iPad Mini 2 or Mini 4?

[bowlerman625]

I bought an iPad Mini 4 and gave my wife the iPad Air I was using. I have had iPads (full size) from day 1 and was fearful I would not like the screen downsize. That hasn't been an issue at all and I bought it in late December, 2015. I'm glad I got the mini 4 and my wife loves the iPad Air she got from me.

 

[craig1024]

The iPad mini 2 should be able to do the tasks you want fine, it just won't last as long as the mini 4 due to the 1gb of memory.

 

[ACG12]

Buying a mini 2 now is like burning money. It is only going to get slower as each update comes out. Spend the extra on a mini 4 and not have to worry about that.

 

[Channan]

Problem for me is this will be a real travel device. For the hours spent in the airports and aircraft trying not to go stir crazy. So I have a lot of Spotify playlists set to offline and I'll want to download a good few movies.

I wonder how many of the non-Irish folks here could pronounce your name properly?!

You could easily just use your phone for music if you wanted to save some extra money, though obviously watching videos on your phone isn't as ideal as on a tablet. But do most airports not have free Wi-Fi?

 

[kupkakez]

You could easily just use your phone for music if you wanted to save some extra money, though obviously watching videos on your phone isn't as ideal as on a tablet. But do most airports not have free Wi-Fi?

Yes they do but sometimes the wifi can be very slow. I tend to just get a cellular iPad in the event while I'm travelling the wifi is junk.

 

[The CameraGuy]

I'll tell you iPad mini 2. They are virtually the same EXCEPT for touch. You can even buy the same amount of space for less on the 2.

Come on guys, you all know better than to push a 4

 

[joeblow7777]

I'll tell you iPad mini 2. They are virtually the same EXCEPT for touch. You can even buy the same amount of space for less on the 2.

Come on guys, you all know better than to push a 4

You're thinking of the Mini 3, buddy.

Mini 4 is a full upgrade. A8 processor (higher clocked than the ones used in iPhones), doubled RAM, thinner, better display, better camera.

 

[oldmacs]

Go for the 4 - Really the ram on the Mini 2 is too little for any sort of longevity.

 

[Channan]

I'll tell you iPad mini 2. They are virtually the same EXCEPT for touch. You can even buy the same amount of space for less on the 2.

Come on guys, you all know better than to push a 4

Uh, the mini 4 is a massive upgrade over the 2.

 

[rulymammoth]

I'll tell you iPad mini 2. They are virtually the same EXCEPT for touch. You can even buy the same amount of space for less on the 2.

Come on guys, you all know better than to push a 4

I disagree. I have both. The mini 2 noticeably lags in many places where the mini 4 doesn't. The additional RAM of the mini 4 is also very noticeable when using Safari. And finally, the inclusion of Touch ID on the mini 4 is worlds more convenience than the mini 2 if you've already gotten used to using Touch ID on your iOS devices.

 

[masotime]

I'll tell you iPad mini 2. They are virtually the same EXCEPT for touch. You can even buy the same amount of space for less on the 2.

Come on guys, you all know better than to push a 4

I think you're confusing the iPad Mini 3 for the iPad Mini 4. Hmmm... are you aware that Apple released the iPad Mini 4? It is a massive upgrade over the 2/3, including more RAM, a better processor, a better screen and better ergonomics.

 

[Simche]

iPad mini 4 is the way to go!

 

[xixi.li]

You should consider the size
I suggest the mini 4 to you.lol

 

[OW22]

Well stage 1 is complete. I picked up the iPhone 6S yesterday and am well impressed. I took a 3 year sabbatical from the iPhone and went to Android as iOS felt stale and I wanted bigger screens. Very glad to be back with Apple! The iPhone is blazing fast, the Touch ID is really amazing and great to see Apps like my Banks apps using it to sign into accounts. And of course I can have all my Google favourites on the iPhone with no issues.

It was a dilemma as my choice was to go for the Samsung S7 edge and an Android tablet like the Pixel C or come back to Apple. Apple have won, the iOS ecosphere is better with way more apps and the iPads are still just better than the Android ones. Plus I'm a long term Mac user.

Stage 2 then will be the arrival of the 64GB iPad Mini 4. Looking forward to that. I already took delivery this morning of the Brydge Mini II keyboard for the Mini 4. Seriously impressive keyboard. It's weighty with backlit keys and really feels like it's an Apple product.

 

[FairyCatInPink]

Hey all, I'm currently an Android user, thought I was Apple from a long time back with the iPhone 1, 3GS and then 4S and also the 1st Gen iPad. I use an iMac 27in as my main pc.

I went across to Android about 4 years ago as I felt iPhones had just got stale. But now, I'm coming back. I have a Samsung Note 3 and I want to move from the Phablet and go with the iPhone 6S and an iPad mini.

To get to the point, is there a real benefit of the Mini 4 over the Mini 2? I want a small tablet as I travel a lot and the mini will come with me on flights etc to watch movies, read books and browse. The Mini 2 is currently €100 cheaper than the Mini 4 and I could get a higher capacity Mini 2 and still end up a lot cheaper than the Mini 4.

The thing putting me off the Mini 2 is that it's getting old now and the Mini 4 has the extra RAM with a better display and Touch ID.

If you buying now, just get iPad mini 4. It's smoother, faster, better function. I like it a lot, and I upgraded it from iPad mini 2 as well, no regret.

 

[OW22]

Well the Mini 4 arrived today. Very impressed with the size and weight and the scree quality. It works really well with the Bridge keyboard I picked up as well. Only thing negative, it's a pity they didn't include the A9 chip. It's noticeable slower than my iPhone 6S, you can see the speed difference clearly.

Other than that, no complaints.

Though I did have a major issue earlier when iTunes decided to brick it temporarily. The device started fine, iCloud details etc were all inserted, no issues. Then when connecting to iTunes and attempting to update the software it continually came back with an error 17. Updating or restoring, nothing worked. It just had the dreaded iTunes symbol. I had to carefully follow Apples instructions to go into Terminal and slightly amend some Apple GS settings and reboot everything again and thankfully it worded and restored the factory settings. Phew!

 

[ucfgrad93]

With the new iPads getting more and more ram, and improved processors, developers will start upgrading their apps to utilize more of the hardware. If you're looking for something to last you a good few years, I'd highly recommend getting the mini 4.

If you can afford it get the mini 4. Then you can utilize the latest features in OS9.

Agreed, the mini 4 is the way to go.

 

[ron7624]

Well the Mini 4 arrived today. Very impressed with the size and weight and the scree quality. It works really well with the Bridge keyboard I picked up as well. Only thing negative, it's a pity they didn't include the A9 chip. It's noticeable slower than my iPhone 6S, you can see the speed difference clearly.

Other than that, no complaints.

Though I did have a major issue earlier when iTunes decided to brick it temporarily. The device started fine, iCloud details etc were all inserted, no issues. Then when connecting to iTunes and attempting to update the software it continually came back with an error 17. Updating or restoring, nothing worked. It just had the dreaded iTunes symbol. I had to carefully follow Apples instructions to go into Terminal and slightly amend some Apple GS settings and reboot everything again and thankfully it worded and restored the factory settings. Phew!

Glad it worked out for you. Enjoy your new device. I love mine and its with me 24/7's because of its perfect size. Yes it's a bit slower, but not enough to really matter to me.

 

[OW22]

I have to say, the Brydge keyboard will be a godsend for travelling. It's weighty enough so the device can be used like a proper netbook. And unlike others it can be used on your lap easily. I can highly recommend it.

 

[Channan]

I have to say, the Brydge keyboard will be a godsend for travelling. It's weighty enough so the device can be used like a proper netbook. And unlike others it can be used on your lap easily. I can highly recommend it.

Yeah, but it's so expensive. You can get comparable keyboards for so much cheaper.

 

[OW22]

Yeah, but it's so expensive. You can get comparable keyboards for so much cheaper.

It ain't cheap, that's for sure. But I'm happy with it to be honest, it's a sold piece of aluminium and matches the device perfectly. The Logitech Ultrathin is just too flimsy for me.

 

[musiclvr]

I've been considering upgrading from the mini 2 to mini 4. But I thought the display had the same amount of pixels? But then I keep hearing that the 4 has a much better display than the 2?

 

[joeblow7777]

I've been considering upgrading from the mini 2 to mini 4. But I thought the display had the same amount of pixels? But then I keep hearing that the 4 has a much better display than the 2?

I'm not an expert in display technology but I believe the proper terminology is that the Mini 4 has a greatly improved colour gamut. Also, it has a laminated display like the Air 2. Basically, they removed a layer between the glass and the actual images you see on screen to make everything look more immersive and just overall better. There's more to display quality than just the number of pixels.

 

[musiclvr]

I'm not an expert in display technology but I believe the proper terminology is that the Mini 4 has a greatly improved colour gamut. Also, it has a laminated display like the Air 2. Basically, they removed a layer between the glass and the actual images you see on screen to make everything look more immersive and just overall better. There's more to display quality than just the number of pixels.

Ahh I see. Thanks for the explanation.

For anyone who has used both, can you tell a major difference in the upgraded display?

 

[kukheart]

On a small side note, I just got an iPad Mini 2 I wasn't expecting, it's better than I thought it would be and enjoying it. Have already decided not to do any software updates on it at all, maybe 9.3 but no way in hell upgrading to 10. I learned my lesson on the iPhone 5.