Both the mini and Air are excellent iPads. For me it would come down to screen size while selecting between the two.
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iPad Mini 6 vs. iPad Air 4 Buyer's Guide
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Nice to see an article on the new Mini that isn’t just bad news 
. As for speed, I benchmarked the new mini against my 2018 iPad Pro 11” with some real world tasks and it is essentially an exact match in speed, if not a touch faster in some aspects.
For me the key wasn’t how fast it was compared to other iPad models, it was that it has USB-C and is a pocketable device. I work in time sensitive media and often need to pull photos / videos from my Canon cameras via USB-C (Wireless app doesn’t transfer RAW, and video is ultra slow). Sadly nothing with lightning will connect to my Canon cameras, even with Apple’s own USB-C to Lightning cable.
I guess for me, the Mini is the true iPhone Pro Max purchase for 2021.
. As for speed, I benchmarked the new mini against my 2018 iPad Pro 11” with some real world tasks and it is essentially an exact match in speed, if not a touch faster in some aspects.For me the key wasn’t how fast it was compared to other iPad models, it was that it has USB-C and is a pocketable device. I work in time sensitive media and often need to pull photos / videos from my Canon cameras via USB-C (Wireless app doesn’t transfer RAW, and video is ultra slow). Sadly nothing with lightning will connect to my Canon cameras, even with Apple’s own USB-C to Lightning cable.
I guess for me, the Mini is the true iPhone Pro Max purchase for 2021.
For consuming content, I prefer the largest screen possible. I can't justify the cost of an iPad Pro for that, so that means the regular iPad. I don't like holding it up for long periods of time, so for watching and reading in bed, I got a padded foam tablet stand that sits on my lap and lets me watch hands-free. It works great, it's very comfortable, and I highly recommend one.
Been rocking the iPad Mini 4 since it's release. I thoroughly enjoy watching all kinds of content from YT/Netflix/Plex without any bother. I've been waiting for them to upgrade from the on-screen button/narrow the bezels/and switch to usb-c. Its perfect for reading magazines and books, and web browsing is good enough for me. All the negatives for it's size, haven't affected my experience, and they aren't new to this version either.
I seriously love it personally, I was really hoping this year’s phones would have it, to each their own I guess
I think the Liquid Retina designation has more to do with the rounded corners of the splay itself than anything else.
Yes defective units can be a problem, but every electronic company has that. Headaches I am not sure about. And Etc is the worst, I feel you.
Given the capabilities of the iPad 8 and now the 9th Generation model, it’s difficult to justify spending nearly twice as much ($329 vs $599) on the iPad Air 4, especially given that the new iPad mini has been released, despite its flaws. With the new mini released and the iPad 9th Gen, what was seen as a good and practical alternative to the 11” iPad Pro now seems completely adrift. If I was spending the money now, I’d opt for the 11” iPad Pro. Ignoring the technical merits of both the mini and the iPad 4, both also seem priced about $100 over where they should be, but this is typical of Apple pricing. The Air more so now that the mini 6 has finally been released.
Yeah. The mini mainly exists because they needed to compete with the Kindle Fire and all the other Android based 7-inch tablets that started to come out thereafter. It's like the iPod touch where it's seen as a gateway into the Apple ecosystem.
The air is for that market that is otherwise going to go with one of those new hybrid Chromebooks or a Surface Go.
I’m pretty surprised to see that in all of these comments, no one has mentioned the mini for travel. That was my immediate reason for wanting one. Carrying the mini in carryon on a plane or with me on a train for longer trips and using that for media instead of using my phone’s battery.
The pain of using an iPhone is hugely relived by wearing an Apple Watch. As for iPads I enjoy using them for reading and web browsing, but they are totally optional.
“Since the iPad Air was released a whole year ago in september 2020…”
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When the newest iPad Mini was announced at the event, I very briefly felt buyer’s remorse for my 4th-gen iPad Air. The Mini was my preferred form factor; I’ve owned the first two generations of the Mini, and they were perfect for me.
But the iPad Air that I have now was the best option for me when it came out, and I have been very happy with it, so my buyer’s remorse was quickly dispelled.
So all things considered, the iPad Air was an excellent purchase for me then, and it’s still a great buy for someone today, if it fits their needs.
And one other thing that helped melt my buyer’s remorse really quickly: my iPad Air doesn’t jelly-scroll. 😜
But the iPad Air that I have now was the best option for me when it came out, and I have been very happy with it, so my buyer’s remorse was quickly dispelled.
So all things considered, the iPad Air was an excellent purchase for me then, and it’s still a great buy for someone today, if it fits their needs.
And one other thing that helped melt my buyer’s remorse really quickly: my iPad Air doesn’t jelly-scroll. 😜
It depends on what you're doing with it. If someone is that worried about specs they're probably buying the iPad Pro. The Air is OP for what most people will ever use it for. I only bought it for the better screen over the regular iPad.
How small is your carry on that you take on a plane? Most people carry something the size of a small backpack or laptop bag that would easily fit a full size iPad or 13" MacBook Air.
That was my problem with the mini. It didn't fit in my pocket so if I'm carrying a bag I might as well carry a larger iPad. Maybe if I had some type of fanny pack or whatever they're called now because I hear they're coming back in style.
I usually just have a backpack. I have a 13” MacBook Air, but don’t generally travel with it. I’ve not actually seen either the iPad mini or the iPad Air in person, but imagine the smaller would be more convenient. 🤷🏻♂️