iPad Minis good for Maps app?

[Cobalt50]

I love Maps on my iPad 3 but will soon have to give it up. Does Maps work well on an iPad mini? I'm worried that the screen is too small to be useful.

 

[RickTaylor]

I love using maps on my cellular mini. It shows much more than a phone would, but is compact enough to fit in a suit pocket and be placed on the passenger seat of my car for GPS.

Still, this is a subjective matter. If you can, I'd suggest comparing maps on two display models in a store to see for yourself.

 

[ron7624]

I use maps on my Mini all the time. Yes, imo it is more than adequate. I have used it daily as a traffic checking tool and a routing tool. My air is too big for me to use in a car.

 

[mi7chy]

There's no GPS in the WIFI version so you'll need the cellular version.

iPad Mini 4 size is fine for navigation but check out the display quality and brightness in person. You might be disappointed.

 

[ron7624]

Quite right about needing the data model for its GPS capabilities. Since that's all I ever buy I did not give that a thought.

 

[ZBoater]

...but check out the display quality and brightness in person. You might be disappointed.

Really? The Mini 4 display is being touted as a great improvement.

 

[Cobalt50]

I love using maps on my cellular mini. It shows much more than a phone would, but is compact enough to fit in a suit pocket and be placed on the passenger seat of my car for GPS.

Still, this is a subjective matter. If you can, I'd suggest comparing maps on two display models in a store to see for yourself.

I just did check out Maps on an iPad Mini 2. There was no full-size iPad nearby to compare it with. I'd assume the field of view is smaller on the Mini (at the same zoom setting). Nonetheless, the Mini would be so much handier. I think I am going to get one.

 

[RickTaylor]

I just did check out Maps on an iPad Mini 2. There was no full-size iPad nearby to compare it with. I'd assume the field of view is smaller on the Mini (at the same zoom setting). Nonetheless, the Mini would be so much handier. I think I am going to get one.

No, unless you manually adjust the zoom, the field of view for the mini is exactly the same as the Air, only shrunken down. It's literally the same 2048x1536 pixels just crowded closer together. There are benefits and drawbacks to this approach. The main drawback is that controls and such are all designed for a larger screen and can be just a bit finicky to use. The big benefit is that programs written for the air automatically work for the mini; developers don't need to re-scale anything

 

[Cobalt50]

No, unless you manually adjust the zoom, the field of view for the mini is exactly the same as the Air, only shrunken down. It's literally the same 2048x1536 pixels just crowded closer together. There are benefits and drawbacks to this approach. The main drawback is that controls and such are all designed for a larger screen and can be just a bit finicky to use. The big benefit is that programs written for the air automatically work for the mini; developers don't need to re-scale anything

I see. I image street names are smaller or non-existant without a zoom. Still I think a Mini would work for me.

 

[Badrottie]

I use map on my iPhone 6 Plus all the time so the screen size does not bother me.