Owner of latest gen 12.9 and Mini here.
I just finished exporting a 4GB video from LumaFusion. I did the same task simultaneously on my iPad Mini 5, my iPhone XS Max and my 12.9 512GB latest gen IPad Pro.
iPad Pro was 11% faster than Mini and XS Max that finished the task simultaneously.
Therefore the iPad Mini 5 is crazy fast. I don’t think that the performance difference between the iPad Pro and iPad mini is noticeable in the vast majority of tasks and even in challenging tasks it is only a 11% difference.
What is important is that the smaller form factor allows you to have a much better and faster access with your thumbs on the whole screen compared with the iPad Pro. That allows you to work faster and more comfortable.
The screen of XS Max is bigger than XS’s and allows you to do some work but the screen size is still too small for any kind of prolonged work, the eyes get tired having to focus on the small details. On the contrary the iPad Mini’s screen has a size that allows for prolonged work. I am sure that has to do with each specific user and how “good” their eyes might be. Older users might have trouble focusing on smaller distances from the yes. The iPad Mini sometimes is held relatively close to the eyes in order to be able to discern all the details. This is not an issue for me, but it might be for other users.
On the other hand, the iPad mini is light enough to allow one handed use and also to hold it in a comfortable position for the neck. The iPad Pro is used on the desk or in a stand and most of the times the neck ergonomics end up being bad.
I believe the iPad mini is the best size for me.
[doublepost=1554676749][/doublepost]I definitely don’t want a USB-C for the iPad mini. I have that for my iPad Pro and I still haven’t found a single good use for it. The only thing it added is the hassle to carry around a USB-C charger wehn I travel in addition to my iphone’s Lighting connector.
In regards to the modern design, I kind of disagree. the bezels on the Mini have really proved useful in holding it. They could have been trimmed a little (especially the side ones) but I don’t think I would prefer to see them gone.
Of note, the current design of iPad Mini is a very sturdy one and it can take a lot of beating. the modern design by comparison seems much more delicate.