place for a fraction longer. It’s a seamless, effective mechanism.
Pin-sharp display
Remove the Touch ID button from the front of the iPad and the benefit is an all-screen front, with a front-facing camera nestling the narrow bezel. This is what allowed the display to grow from 7.9 inches on all previous iPad minis to 8.3 inches now, but in a tablet that’s almost identical in dimensions to the previous generation.
The iPad mini has a far higher pixel density than any other iPad, so it’s very detailed and looks glorious. It’s an LCD display, like the other Apple tablets, but it doesn’t have the miniLED backlight that the iPad Pro does, so it’s not as vibrant as that. Maybe the screen was too small for miniLED to work well. And even without that addition, this display is excellent.
It even has rounded corners, something hard to achieve with LCD, giving it an extra visual appeal.
iPad Mini Cameras
The front-facing camera has been hugely improved, mostly so that it can work with the neural engine to deliver Center Stage. This is the clever feature that lets you move around during a video call and the software zooms appropriately to keep you in the middle of the picture at all times. It even adjusts when someone else joins.
The rear camera is now a 12MP wide camera, with flash. This is also a big upgrade compared to earlier iPad mini tablets. But while the smaller dimensions make it a slightly more ergonomic camera than the iPad or iPad Air, it’s still not the ideal snapper compared to an iPhone.
Performance and battery life
This is the first iPad mini with 5G, so it’s a fast performer whether you’re on Wi-Fi or have access to a 5G signal. And because this tablet is the most portable iPad (it’ll even fit into a jacket pocket), you’re more likely to have it with you when you’re out of the house.
The A15 Bionic chip feels as fast here as it does in the iPhone 13 Pro, which is very. There’s no lag nor delay, making for a fast performing tablet whatever you throw at it.
Battery life is always a dull topic with the iPad. Since day one, it’s had around 10 hours of usage and that’s still true now. Although that’s not as long as an iPhone, the way you use an iPad is different, so it’s usually more than enough.
The iPad mini doesn’t have wireless charging. This type of innovation would likely require a wholesale redesign and a glass back, not to mention a suitable charging pad big enough that the tablet doesn’t teeter on it.
Should you upgrade from the iPad mini fifth generation? From the iPad Air?
The A15 Bionic is Apple’s fastest iPhone chip, and it’s enough on its own to justify upgrading from the fifth-generation iPad mini. But there’s much more to it than that, so it’s an easy recommendation to choose this tablet over the last model.
The most recent iPad Air has a slower processor, though still pretty fast, and the same Touch ID unlock solution. It’s a great tablet, so I’d only recommend switching to this iPad if you want the extreme pocketability that the iPad mini dimensions bring.
Is the Apple iPad mini worth it?
Although it’s pricier than the larger iPad, the iPad mini has a lot going for it, with a pin-sharp, high-resolution display that covers the whole of the front of the tablet, brilliant Touch ID, fast performance and compatibility with the second-generation Apple Pencil.
If you want a bigger display, then the iPad, iPad Air or iPad Pro will be your choice. But for something that’s the ultimate in portability, the iPad mini is unbeatable.
