iPad Mini vs. iPad Pros?

[perspectivetech]

As a former user of the 12.9" iPad Pro, 9.7" iPad Pro (purchased this past weekend but returned an hour ago), and iPad Air 2, I find myself constantly going back to the iPad Mini as my main portable iPad computing device. Though the updates and announcements are almost a footnote at this point for Apple, I really do think that its a marvel of a device for its ability to:
1. Show the same amount of content as the 9.7" iPads (albeit scaled down in size)
2. Have a keyboard that is actually quite easy to type quickly on with the thumbs due to ease of reachability for each key
3. Fit in one hand and be able to be gripped. There's something about holding it that feels like holding a smaller moleskine notebook that really does contain all of the data that's important to you (dropbox, ebooks, videos, the web).

Not trying to start a negative campaign on the other iPads here, just very curious to get personal thoughts from folks who love their iPad Minis for the same reason as I do, or those that feel it's compromised and/or cramped when compared to the other iPads in the lineup.

 

[joeblow7777]

I've always appreciated portability of the iPad Mini, which is why my first and thus far only iPad purchase is a Mini 4. It's just a great form factor for a tablet.

 

[xAnthony]

iPad Mini user here...

Personally, the iPad Mini is my favourite iPad. I combine it with my Bluetooth keyboard and it's been my primary computing device while at home or on the go. I do have the LTE version, which I believe is a must these days. Being able to connect from anywhere, at any time, is what makes this device so special. I carry around the device everywhere I go, and it still amazes me where I'm able to place it. Believe it or not, it even fits in some of my pant pockets, however I would never actually keep it there as it looks quite ridiculous. Portability is the reason why I've chosen this device over the others and it's also why I have no intention of upgrading to a "Pro" device anytime soon.

 

[profets]

Though I don't think I'll be using an iPad mini anytime soon (for my personal use I really found it overlapped too much with the Plus size iPhone), I think they've done an excellent job with it. I've always been drawn to its size and weight. The mini 4 is truly impressive in how thin and light it is, even quite easy to do a lot of stuff one handed on it. For my own use, I'd say it's also the perfect book reader too.

 

[ZBoater]

I love my Mini. I just don't have any use for it. I don't have an issue carrying my 9.7" Pro with me.

 

[pacorob]

I love my iPad mini2 (would love to upgrade to the mini4 though for the speed + split view) because of:
1) portability
2) price point
3) still type/swype very handy with e.g. Swype or Path Input for iPad (with numeric keypad)
4) great for my kid (2.5 year old) to operate

I also own an iPhone 5s and will upgrade to a SE in the future. I also love the small size factor there (and the price) which is also easy to fit in my pocket and still ride a bike, can be operated with small hands. I couldn't run a bike with a 4.7inch device (I had a Samsung Galaxy Nexus i9250 at one point). I had to put the phone in my bag and I was missing calls.

 

[Shadowbech]

I currently have both the mini 4 and the ipad pro 9.7. IPad mini was the first device I ever owned for the iPad line. I wanted something bigger and not so much on the iPad pro 12.9. Loving my new iPad pro 9.7

 

[Night Spring]

I do like the mini for reading ebooks and news articles through Instapaper, but with my eyesight, most websites are too small. I also never could get used to typing on the mini keyboard, it's too small to type with my fingers, and too big for thumb typing. That said, if the Apple Watch worked with the mini, I'd ditch my iPhone and use the mini for my carry everywhere device.

 

[Rava]

I love my iPad Mini 2. I carry it everywhere I go, and love how the portability and lower weight make it convenient to use. I used to have an iPad 3 and barely used it. Since getting the mini, I've moved most of my computing to it and only use my PC for work or games. I would never get an iPhone plus because I have small hands, so I haven't found my phone to be a mini replacement.

One thing I don't love the mini for is the price, in that I don't like the trend of smaller devices being cheaper and less powerful. I buy the mini because it's the form factor I like the most. I'd would be happy to spend more on a mini if I could get the same specs as the bigger iPad. I ended up not upgrading my mini last year because in the end it wasn't a big enough upgrade over the Mini 2. Since I always get increased disk space and LTE, the mini is still pretty pricey for out of date technology. The 9.7 pro getting almost the same specs as the larger pro has me somewhat hopeful the mini will be brought close to parity this year.

 

[spiderman0616]

My progression of iPads has been iPad 2-->iPad 3-->iPad Air 1-->no iPad at all-->iPad mini 3-->iPad Pro 9.7"

I tried the mini 3 for awhile because I was always jealous of the portability and form factor of my wife's mini. I have to say, I LOVED the mini 3 while I had it. But it was a redundancy in my work flow, much like the Macbook Pro turned out to be. My arsenal of gadgets at the time was a 13" Macbook Pro, a 13" work issued Dell laptop, iPhone 6s, and iPad mini 3.

Again, I really enjoyed the mini 3, but I was starting to want to use the Macbook for watching video because of the larger screen. And while I really enjoyed the Macbook for the larger screen, I did not enjoy the heat it generated. For my full time day job, I was on my work Dell 99% of the time. (I'm due to have that replaced in September, and I'm going to request a Macbook). In other words, there was no reason to have a second personal laptop or a mini anymore when a 9.7" iPad Pro filled the needs of both devices at once.

 

[TrueBlou]

It's a great wee device, plenty powerful, easy to hold and, well, you know the rest.

I had a Mini 4 for a bit, the wife's still got one but I don't miss mine at all. Some things the screen, while lovely, was just too small for and with my stupidly oversized hands (I've got a 12.9" Pro and can actually easily use the on-screen keyboard with my thumbs able to reach the middle of the screen without over stretching too much. But that's neither here nor there I supposed) I find the bigger iPads just as easy to use.

But the Mini definitely has its place, I recommend it to lots of people.

 

[Harthag]

Currently have a Mini 4 since it launched which replaced an Air 2. It's a great iPad but I miss the larger screen on the 9.7". I have great vision and the text is just too small as is the overall screen size. It is the perfect workout companion to place on a treadmill or elliptical, perfect size. But that's all it's good for, for my uses. I don't use the iPad at all for work or on the go and it stays at home, I have my laptop for that. It was a nice change for awhile using the Mini, but no more. So I will probably pick up the 9.7" Pro very soon. Can't wait to get some hands on time with it at the Apple store.

 

[Night Spring]

I've got a 12.9" Pro and can actually easily use the on-screen keyboard with my thumbs able to reach the middle of the screen without over stretching too much.

Heh. Good to know I'm not the only one who does this! With the 9.7, I used to thumb type all the time, with the 12.9, it's more mixed. Sometimes I use my thumbs, sometimes I use thumbs of one hand while the other finger pecks with the index finger, and sometimes I "touch type" with all my fingers.

 

[jekjones1558]

Love my mini for reading in bed and for stuffing in my purse on-the-go. I got the 9.7 Pro to try out as a partial laptop replacement. The big Pro is just too big for me. Withholding judgement for now about the 9.7 as a laptop replacement. I still really miss a trackpad/mouse.

 

[azt33]

I hope they release soon an iPad Pro 7.9" - that would be the ideal iPad for me. I'm doubting now whether to replace my iPad Mini 4 with an iPad Pro 9.7", as it has the Apple Pencil support. Something that I would love to have, as I take many notes for my job.

But I just love the iPad Mini form factor especially the 4 is amazing in terms of the thickness (thinness) and weight!

 

[LiveM]

I do have the LTE version, which I believe is a must these days.

I just tether to my iPhone when there is no Wi-Fi.

I need Pencil support but if the Mini doesn't get it then I will add a Pro for contracts but I Really love the size and convenience so won't sell my Mini 4.

I'm all mini - Mac, iPad and iPhone SE.

 

[azt33]

Same here, but I'm waiting for the new 12" rMB to come out. That will make me "mini" as well, 12" rMB, iPad Mini and iPhone SE

 

[stylinexpat]

I am debating on whether or not I keep my old iPad Mini 2 and wait for the next update where they hopefully give it 4 speakers and more RAM or just get the new iPad Pro 9.7"

I prefer the size of the the Mini much more and find it more usable in my hands compared to the new Pro 9.7" as it feels a bit big to continue holding. It also does not fit into my Slingpack as easily either. The Mini just seems to be the perfect size.

 

[maflynn]

I do enjoy the mini, but I will say, that, I'm thinking the larger form factor may be a better fit for me at this stage. I'm rethinking my tablet, phone, computer mix because of recent purchases. I now own a SE, and I purchased a 27" iMac last November. I'm looking for a product (or products) that complement that product mix and I'm thinking the mini fails to do that.

 

[9646829]

I do enjoy the mini, but I will say, that, I'm thinking the larger form factor may be a better fit for me at this stage. I'm rethinking my tablet, phone, computer mix because of recent purchases. I now own a SE, and I purchased a 27" iMac last November. I'm looking for a product (or products) that complement that product mix and I'm thinking the mini fails to do that.

27" iMac, iPhone SE and iPad Pro 9.7 would be a perfect combo imo.

 

[stylinexpat]

What still bugs me the most is how their low end model iPhone SE comes with 2GB of RAM and this iPad Pro that is almost 4 times the size and costs almost twice as much has the same amount of RAM in it. They call it a Pro too

http://9to5mac.com/2016/04/01/iphone-5s-vs-iphone-se-2gb-ram-big-difference/

 

[Mystro]

Minin4 was too small for my eyes. Got headaches when trying to use it as a primary tablet. I roll with the big Pro and even now have a hard time viewing my Air 2 as anything but a temporary device for the occasional use.

 

[joeblow7777]

What still bugs me the most is how their low end model iPhone SE comes with 2GB of RAM and this iPad Pro that is almost 4 times the size and costs almost twice as much has the same amount of RAM in it. They call it a Pro too

"Pro" is just a marketing term. People need to realize that it doesn't mean or even imply anything about specs aside from what the company in question wants it to mean.

People keep saying, "how can they only offer 2GB of RAM and still call this Pro?!" As if the word "Pro" is somehow synonymous with a certain level of RAM.

 

[infantrytrophy]

Easy choice for me. The new iPad Pro 9.7 is a great size - not massive like the 12.9", but big enough to take advantage of the new features - split screen and Pencil support. Taking handwritten notes works very well.

I'm taking online courses from Coursera and watching other video instructional content. It's easy to use split screen to take notes on half the screen while watching the video on the other half. Even if a new iPad Mini supported these features, I suspect that the screen would be too small to make it work well.

I see others' point about reading in bed with the smaller device, but the 9.7" iPad also works well - I read in bed all the time.

Some web pages are just too small to work well on the iPad mini. Much better on larger iPads.

 

[urkel]

iPad Mini + Pencil is what I really want.

I'm worried that Apple isn't going to put pencil support on the next Mini. And that's a shame because (IMO) Pencil support is far more practical than 3D Touch.

I know people will argue against that but the pencil is an optional accessory that has huge profit margins so it would make sense for Apple to put it on all future iOS devices.