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iPad mini Is my iPad Mini a lemon — or are they all this bad?

alexjholland

alexjholland

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
I own most Apple products.

For context, my iOS devices include:

  • iPhone 16 Pro
  • Macbook Pro M1 11-inch
  • iPad Mini 6th generation
I snapped up the iPad Mini after playing around with one included in our hotel.

It's a great form factor for travel.

But it's been a crap experience from day one:

  • Horrific battery life
  • Constantly freezes
  • Crap performance
  • Swipe motions regularly fail
It regularly freezes while doing routine tasks like internet browsing.

I go to restart it and I can't do the swipe motion to turn if off.

But the digitiser works, as I can click elsewhere.

Also, it's typically flat or nearly dead whenever I pick it up.

My older iPad Pro M1 is vastly superior, in contrast.

None of these issues have been consistent enough to say, 'it's broken and needs to be serviced'. But they happen so regularly that I barely use it.

£600-700 for something I barely touch.

Cheers Apple.
 
My iPad mini 6 (256GB cellular) has bad battery life but it's also 5 years old at this point. It had really good battery life during its first 2-3 years (~12+ hours when reading). I've had no issues with the touchscreen so far.

It does freeze every now and then—4GB RAM is just too little nowadays. However, I wouldn't describe it as constantly freezing. I find performance quite acceptable but it does reload far too often for my liking.

I use an iPad mini 7 now but I keep the iPad mini 6 for the SIM card slot for international travel. Needs to be charged more often but it's usable.
 
alexjholland said:
I own most Apple products.

For context, my iOS devices include:

  • iPhone 16 Pro
  • Macbook Pro M1 11-inch
  • iPad Mini 6th generation
I snapped up the iPad Mini after playing around with one included in our hotel.

It's a great form factor for travel.

But it's been a crap experience from day one:

  • Horrific battery life
  • Constantly freezes
  • Crap performance
  • Swipe motions regularly fail
It regularly freezes while doing routine tasks like internet browsing.

I go to restart it and I can't do the swipe motion to turn if off.

But the digitiser works, as I can click elsewhere.

Also, it's typically flat or nearly dead whenever I pick it up.

My older iPad Pro M1 is vastly superior, in contrast.

None of these issues have been consistent enough to say, 'it's broken and needs to be serviced'. But they happen so regularly that I barely use it.

£600-700 for something I barely touch.

Cheers Apple.
Click to expand...
Bite the bullet and take it in for a look at. You will always have that frustration until it is what it sounds like it is: A hardware fault and it is dealt with.
 
I bought a brand new mini 6 like 2 months before the 7 came out and my findings are the same, the battery is atrocious, and the performance is poor. My complaint about the battery has been the same since day 1 its always been poor. Sometimes with the screen off in standby it will completely drain out in like 1-3 days. Horrible.
 
My 7 has fantastic battery life, even on cellular. I use it heavily every day and it.s fast, battery lasts forever, can’t go wrong! Excited for the 8,
 
Have not had this experience at all, I have the current one and it's super smooth and the battery life is noticeably better than on the iPad Pro M4 that I switched from. I use Logic Pro, Final Cut Pro as well as the usual array of reader/viewer apps. It has never hung or skipped a beat.
 
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Had the Mini 6 for years without complaints like those - I upgraded to the 7 for double the RAM, we'll see if I move to the 8 for OLED.

I do agree you might try a wipe and restore.
 
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alexjholland said:
It regularly freezes while doing routine tasks like internet browsing.

[…]

Also, it's typically flat or nearly dead whenever I pick it up.
Click to expand...

This sounds like either a runaway background process or a hardware fault. Have you looked at the Battery system settings page after you’ve picked it up flat / nearly dead? In the recent usage breakdown, is there an app listed there that is using more battery than it should?

None of these issues have been consistent enough to say, 'it's broken and needs to be serviced'.
Click to expand...

I would qualify freezing while browsing the internet or being unable to swipe on the power down slider as broken and needs to be serviced. If you have any kind of warranty under which you can bring it in to Apple I would do that – honestly, even if you don’t, I’d still give it a try.
 
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To All: My mini 6 (256/cell; 06 MAY 2023) used to drain overnight as well. I was advised to shut it DOWN at end-of-use (as in START and VOLUME UP buttons together, then the OFF slider appears.) There is/was something running even after shutting OFF (as in just using the START button). It helps a lot. I can run 9 hours when in GPS (Googe Maps) mode if fully charged. Battery still registers at 100%.
I have yet to find a fix for freezing up. Will take a hard look at the upcoming Mini 8. As always, Your Mini May Vary.
 
I picked up a Mini 7 for $389 and sold my 6 same day. I had my mini 6 since launch and I had no issues at all. I only upgraded cause the price was IMPOSSIBLE to pass on.
 
turbineseaplane said:
This is the one thing you mentioned where I think your Mini is "operating as designed".

The Mini 6 & 7 have objectively awful screens relative to every other product Apple sells.
Click to expand...

they’re screens are pretty decent though, otherwise definitely better than the base iPad for sure. Yes the Mini 6 ( and to some extent the Mini 7) have jelly scrolling but it’s not bad when you don’t think about it

As for the OP the Pro’s screens will always be superior, even the M1 Air’s screen over the Mini 6’s but then considering the Mini 8 will be game changing itself besides its OLED Screen
 
Homme said:
they’re screens are pretty decent though, otherwise definitely better than the base iPad for sure. Yes the Mini 6 ( and to some extent the Mini 7) have jelly scrolling but it’s not bad when you don’t think about it

As for the OP the Pro’s screens will always be superior, even the M1 Air’s screen over the Mini 6’s but then considering the Mini 8 will be game changing itself besides its OLED Screen
Click to expand...

I am upgrading to the 8 too. I would rather have a waterproof ipad, even though Mini 7 is a truly incredible handheld experience.
 
Sosab123 said:
I am upgrading to the 8 too. I would rather have a waterproof ipad, even though Mini 7 is a truly incredible handheld experience.
Click to expand...

Mini 6 and 7 are incredible iPads. The Mini 6 can hold its own against the 9th gen/10th gen iPads and to a extent the A16 iPad in terms of Graphics whilst the Mini 7 destroys the A16 iPad and no matter when the 12th gen iPad will come out the Mini 7 will beat it too in most cases

Id love a waterproof iPad especially the Mini 8. Not only is the Mini 8 the first iDevice to have something like this but even before the iPad Pro as well
 
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Homme said:
Mini 6 and 7 are incredible iPads. The Mini 6 can hold its own against the 9th gen/10th gen iPads and to a extent the A16 iPad in terms of Graphics whilst the Mini 7 destroys the A16 iPad and no matter when the 12th gen iPad will come out the Mini 7 will beat it too in most cases

Id love a waterproof iPad especially the Mini 8. Not only is the Mini 8 the first iDevice to have something like this but even before the iPad Pro as well
Click to expand...
I travel a lot and my iPad mini is my iPhone companion device, so I always have both. Its not really a fear of dropping one in a pool but rather its the snowy, rainy days, humidity, and accidents I would like to protect my device from. The iPad Mini 6 is actually the first Mini I started with, prior, I was using the 11" iPad Pro as a companion device and when I was at the Apple store to buy one I actually overheard they aren't waterproof. Hitherto, I had believed iPads were waterproof/resistant like iPhone. For some reason I never checked.

I have been hoping for a iPad Mini Pro for a very long time, the 8 is getting close to being one since waterproofing makes it elite. It wouldn't really threaten any of the other products cause of its size. You can't, in a pragmatic sense, replace iPhone with it, even if it offers cellular, cause you can really only fit it in larger pockets, like a cargo pocket or bag. And from there its pretty much 11" devices. I would rather play rollercoaster tycoon on a 13" iPad Air for example, with its laminated screen, than the Mini, however, I would rather read the news, and engage in my daily due diligence on a Mini.
 
Sosab123 said:
I have been hoping for a iPad Mini Pro for a very long time, the 8 is getting close to being one since waterproofing makes it elite. It wouldn't really threaten any of the other products cause of its size.
Click to expand...

The Mini 6 and 7 look and feel IMO like true iPad Mini Pros because of the redesign as well as the camera back flash which the Air IMO needs

The closest other iPad Mini that had Pro level features is the Mini 4 because the Mini 4 released a year after its baby brother the Air 2 ( which was definitely a iPad Pro at the time before the iPad Pros ), had the lucky A8 with 2GB of RAM, laminated display with anti reflective coating ( something that will tie it and the Mini 8 as that Mini will have OLED, something not seen since the Mini 4’s massive screen upgrade), SRGB, weight reduction, a more color accurate Retina display

Basically had everything the Air 2 had except the A8X of course but its upgrade is much better than the Mini 2/3 ( they’re screens weren’t laminated and the retina color accuracy wasn’t great


5th gen one looked really ancient, 1st gen Mini was meh but the Mini 3 is the 3rd worst iPad to have existed ( should have been released with the A8/2GB of RAM instead of the A7
 
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Homme said:
The Mini 6 and 7 look and feel IMO like true iPad Mini Pros because of the redesign as well as the camera back flash which the Air IMO needs

The closest other iPad Mini that had Pro level features is the Mini 4 because the Mini 4 released a year after its baby brother the Air 2 ( which was definitely a iPad Pro at the time before the iPad Pros ), had the lucky A8 with 2GB of RAM, laminated display with anti reflective coating ( something that will tie it and the Mini 8 as that Mini will have OLED, something not seen since the Mini 4’s massive screen upgrade), SRGB, weight reduction, a more color accurate Retina display

Basically had everything the Air 2 had except the A8X of course but its upgrade is much better than the Mini 2/3 ( they’re screens weren’t laminated and the retina color accuracy wasn’t great


5th gen one looked really ancient, 1st gen Mini was meh but the Mini 3 is the 3rd worst iPad to have existed ( should have been released with the A8/2GB of RAM instead of the A7
Click to expand...
I remember the Mini 4 news and rumors. Everyone was saying there wasn't going to be another new mini for awhile cause of how generously Apple overhauled it.
 
Sosab123 said:
I remember the Mini 4 news and rumors. Everyone was saying there wasn't going to be another new mini for awhile cause of how generously Apple overhauled it.
Click to expand...

I don’t remember Mini 4 rumors on my end but luckily the rumormill was false back then.

yeah the Mini 2 was overhauled and it was great that it was overhauled alongside the Air at the time but the Mini 3 releasing alongside the Air 2 is exactly like comparing the 5c to the 5s

But the Mini 4 releasing alongside the first iPad Pro was when the iPad Mini experienced the same quality as the Air 2 and some of the OG Pro as well with everything I have mentioned about it.
 
Homme said:
The Mini 6 and 7 look and feel IMO like true iPad Mini Pros because of the redesign as well as the camera back flash which the Air IMO needs

The closest other iPad Mini that had Pro level features is the Mini 4 because the Mini 4 released a year after its baby brother the Air 2 ( which was definitely a iPad Pro at the time before the iPad Pros ), had the lucky A8 with 2GB of RAM, laminated display with anti reflective coating ( something that will tie it and the Mini 8 as that Mini will have OLED, something not seen since the Mini 4’s massive screen upgrade), SRGB, weight reduction, a more color accurate Retina display

Basically had everything the Air 2 had except the A8X of course but its upgrade is much better than the Mini 2/3 ( they’re screens weren’t laminated and the retina color accuracy wasn’t great


5th gen one looked really ancient, 1st gen Mini was meh but the Mini 3 is the 3rd worst iPad to have existed ( should have been released with the A8/2GB of RAM instead of the A7
Click to expand...

In fairness, by the time the mini 4 was released a year later, the Air 2 was frequently on sale so they were both selling for the same price at $399. At some point, it was officially at price parity MSRP-wise with the A8X-based Air 2.

But yeah, mini 4 was what the mini 3 should've been. The mini 3 was basically a mini 2 with TouchID.

The mini 2 actually had the best upgrades at the time of release. It was basically the same as the flagship OG iPad Air except smaller.

www.macrumors.com

iPad Air 2, iPad mini 4 and iPad mini 2 Updated With Improved Storage, iPad Pro Price Reduced

Apple today quietly updated its lineup of older iPads, increasing the minimum storage on the iPad Air 2, the iPad mini 4, and the iPad mini 2 and...
www.macrumors.com www.macrumors.com
 
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