mini 2 worth it?

[powerbook911]

I have never owned a mini, so I was considering one of the Black Friday deals that brought the mini 2 16GB down to $175.55 after gift card and savings.

Yes I know 16 GB is small, etc. etc. I have a Pro, but I thought it might be fun to have a mini to reach to from time to time.

Does the mini 2 still feel capable or is it old enough to feel sluggish?

Thanks!

 

[whi5tler]

I have an old mini 2 that my GF uses. I use it occasionally and it's fine for surfing and checking email and plays Hearthstone fine but is a lot slower than the experience with my 6s or my iPad Pro

 

[Mike B in ok]

I actually got one for the Staples $199 price, and ended up getting the Mini 4 instead. I'm spoiled by the fingerprint scanner on my IPP and 6S Plus, and the Mini 2 was just a little slow compared to what I was used to. Not economically justifiable, but I traded up anyway.

 

[cardfan]

Last year it was. This year, not so much. Just spend what you think feels right though. It's still an ipad with retina screen that does the job.

 

[Mystro]

No.

 

[RickTaylor]

The mini 2 still feels great to me.

 

[iPhone1]

The only thing it has going for it is the retina display. I'd say it is a great deal if you are giving it to a kid for a present or even your grandmother but not as a gift for a techie. If you don't need TouchID, multitasking or fast processing, it should be fine for you. Not everybody needs the lastest specs, this is still a great iPad.

 

[rwp]

I have an iPad Pro also, and kept my mini 2 -- it is still an excellent device for eBooks, quick lookups, and watching TV in bed. You'll pay 2x that much for a mini 4...

 

[MistrSynistr]

Just got my Dad one for his birthday. He absolutely loves it, coming from an iPad 2 it feels like butter to him.

So yes your audience may matter, but for most people it is a fine device.

 

[APPLfanCA]

My son has a Mini 2 and it runs okay. He is six so he is not picky when it comes to speed...LOL. App downloads take quite a while, but he can still run all of his games fine. He plays Minecraft and a couple Star Wars games and they all run pretty smooth. I guess it really just depends on what you are using it for.

 

[OTACORB]

Mini 2 is a great iPad. However, the text is smaller and for my aging eyes, I ended up having to switch to an iPad Air 2. It just seems to me that apps are so well optimized for the 9.7 inch screen. Nonetheless I have nothing but good things to say about the Mini 2. If you can handle the tad bit smaller text go for it! I never found mine slow even after I installed iOS9.

 

[ucfgrad93]

My only concern is the internals are a few years old.

 

[learn2]

It's definitely going to feel inferior to your Pro, and once you own one device with Touch ID and slide over, it will feel weird not to have it everywhere.

But, for a lightly used device when the Pro is too big, it is still a capable retina tablet.

 

[DavidLynch]

My girlfriend has one and it's still a great device for the things an iPad Mini was already good at (eBooks, browser, checking email, etc.). If you're looking for a second tablet to your iPad Pro it's a great deal in my opinion.

 

[zachlegomaniac]

I feel like iPads can become obsolete quickly unless you buy them with the latest and greatest internals. My original Mini became quickly became a paperweight, but I should've never updated it to iOS 8.

If you do purchase it I would be sure not to upgrade the iOS depending on what it's running out of the box. That's just my experience. Others here may advise better from a more technical standpoint, however. Sounds like a great price, though.

 

[Aydy]

Mini2 has same internals as ipad air...In use its near as capable as my air2. There is some tradeoff but not as noticeable as one may think

 

[Veldhuis]

It's definitely going to feel inferior to your Pro, and once you own one device with Touch ID and slide over, it will feel weird not to have it everywhere.

But, for a lightly used device when the Pro is too big, it is still a capable retina tablet.

Mini 2 has Slide Over, just not Split View.

 

[iSheep5S]

I'm amazed at some replies, its a small iPad air... 64 bit chip... It still benchmarks faster than a friend of mines windows hybrid running full windows 10... which is fast enough... it just has to run iOS! I'm a 'techie' with a bunch of devices.

As a modern society that is so busy, we have so much time to waste. What's a millisecond here and there?

I love my Mini 2/Air Mini.

 

[zachlegomaniac]

I'm amazed at some replies, its a small iPad air... 64 bit chip... It still benchmarks faster than a friend of mines windows hybrid running full windows 10... which is fast enough... it just has to run iOS! I'm a 'techie' with a bunch of devices.

As a modern society that is so busy, we have so much time to waste. What's a millisecond here and there?

I love my Mini 2/Air Mini.

Wish I had held off on the original Mini for the 2. Just looked at the specs side by side, and what a leap for one generation!

 

[Appl3FTW]

I have an old mini 2 that my GF uses. I use it occasionally and it's fine for surfing and checking email and plays Hearthstone fine but is a lot slower than the experience with my 6s or my iPad Pro

This... Ever since my 6s plus, I felt that my iPad mini 2 was sluggish. I can't blame the mini tho, it's just not comparable to the spec beasties of the 6s plus. I just want touchid and 2gb for the mini that's why I'm. Debating if I should get the iPad mini 4. I can't wait to see what the mini 5 brings. Looking for a redesign.