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iPad mini My next iPad will be a mini

T

Tiger8

macrumors 68020
Original poster
May 23, 2011
2,479
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Ok, 1.5 years after its release, I think I get it. The more I play with it at the Apple store, the more I feel that the iPad mini is probably a better fit. I currently have an iPad 3, which I like, but the iPad mini seems to be much more usable for my needs.

I use 'needs' loosely since I really don't need an iPad. I mostly use it to browse the net and run a couple of lightweight business apps.

Always thought 7 inch tablets are too small, it's amazing how much an extra .9 inch, and more importantly a 3:4 aspect ratio, make a difference.

Will the next generation of mini be a redesign? Or will it have one more iteration like its older sibling before it's redone?
 
Tiger8 said:
Ok, 1.5 years after its release, I think I get it. The more I play with it at the Apple store, the more I feel that the iPad mini is probably a better fit. I currently have an iPad 3, which I like, but the iPad mini seems to be much more usable for my needs.

I use 'needs' loosely since I really don't need an iPad. I mostly use it to browse the net and run a couple of lightweight business apps.

Always thought 7 inch tablets are too small, it's amazing how much an extra .9 inch, and more importantly a 3:4 aspect ratio, make a difference.

Will the next generation of mini be a redesign? Or will it have one more iteration like its older sibling before it's redone?
Click to expand...

That was my path too. 1 to 3 to rMini. I find I take it with me way more often than I did my previous iPads. Still amazed how light it is. My guess is that they will tweak the processor and add fingerprint recognition, but keep the form factor.
 
Tiger8 said:
Will the next generation of mini be a redesign? Or will it have one more iteration like its older sibling before it's redone?
Click to expand...

It could go either way. iPhones have settled into a cycle of major design change every other year, and I'm inclined to think iPads will eventually settle into the same pattern, but the move from Spring release to Fall release have caused a weird hiccup in the design cycle. So I can see the mini keeping the same basic overall design for one more year. Or maybe both the Air and the mini will get a redesign in the next release. Least likely but still possible is that the mini will get a design overhaul while the Air keeps the same design. So really, hard to say what would happen.
 
I think next mini would have redesign... Or Apple could very well keep this design for one more year then update design for both iPad Air and iPad mini. I have rMini and I am happy with it. Just got an iPad 4 with LTE for $235 from best buy. Next would be large iPad for me.
 
JonMPLS said:
That was my path too. 1 to 3 to rMini. I find I take it with me way more often than I did my previous iPads. Still amazed how light it is. My guess is that they will tweak the processor and add fingerprint recognition, but keep the form factor.
Click to expand...

Good to know, thanks!

It would be interesting to see how the next mini will be. My guess is they will keep similar / same size, and increase the screen size just a little bit (maybe to 8.5). The mini has super-high pixel density and they have room to increase the screen size just a bit without affecting resolution.
 
grass is always greener on the other side.... overall, i agree though... i used to own ipad 2 before trading it for a mini w/ retina. mini is better because its much lighter to use, but obviously the bigger the screen the more immersive the experience becomes.
 
I love the rMini! It's the perfect sized iPad for me. I'm so glad Apple created a mini version of the iPad because I always thought that the regular iPads were too big for my liking. I always figured might as well just use a laptop if I want a bigger screen. Everything about the mini is great.
 
IPad mini retina would have been perfect if the "make font larger" thing worked in all applications. I hope it does in the future until then I love my air!
 
JonMPLS said:
That was my path too. 1 to 3 to rMini. I find I take it with me way more often than I did my previous iPads. Still amazed how light it is. My guess is that they will tweak the processor and add fingerprint recognition, but keep the form factor.
Click to expand...

This was my iPad upgrade path as well!

I think there may be a redesign to match the iPhone 6 redesign with the curved edges. I think the beveled design from the iPhone 5 was too prone to defects/damage.
 
I'm definitely thinking about an iPad mini purchase soon as well. I got to play around with a first gen mini awhile back and liked the size of it a lot more than the full sized iPads, the only thing I didn't like was the low quality screen. I'm thinking of getting a rMini 2 if/when they're released this year, although the rMinis that showed up in the Refurb. section recently are very tempting!
 
itsOver9000 said:
I'm definitely thinking about an iPad mini purchase soon as well. I got to play around with a first gen mini awhile back and liked the size of it a lot more than the full sized iPads, the only thing I didn't like was the low quality screen. I'm thinking of getting a rMini 2 if/when they're released this year, although the rMinis that showed up in the Refurb. section recently are very tempting!
Click to expand...

I felt the same way when I bought my wife the first Mini. I loved the size, but coming from a retina screen I noticed the difference. I got impatient and bought the Air before the rMini was released.

Last week I got an rMini and sold my Air. I am very happy with the increased portability. I take it most places with me now.

I feel better using it in public, it feels more inconspicuous than the Air.
 
The rMini is an incredible device.

I use it every day for taking notes at work, and I'm now saving some trees plus my notes are much more organized and easier to find by topic. I've been playing with a few different syluses, but I think my finger may end up being best.

Then I use it as a media device, much better on the eyes for web browsing than the iphone, and better with true web browsing instead of mobile.

Finally, I can play all the state of the art games on it (real RPGs not the freeware crap), and no longer bother with my console.

With all that, I'm probably still only tapping into about 10% of the device's potential.
 
I do love the rMini I picked up last week. I haven't touched my iPad Air since. I know I should've bought one instead of the Air but I thought it'd be too small for me but it isn't, it is just perfect.
 
I went from an iPad 3 to an rMini the week the rMini was released. 6 months later I still find myself feeling giddy every time I use it. Like some of the folks on this thread, I was convinced that the iPad's 9.7 screen was the minimum size for a tablet, but I just use and enjoy my rMini more than ever thought possible. For me, it is the perfect iPad.
 
I love the mini retina lte that I picked up earlier this month. My nexus 5 has been downgraded to a dumb feature phone now. I use the mini for everything else, as it travels along with me everywhere I go. Earlier, I had moved from the iPhone 5 to the Note 3 as the iPhone 5's small screen was extremely limiting. But, the note 3 was too big and awkward for a phone.

The biggest advantage in this setup is the long battery life. The nexus 5 lasts me 4 days on a single charge and the mini lte lasts 2-3 days between charges. I have no more complaints with my setup :) until the next big thing comes along.
 
I was at the Apple Store yesterday just to take a second look. So glad I got the Air. The mini not only was just too small for overall usage the screen is darker and not as crisp. Different strokes but the iPad Mini Retina just doesn't cut it for me.
 
I had/have an iPad 4 that I adore, but ever since getting the rMini I've never looked back. I just love the portability. It slips into my purse easily and I don't even notice it's there. I use it so often I'm actually thinking about getting the LTE version.
 
I couldn't agree with the OP more. I owned the original iPad and the iPad 2. Soon after I made the purchase, I grew tired of them, because I wasn't using it as much and using them as a eReader was annoying since my arms would get tired from holding them. When I got the rMini, it was was almost like a completely different experience. Even after buying the rMini when it was first released, I still use it extensively everyday, and it serves as the perfect compliment to my 5s.
 
I went from the 3 to the rmini. Don't regret it. Took a bit of getting used to smaller screen size for typing but getting used to it now - typing my dissertation on it so anyone that says its too small, not really.
 
HenryDJP said:
I was at the Apple Store yesterday just to take a second look. So glad I got the Air. The mini not only was just too small for overall usage the screen is darker and not as crisp. Different strokes but the iPad Mini Retina just doesn't cut it for me.
Click to expand...

The Retina mini actually has more PPI than the Air so in all reality, it has a slightly more sharper display.
 
JackieInCo said:
The Retina mini actually has more PPI than the Air so in all reality, it has a slightly more sharper display.
Click to expand...

Yes, on paper it has a sharper display, but that is offset by being a bit less brighter and having less color gamut than the Air.
 
Night Spring said:
Yes, on paper it has a sharper display, but that is offset by being a bit less brighter and having less color gamut than the Air.
Click to expand...

I don't think the display on the Mini is as bad as people say it is. I still find times when I just want to look at a site I am on or a picture I took and am amazed at how great it looks on the Mini. I have an Air also and I use both.
 
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