iPad mini Is 5 to 6 really an upgrade? Feels mostly like a form factor change.

[KPOM]

I’m not sure if you’re familiar with it, but long ago, Google released several tablets to try and compete with Apple. None of them were really very impressive - with one important exception - the Nexus 7 (2013).

That tablet is good.
I think the iPad mini having a narrower form factor is actually better - it’s going to fit more easily into pockets, and be easier to hold with one hand. In other words - it’s going to be even better at what it is designed to be - a portable tablet.

Physically the 6 is same size. They just made the bezels a bit wider on the sides but much narrower on top and bottom.

 

[masotime]

Physically the 6 is same size. They just made the bezels a bit wider on the sides but much narrower on top and bottom.

You’re right - this leaves me a little disappointed. So physically it’s taller, but the same width. Hmmmm…..

 

[KPOM]

Speaking of the value.
It’s amazing how much they screw you on trade ins if you bought anything but the base model.

We have two iPad mini 5’s. One is base 64gb WiFi only and the other is the opposite - LTE and full 256gb.

Both would net the same $225 trade in value from Apple despite many hundreds of dollars difference at MSRP.

OUCH.

That’s why I usually sell through third party sites like Swappa. And I try to buy the smallest storage I think is necessary, whether iPhone, iPad, or Mac. The higher end models lose the most value.

 

[KPOM]

I am not sure if you were looking for an honest response but I would honestly have liked the base price to stay at $399 given the storage stayed at 64gb and the screen is basically the same (ever so slight change to aspect ratio and otherwise spec equivalent).

One thing I would love a folding version of is an iPhone.
An “iPhone RAZR” I would be ALL over.

We’d all love it if it were $100 cheaper but we saw this with the iPad Air, as well. The chip shortage is real and Apple prices its products to achieve 35-40% margins. The market always seems to bear it.

 

[KPOM]

You’re right - this leaves me a little disappointed. So physically it’s taller, but the same width. Hmmmm…..

It seems like an aesthetic decision by Apple. They want uniform bezels like on the iPad Pro and Air. The aspect ratio is weird too. It’s roughly 32x21. If they weren’t going to maintain 4x3 I’d have preferred 16x11.

 

[rkuo]

that's definitely not my perspective, I don't web surf from the couch, ever.... I have a much more sophisticated use of my many iPads pro and mini, and I guess I am in the minority, most iPad users probably do precisely what Steve Jobs said the iPad was for...
And by the way I am waiting for what I consider more substantial upgrades before I move from my mini 5, like a significant increase in RAM, as with every OS upgrade reloads are increasing. RAM is something basic users don't even know how much they have... but has always been iPads bottleneck (first 1GB RAM, then 2GB and now even 3 and 4 are starting to become annoying in terms of reloads with iPadOS 15...)

In case it wasn't clear, I wasn't referring to you specifically re: web surfing users. Just referring to the general fact that extremely basic usage (aka just web surfing) isn't a good way to evaluate iPad generations. They are so much more than that.

You're welcome to wait, of course. I might wait if I had the iPad Mini 5 (I had the 4 for a while) ... I don't know. I'm still on the fence because I can't quite figure out where this device fits in between my iPhone and iPad Pro 11". For a lower price (maybe used) I'll eventually buy in just because I love the form factor so much.

 

[rkuo]

You’re right - this leaves me a little disappointed. So physically it’s taller, but the same width. Hmmmm…..

No no ... just to be clear, the display is taller and just a tad less wide. But the physical device itself is the same width as all other iPad Mini's, while in terms of height it's actually the most compact of any iPad Mini ever. The iPad Mini 6th gen is the smallest iPad Mini ever made.

iPad - Compare Models

Compare resolution, size, weight, performance, battery life, and storage of iPad Pro, iPad Air, iPad, and iPad mini models.

www.apple.com

 

[Mac47]

No no ... just to be clear, the display is taller and just a tad less wide. But the physical device itself is the same width as all other iPad Mini's, while in terms of height it's actually the most compact of any iPad Mini ever. The iPad Mini 6th gen is the smallest iPad Mini ever made.

iPad - Compare Models

Compare resolution, size, weight, performance, battery life, and storage of iPad Pro, iPad Air, iPad, and iPad mini models.

www.apple.com

You are exactly right. I just got a “smart cover” for it (from Amazon, not Apple), and compared it to my iPad Mini 2. Comparing the empty cover for the 6 with the 5 in a similar case shows exactly what you said above.

 

[Shanghaichica]

I’m not saying the opinion should not have ever been expressed, I’m just saying I consider arguing that these new minis are not a significant upgrade to be a ridiculous position.

They are objectively significant upgrades. They are objectively the biggest upgrades that the mini has received since its inception 9 years ago. There could always be an argument that “oh, but I don’t need that feature!” Imagine the new minis had a 40 hour battery life - think of how asinine it would be to attempt to diminish the significance of that by arguing that you personally because you never use your iPad away from a charger. It’s an exaggerated example, but follows the same principle. It’s fine if it’s not enough for someone to upgrade, but the implications of the questions posed in the title about it “being an upgrade” and simply a “form factor change” are way way way out there and I felt it needed to be challenged.

I did say it was an individual mater for me. I didn’t say this was an objective and definitive opinion.

 

[Shanghaichica]

Yeah, but I never said it wasn't if you read my previous posts and I didn't write the title of the thread.
I said that the mini 6 is a big upgrade, but may not be worth it for some mini 5 users, unless they care a lot about things like the new design, usb c and pencil 2.
What I also said, but that's different, is that the mini 6 upgrade, compared to the mini 5 upgrade, is over-hyped online.
The mini 5 made a tablet that had been slowed down to a crawl by OS upgrades extremely responsive and gave it pencil support. That was a huge upgrade. But the media and comments didn't give much attention to that.
The mini 6 is being considered a game changer, a revolution, like if Apple had done nothing since the mini 1, when in terms of performance it's going to change very little, the screen size is barely going to increase (much less than the 0.4in would suggest) and other marketing stuff like liquid retina (= rounded corners) are just BS that people cite as upgrade (without even knowing what they mean), people say no bezels... Seriously? Those bezels are thicker than the side bezels of previous mini, that's why the screen did not increase much...It's just symmetry, which is beautiful, but definitely not a "full screen" device... I think the mini 5 was a huge upgrade and it's still an amazing device and the price did not increase. I don't know which one is the bigger upgrade, I guess it depends on priorities, but I still believe there is too much hype, driven in part by Apple marketing machine...

I do agree that the media and the tech YouTubers seem to have jumped on the mini 6 and are hyping it up. Where were they all these years? Apart from the original mini which did get quite a bit of interest for being a new iPad the mini has been ignored for years. Now suddenly they are all excited about the mini. It’s still the same small tablet it’s been for years that they ignored in favour of the pros. It does. One across as a kind of concerted effort. They all have to sing from the same Hymn book as if directed by someone. I would like to see some differing opinions. It was the same with the M1 MacBooks and there are other products too. Anyhow I will wait for the device to actually come out and then decide, try and find some balanced reviews and actually see for myself.

 

[Shanghaichica]

Maybe for Golden or Silver Age but modern comics, the 16:10 aspect ratio of the Nexus 7 is pretty spot on.

I don’t think I’ve ever read a comic on the nexus 7 before. I’ve still got one an old one at home, the second generation. I will have a look. I do admit though the older Samsung tablets with their 16:10 aspect ratio were great for watching movies and reading comics. Not good for much else but unmatched for media consumption.

 

[Shanghaichica]

OK, but in the context of iPad upgrades, it's objectively one of the biggest upgrades ever for the iPad Mini ... maybe even the biggest.

I really don't find the perspective of someone who just web surfs from the couch very interesting in terms of evaluating iPad's, and I just don't believe that's what people are thinking about when this question is asked.

There’s no need to be condescending. We all have different use cases for our devices and all of our options are important and valuable. Sometimes I read reviews for new products and get a different perspective on the device. They may highlight something I hadn’t thought about and it might become useful. Also for your information I do take my mini outside of the house. That’s the reason why I have a mini for it’s portability, not because I like using it on the couch.

 

[Shanghaichica]

Im waiting for impressions of the speakers. On such a small portable device, a good speaker system is a large part of its draw to me. Im not expecting a dedicated speaker sound, but how good is it? Big thing for me.

Yeah the speakers should be good. I’m waiting to see the reviews on just how good they are. Speakers are important to me. It’s what keeps me on the pro devices as apposed to getting an iPad Air. I love the quad speakers.

 

[dumastudetto]

It's a huge upgrade in terms of performance, capabilities, Apple Pencil 2 support is a game changer, and the new form factor will be an absolute delight.

It's a no-brainer upgrade for every iPad Mini owner.

 

[Shanghaichica]

that's definitely not my perspective, I don't web surf from the couch, ever.... I have a much more sophisticated use of my many iPads pro and mini, and I guess I am in the minority, most iPad users probably do precisely what Steve Jobs said the iPad was for...
And by the way I am waiting for what I consider more substantial upgrades before I move from my mini 5, like a significant increase in RAM, as with every OS upgrade reloads are increasing. RAM is something basic users don't even know how much they have... but has always been iPads bottleneck (first 1GB RAM, then 2GB and now even 3 and 4 are starting to become annoying in terms of reloads with iPadOS 15...)

I haven’t used the 4 on iOS 15 but I did use a family members a few months ago on iOS 14. Definitely starting to unravel. Loading times were a tad slower than I’m used to and I saw frame rate drops and some stuttering in Mario Kart.

 

[Shanghaichica]

Totally. I never do a trade in as I never have lowest available capacity. I also do own a Mini 5 256GB LTE. Need to sell it on ebay ....

So TO ME it is a big upgrade. But it ALWAYS depends on your personal needs and preferences and use case.

Like you I don't really need USB-C nor an Apple Pencil. I own 3 tech devices. iPhone 12 mini, iPad mini 5 and Macbook 12. Macbook almost always at home, Mini almost always on the go.

I use my iPad mini mostly for some quick browsing at home and mostly on the go. I travel all the time for work, every day, often sleeping in hotels. iPad mini is my main portable device besides the iPhone 12 mini. I use it on the go mostly for browsing, checking something and video playback/streaming. And here comes the main reason for me to love the new Mini 6 with it's new display ratio. Watching and streaming videos. 16:9 will look so much better and bigger on the iPad mini. And as it is a small tablet by itself that difference will be huge. 4:3 classic movies and tv shows of course will be smaller compared to the Mini 5. But I mostly watch 16:9 stuff, sometimes 4:3, sometimes the other way. Plus stereo playback from both sides for better audio quality.
Then there is 5G. Which means Qualcomm modem. Another big upgrade for me as a traveler.

Plus lighter and smaller and just a fresher design over all makes it so worth it to me. But if I wouldn't travel so much with the iPad mini 6 being my main device for media consumption and browsing, I wouldn't care THAT much about the new Mini as I do now.

This is a good analysis. I think you raise a good point about travelling. I’ve had every generation of the mini from 1-5. Up until late 2019 I used to have a 2 hour commute each way. The mini was really important to me during my commute. Now I live within walking disbtance of my work place. I still take my mini 5 with me every day and use it at work. I’ve never been comfortable hauling big iPads around with me outside of the house. They’ve refurbished our office at work and we actually ended up with less desk space so my mini fits that space nicely now. I took my 11 inch pro just to see how it would fit and it took up too much space and got in the way. Also I can also use my mini in the clinical room at work where I might have Medication and other devices out and it doesn’t take up too much space. My pro would just be in the way. That being said I’m looking forward to actually seeing the redesigned mini and seeing how it compares in terms of shape and size to my iPad mini 5.

 

[stinkhorn9]

I think this is an excellent observation and an important question to ask to help those who are considering the Mini 6.

I agree that the form-factor change is significantly greater than the change to the internals.

I can see where someone who is a fan of the classic Mini would NOT necessarily be a fan of the Mini 6 as a proper follow-on device. But I also know that there were MANY who were waiting in the wings for Apple to release this. Whether or not it was just wishful thinking on their part or a serious purchase decision is another matter. 🙂

Whether it is the Mini, iPad, or iPad Pro, I am a big fan of the classic form-factor (larger bezel, home button/touch ID, headphone jack). I know that is a bit of an oddball position to take but there it is... I'm an oddball. 😀

Apple could interest me in the newer form-factor if they make some changes (which I don't expect them to make anytime soon). First would be moving the front-facing camera to be centered on the landscape edge. The second would be to get rid of the camera bump. It is because of the camera bump that Apple has discontinued smartcovers.

The Mini 6 is the "dream" iPad for many... more so than perhaps the original Mini. I really am happy for those who were waiting for this, and I'm quite surprised that Apple released it this year. I was really expecting it to be 2022 at the earliest.

I'll be curious to see how many, if any, fans of the previous generations of Minis, get the 6, and have a different reaction to owning the 6.

I'm theoretically with you on this. Having recently moved up from an iPad 2 (!) to an iPad Air (1!) and gladly no longer experiencing any of the crashing / sluggishness / unable-to-cope issues of old, I struggle to see how upgrading to something newer - with my usage - would benefit. Obviously I'm curious, though. And as I've missed the boat getting a Mini 5, the new standard iPad would be the most appealing model. Headphone jack, home button, lightning port all matter. Oh - and budget!

 

[*~Kim~*]

Speaking of the value.
It’s amazing how much they screw you on trade ins if you bought anything but the base model.

We have two iPad mini 5’s. One is base 64gb WiFi only and the other is the opposite - LTE and full 256gb.

Both would net the same $225 trade in value from Apple despite many hundreds of dollars difference at MSRP.

OUCH.

They offer £155 in the UK for my 64GB Cellular, £145 for a 64GB WiFi (knew a relative’s serial number as I organise their AC+ and put it in to check.) If I had the base model I’d take it, but that difference is insulting. They added £20 to the cost of the Cellular on the 6 vs the 5, but will only give £10 for having had it. It’s not like a refurb Cellular is sold super cheap because most people are fine with the base model; probably still £100 extra on the base price.

I will hand down my Mini 5 for now even though the user would prefer a bigger size. I can’t justify £164 and it for the base and they’d probably prefer the Air which is now outdated compared to the Mini but still at its launch price.

 

[alongdingdong]

I was surprised about the high price, the original mini was around 2000 hkd upon release fast forward the barebones series 6 is 4000 hkd double the price.

I understand in 2021 things are much more expensive because inflation and our FIAT is simply not containing the same value anymore plus everything got a lot more expensive due shortages.

But this price will remain to be the new standard, and for a ipad mini i feel that sucks because it was a nice entry level apple product when it initially was released. But then again this is Apple they just cost premium so i will live with the price although in the back off my mind i will have a minor grumble about it 😛

4 GB RAM sounds sufficient considered my iphone 8 plus has 3 and it never is slow or crashes apps, but then again it does have a smaller screen and i use it a lot less for various stuff (no games etc etc) with a ipad i will have lots more apps open, so i am a bit sceptical about not running into the RAM limits quite occasionally on the ipad, where apps crashes or very slow browsing experience when scrolling etc.

The screen is MEH but understandable why.

The pencil option is nice, but they left out the keyboard for the IPAD MINI 7 and that bothers me alot!
you know already Apple left out some really nice quality features for the next iteration, you can just feel it.
And because off that i might skip this series 6 and hold on my money for a series 7.

Why? Inflation and everything being more expensive and will be more expensive.
But perhaps FOMO is getting the better off me and i break and end up buying the series 6 anyway 😛

Because the IPAD mini is my favorite apple product, period.

 

[rkuo]

There’s no need to be condescending. We all have different use cases for our devices and all of our options are important and valuable. Sometimes I read reviews for new products and get a different perspective on the device. They may highlight something I hadn’t thought about and it might become useful. Also for your information I do take my mini outside of the house. That’s the reason why I have a mini for it’s portability, not because I like using it on the couch.

I'm not blaming you for anything and I'm perfectly fine with you expressing your needs and opinions. I'm simply saying that in the context of reviewing a new iPad upgrade, a single very simple and basic use case is not the perspective that most people need.

 

[philosophree]

I am going from 5 to 6 and consider it an upgrade. Other than the typical internals update, the increase in RAM, the landscape stereo, the bigger screen, and newer screen proportions are enough to consider it so. I haven't really seen it brought up yet, but one way I can appreciate the aspect ratio change is for phone exclusive apps that will zoom a little better on the 6's screen.

 

[playtech1]

The 6 does everything I would expect it to and I'm very pleased Apple is continuing to upgrade the Mini line, which was in serious doubt a few years ago.

That said, coming from a 5, I would personally miss the rounded edges, home button and headphone jack, perhaps more than I would appreciate the CPU, screen and speaker upgrades in the 6.

The problem of an upgraded model not being compelling for owners of the immediately preceding model is pretty much par for the course these days. That said, I think Apple is adding features which for particular users are compelling - the front camera and pencil 2 will be very very interesting for people that rely on those features.

I would say that iPads have been more software limited than hardware limited since at least 2018.

 

[marty1980]

The upgrades seem significant to me. However, I would say look at the same as buying a new iPhone every year. You shouldn’t do it unless you’re just the type of person that wants to.

The mini 5 is still great and will be supported for a long time. It still supports Apple Pencil, just have to deal with Gen 1, which is a great product with a funky charging solution. mini 5 owners should look at the next or even the next-next mini, not this one. Though a design change often does push some people to upgrade sooner. 🤷🏼‍♂️

 

[RoadWarrior56]

For the first time in its history, the screen size of the Mini is increasing, even if by only a half an inch diagonal. That in itself is a major upgrade, notwithstanding the other changes between the 5 and 6.

 

[Digitalguy]

For the first time in its history, the screen size of the Mini is increasing, even if by only a half an inch diagonal. That in itself is a major upgrade, notwithstanding the other changes between the 5 and 6.

Diagonal inches mean very little, the iPhone Max has 1.2in less and it is basically half the screen area of the old mini due to the aspect ratio. Aspect ratio being 4:3, the mini 6 would have the same screen area at 8.1in, so it's a 0.2in increase