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I just bought a Mini 6 because the design and form factor is killer and I love the size. However, I’m seriously considering ditching it, the 60hz screen is almost impossible to stomach next to my 13 Pro and 2018 iPad Pro, both of which have ProMotion. Truly it’s Achilles heel.
 
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Love the smaller form factor of the mini although the air with M1 is worth the xtra $100. Looking forward to the next iteration of the mini to include the M1 with more memory and become a formidable companion.
 
I really enjoy my new mini 6. I use it to annotate lecture slide PDF/PPT files for my university courses, as well as general productivity stuff like email and calendar. I also like it because as noted by many its a great size for mobile gaming as well as astronomy apps which i use with my telescope often. Also wifi streaming of spectrum cable tv on a stand i bought. It does a lot of really cool stuff and is my 1st ipad actually.

The form factor is near ideal. The only improvement i cold think of is shrinking the bezels for a slightly larger overall screen, or perhaps simply increasing the size marginally. MY next device up is a 15' MBP so its a large leap and I dont need an iPad that can replace a laptop as im 100% laptop oriented when it comes to school/business work. I need a device that can run the softwares of my 15' (ie office) but not neccesarily be the content creator, but for example hooking up to a projector to play a presentation instead of having to bring the MBP.

I am disappointed that there is no phone app (I have the 5g model). When I bought it, I thought it would be like the 5g watch which you could use for calls even when not within bluetooth. Funny enough I find the ipad mini more enjoyable to carry than my 13 pro as its far less dense and thinner. And as akward as it looks, you can in fact hold it like a phone pretty easily. I would sell my iPhone 13 Pro if I didnt need it for my watch and ipad mini because i almost never use it anymore.

The fact that the ipad mini doesnt have calculator is odd. It seems like a petty omission because it would be a great calculator size for folks who like large buttons or flipped even a scientific calculator. Also the omission of the weather app. I get not wanting to cannibalize iPhone sales but thats taken care of my not including the phone, so why do even more?

I think the iPad mini will become the future foldable iPhone form factor. Sleek, less dense, and very versatile.
 
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The fact that the ipad mini doesnt have calculator is odd. It seems like a petty omission because it would be a great calculator size for folks who like large buttons or flipped even a scientific calculator. Also the omission of the weather app. I get not wanting to cannibalize iPhone sales but thats taken care of my not including the phone, so why do even more?
PCalc is the solution for the missing calculator. Worth every penny of its $10 price (and it frequently goes on sale). Carrot Weather works for me as a great weather app that is fun and funny. The only downside is that it is subscription based but for me it's worth it. I also pay $10/yr for it.
 
All iPads are meant to used in Table most of the time, fact.

iPhones on other hand are meant to be used one right handed ( and can still type without other hand, which is still imposible on the iPad Mini) while your left hand is hidden on the pocket to hold the wallet because other pants has hole (broken) that needs mending.
 
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For portability, the iPad Mini 6 can fit a lot inside bag hence i prefer it more.

whereas iPad Air 11" display is just too big, with the magic keyboard it even looks bigger than the MacBook Air 11". Taller aspect ratio make device bigger.
 
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The Mini 6 is such a great device, and Jelly Scrolling is an overrated issue. Only times the Air would be better is if you use it docked and with a display, and if you really like drawing on a bigger screen. Even then, the Mini is perfectly fine for drawing, too.

Now just give me a Mini Pro, dang it!
 
I'd be up for the Air, but the portability of the Mini keeps me in that camp. Will wait and see what lies in store for future updates.
 
No more lightning port I suppose, what is the difference between the USB-C port between the two devices? Is it thunderbolt 4 speeds or just USB 2 speeds?
That would be the most important question when deciding between the two.
 
Do you prefer a more portable size and don't need quite so many Avalanche and Blizzard cores because you're using your iPad as a light and portable consumption device? Get an iPad mini.

Do you prefer larger iPad sizes and will largely be using an iPad instead of a 13" MacBook Air/Pro or a 14" MacBook Pro? Get an iPad Air.

Simplified.
 
What an asinine comparison. It appears that someone is loosing stock in the iPad Air models or justifying having it around. The mini is what the iPad is all about: Fun, Portability, and power house for most tasks. Make it with FaceID and new chipset and iT will sellout.
 
The iPad Air 11” is bigger than the mini in dimensions but has nearly the same number of pixels:

  • iPad mini : 2266‑by‑1488 resolution at 326 ppi
  • iPad Air 11”: 2360‑by‑1640 resolution at 264 ppi

Taken from Apple’s comparison page.
 
I am waiting for the refresh of the Mini - hands down, that has been the best all purpose iPad for me. I had the Air 5 with keyboard and upgraded to the Pro (same size) and using the same keyboard, prior to this last refresh. I really like the Air, but for me, around the house and consuming media - the Mini is the right size.

Little dismayed that there was no refresh of the Mini6 to a Mini7 - hope to see that with an M1/M2 and 8GB of RAM... that would make it my next purchase!
 
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I hope the updated Mini gets support for Stage Manager and a full speed USB 4 port.
 
Both are good iPads. Even the entry level iPad is a good one. Go for the mini if one prefers a smaller screen
 
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Like others have said, the Mini is for portability and the corporate sector, in particular industries like airlines who have incorporated iPads into their workflow. So these iterative updates work fine for the primary markets like them. Not so much for most of the rest of us.
 
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