All iPads iPad Air (5th Gen/M1) or iPad Mini 7

[mathiasinthe314]

So - with an influx of Christmas bonus cash of about $500, I want to replace my 2018 iPad. I’m debating between buying an Apple Refurbished 5th Gen iPad Air with an M1 or the new iPad Mini 7.

I want to use an Apple Pencil for sketching and note taking. I’ll also use it for watching sports (wife and daughter hog the tv) and other video content.

I’m trying to maintain Apple Intelligence functionality on a budget.

I know you all have opinions, so let’s hear ‘em…

 

[Heat_Fan89]

My suggestion would be the Mini 7. For note taking the Mini's size can't be beat. Plus it was just released. I have an M2 iPad Air and recently ordered the Mini 7 from Amazon. Up until recently they were selling the latest Mini for $399.

Edit: Apple Intelligence requires 8GB of RAM so that rules out the M1 iPad Air. The Mini 7 has 8GB of RAM and supports AI.

 

[sparksd]

So - with an influx of Christmas bonus cash of about $500, I want to replace my 2018 iPad. I’m debating between buying an Apple Refurbished 5th Gen iPad Air with an M1 or the new iPad Mini 7.

I want to use an Apple Pencil for sketching and note taking. I’ll also use it for watching sports (wife and daughter hog the tv) and other video content.

I’m trying to maintain Apple Intelligence functionality on a budget.

I know you all have opinions, so let’s hear ‘em…

I have the Mini 6 and it is a good size for sketching (I do very little) and note taking but I find the screen to be too small for most video content.

 

[rui no onna]

My suggestion would be the Mini 7. For note taking the Mini's size can't be beat. Plus it was just released. I have an M2 iPad Air and recently ordered the Mini 7 from Amazon. Up until recently they were selling the latest Mini for $399.

Edit: Apple Intelligence requires 8GB of RAM so that rules out the M1 iPad Air. The Mini 7 has 8GB of RAM and supports AI.

The M1 iPad Air does have 8GB RAM.

@mathiasinthe314
Just go with whatever size suits you better.

Personally, if I only had one iPad, I would choose the 11" as the Mini is a bit too small for some tasks. With that said, the Mini is my most used iPad because of its compact size.

 

[geta]

The M1 iPad Air does have 8GB RAM.

@mathiasinthe314
Just go with whatever size suits you better.

Personally, if I only had one iPad, I would choose the 11" as the Mini is a bit too small for some tasks. With that said, the Mini is my most used iPad because of its compact size.

Also Mini 7 have 8GB RAM.

OP - both are fine, it’s all come down to screen size preference. That been said, my choice would be Mini 7.

 

[mathiasinthe314]

[/QUOTE]

My suggestion would be the Mini 7. For note taking the Mini's size can't be beat. Plus it was just released. I have an M2 iPad Air and recently ordered the Mini 7 from Amazon. Up until recently they were selling the latest Mini for $399.

Edit: Apple Intelligence requires 8GB of RAM so that rules out the M1 iPad Air. The Mini 7 has 8GB of RAM and supports AI.

I have the Mini 6 and it is a good size for sketching (I do very little) and note taking but I find the screen to be too small for most video content.

The M1 iPad Air does have 8GB RAM.

@mathiasinthe314
Just go with whatever size suits you better.

Personally, if I only had one iPad, I would choose the 11" as the Mini is a bit too small for some tasks. With that said, the Mini is my most used iPad because of its compact size.

Also Mini 7 have 8GB RAM.

OP - both are fine, it’s all come down to screen size preference. That been said, my choice would be Mini 7.

Seems like a lot of love for the mini. I’ve leaned that direction too because it’s the newer option, my only reservation is the screen size. Wasn’t sure if I’d end up being disappointed if it felt marginally bigger than my 16PM.

Perhaps a trip to the Apple Store is in order to go hands on.

 

[sparksd]

Seems like a lot of love for the mini. I’ve leaned that direction too because it’s the newer option, my only reservation is the screen size. Wasn’t sure if I’d end up being disappointed if it felt marginally bigger than my 16PM.

Perhaps a trip to the Apple Store is in order to go hands on.

That trip is your best bet, trying the type of content you plan to use it for the most.

 

[Heat_Fan89]

The M1 iPad Air does have 8GB RAM.

Yeah, I forgot about that, silly me. Thanks for the correction!

 

[Heat_Fan89]

Seems like a lot of love for the mini.

In its proper setting the Mini is an ideal iPad. It's small enough you can take it with you to a restaurant, coffee shop with WiFi connection and it's bigger than your largest iPhone. It's also the right size when you're reading on the Loo. 💩

Each size iPad has its right application. I'm not an artist, I don't draw but I loved the gigantic 13" iPad Pro for viewing sports scores and having enough space for a separate column for Tweets. It also has a delete and backspace key on the virtual keyboard. Unfortunately the LED screen on the M2 iPad Pro bothered the heck out of me with its backlight ghosting.

 

[dmccombs]

How do the screens compare between these? The specs look the same (brightness and refresh rate), but some folks complain about jelly scroll on the mini. Can folks see any difference in these 2 screens in the real world?

 

[Student of Life]

An overlooked issue here is the Air M1 has a base storage of 64gb which is tiny with today's usage. Sure you might get it to work out but just doing a software update might require you to erase a lot of things, it's a pain. The Mini 7 has a base storage configuration of 128gb.

Also as of today, Costco is running a deal with the Mini 7 256gb for $499.99.
https://www.costco.com/.product.4000285649.html

 

[mathiasinthe314]

An overlooked issue here is the Air M1 has a base storage of 64gb which is tiny with today's usage. Sure you might get it to work out but just doing a software update might require you to erase a lot of things, it's a pain. The Mini 7 has a base storage configuration of 128gb.

Also as of today, Costco is running a deal with the Mini 7 256gb for $499.99.
https://www.costco.com/.product.4000285649.html

That is an excellent point that I hadn't given much thought to. Thanks for that!

 

[dmccombs]

Also as of today, Costco is running a deal with the Mini 7 256gb for $499.99.
https://www.costco.com/.product.4000285649.html

Do you know if that price is good in-store, or it just for online orders?

 

[mathiasinthe314]

Also as of today, Costco is running a deal with the Mini 7 256gb for $499.99.
https://www.costco.com/.product.4000285649.html

I went and put hands on both the Air and the Mini today. After what felt like an hour of painful indecision, I chose the mini. But - I did buy it from Costco to get the 256GB for the price of the 128GB. I’ll pay off the credit card when the Christmas bonus comes. Now I’ll use my $120 Apple gift card for an Apple Pencil.

 

[justmadeupname]

I went and put hands on both the Air and the Mini today. After what felt like an hour of painful indecision, I chose the mini. But - I did buy it from Costco to get the 256GB for the price of $128. I’ll pay off the credit card when the Christmas bonus comes. Now I’ll use my $120 Apple gift card for an Apple Pencil.

I just happen to be also at the Apple store today comparing all the iPads (mini 7 vs 10th gen vs M2 Air 11 vs M4 Pro 11). Found the mini 7 (overall) the best favouring weight and portability though the M4 Pro 11 would be fine if the price wasn't so high.

 

[mathiasinthe314]

I just happen to be also at the Apple store today comparing all the iPads (mini 7 vs 10th gen vs M2 Air 11 vs M4 Pro 11). Found the mini 7 (overall) the best favouring weight and portability though the M4 Pro 11 would be fine if the price wasn't so high.

Same. I’d love an M4 but I just can’t justify the price. I think I’ll be happy with the mini though. It felt great to hold and is super portable. I see myself using it more than something larger. My last iPad that I handed off to my daughter got used seldomly because it felt cumbersome for regular usage

 

[StaceyMJ86]

I have a mini 7 and a 6th gen 12.9 iPad Pro. I find myself using my mini 7 far more than my iPad Pro due to the portability and weight. I can easily slip the mini 7 into its own pocket in my backpack and use it on the go. Using it to read books on my kindle is awesome and I’ll be buying another Apple Pencil so I start sketching and note taking again.

 

[mathiasinthe314]

My Mini 7 arrived! So far I love it. It’s portable and gets the job done.

 

[StaceyMJ86]

My Mini 7 arrived! So far I love it. It’s portable and gets the job done.

I have the same case but in purple. I love my mini. I just need to order my Apple Pencil pro.

 

[mathiasinthe314]

I have the same case but in purple. I love my mini. I just need to order my Apple Pencil pro.

I recently traded in an old iPhone 11 to Apple had a gift card that paid for all but $15 of it. So it kind of worked out. I did get a paper like screen protector on a whim and I’m pretty impressed with how much better my handwriting is with it on vs not.

 

[StaceyMJ86]

I recently traded in an old iPhone 11 to Apple had a gift card that paid for all but $15 of it. So it kind of worked out. I did get a paper like screen protector on a whim and I’m pretty impressed with how much better my handwriting is with it on vs not.

I found one on sale at Target, used my REDcard for 5% off, and used the $5 off coupon Target had for electronics. Every little bit I saved helps. I think I’m going to try a paper like screen protector next.

 

[mathiasinthe314]

So I saw Best Buy had the 11” Air M2 for $100 off, so I went and bought it because of FOMO. Returned it within the afternoon. I just can’t beat the portability and ease of use of the Mini. Now I never have to wonder.

 

[Heat_Fan89]

Im typing this on my Mini 7 and I love the portability. I haven’t paid any attention to the jelly scrolling issue. I haven’t even noticed it and if it’s I don’t care. Every iPad I have owned has had it and it never was an issue for me.