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iPad mini Should I get the iPad Mini 3 now or wait till next gen?

M

marker227

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Mar 29, 2004
349
5
I want to start off by saying I've never owned an iPad, but I do own an iPod Touch. I've been contemplating putting an iPad Mini in my car to use as a media device with navigation. I'm in no rush, but I'm wondering since the newest iPad didn't get a processor upgrade it means I should wait till the next generation of iPads.

I just can't see that many more upgrades for this tablet.
 
marker227 said:
I want to start off by saying I've never owned an iPad, but I do own an iPod Touch. I've been contemplating putting an iPad Mini in my car to use as a media device with navigation. I'm in no rush, but I'm wondering since the newest iPad didn't get a processor upgrade it means I should wait till the next generation of iPads.

I just can't see that many more upgrades for this tablet.
Click to expand...

I would recommend getting the last generation mini. Especially if you are using it in your car for music/navigation, there is little necessity for touchID, and you can get a refurbished model for 150$ less at least. This is not a year to get a new iPad mini. It is a great year to get a refurbished model.
 
If I was getting an iPad for my car I would just get the cheapest one as it's likely to take a beating with temperature extremes, etc. A Mini 2 refurb...
 
I considered a refurbished model, but it doesn't have the Touch ID. I thought the Touch ID would be a very practical feature while in the car. I figured it would be faster, safer, and easier to unlock the iPad while driving.

I'm under no pressure to buy one right now. I want to weigh all my options.
 
If you can wait, I'd say wait for iPad mini 4. The mini 3 is just a half-baked update. Next year it should hopefully get at least the A8X and a matching thinner frame to the iPad Air, which should make it lighter too.
 
I forgot to mention that I do like how the new iPads are not locked into one type of carrier for cellular data. I realize AT&T will lock the sim to their network, but one can always replace the sim with another one.

I may wait till the Mini 4 comes out. I do wish the bezel was as slim as the Air is.
 
If you really need touch id or a storage capacity higher than 32gb then get the ipad mini 3, otherwise get the ipad mini 2!
 
I think the Mini 3 is like the full size iPad 3. There will be a lot of buyers remorse as soon as the Mini 4 comes out and has significant upgrades. I would wait for the Mini 4 or buy a refurbished 2.
 
you can always sell your mini 3, and pay the price difference for ipad mini 4 which shouldn't be much after 1 year use
 
That is true...

Also, I'm looking for 128GB minimum :).

It looks like I might just wait for the Mini 4. I'm in no rush :p.
 
The only one worth buying is the iPad Air 2 otherwise wait for the next Mini with the same internals.
 
mad3inch1na said:
I would recommend getting the last generation mini. Especially if you are using it in your car for music/navigation, there is little necessity for touchID, and you can get a refurbished model for 150$ less at least. This is not a year to get a new iPad mini. It is a great year to get a refurbished model.
Click to expand...

Good advice, no need to spend top $ on a Mini 3 with an A7 and 1GB of ram. So far the 2GB of ram on the Air 2 has made a huge difference with tab reloading.
 
marker227 said:
I considered a refurbished model, but it doesn't have the Touch ID. I thought the Touch ID would be a very practical feature while in the car. I figured it would be faster, safer, and easier to unlock the iPad while driving.

I'm under no pressure to buy one right now. I want to weigh all my options..
Click to expand...

Quite frankly, an iPad mini on your dashboard is not a great idea one way or the other. I don't think TouchID will really do much for driving safety relative to other distractions the iPad will add. Now that Apple has added hands-free mode, you wouldn't need to unlock the iPad anyways, so TouchID is kind of useless tech for driving.

Studies on distractions in the car are limited, but as a general rule of thumb, I'm almost certain you will be a more distracted driver if you have an iPad in your face. Do what you want, but I doubt TouchID or an iPad in general will make you a less distracted driver.

Edit: Also, why get a 128GB model for navigation and music? Are you really planning to keep your whole music library on your iPad? To each his own, but you may want to consider a spotify subscription or iTunes match.
 
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marker227 said:
I forgot to mention that I do like how the new iPads are not locked into one type of carrier for cellular data. I realize AT&T will lock the sim to their network, but one can always replace the sim with another one.
Click to expand...
Hasn't the iPad been GSM unlocked since the first generation?
 
Imho, go get a refurb iPad mini 2 from Apple. You will see no difference between new and refurb besides the box (it says refurb). Good things are; it's a great machine, and it's $250 only and same 1 year warranty and I'm sure you'll get at least $200 from somewhere when you sell it around this time next year.
 
marker227 said:
I may wait till the Mini 4 comes out. I do wish the bezel was as slim as the Air is.
Click to expand...
The iPad Air's bezel is actually styled after the iPad mini. Or perhaps you meant the thickness? (Front to back; the bezel refers to the on-screen area that borders the screen.)

I use my iPhone as a GPS on a dash mount. The Touch ID isn't a useless feature, but if I wanted a car-based device I wouldn't pay extra for it. You have the device on and set up before you start the car, and while it used to be more common for the screen to shut off when using Siri or taking calls, with iOS 7 and 8 it almost never happens. I'd suggest either getting a mini from the last generation (although the 128 GB option might be harder to come by) or wait until the next generation.
 
Rarely do I weigh in on these kinds of questions with anything other than a snarky quip, but for the first time in recent Apple history, getting the previous generation product makes more sense than getting the current one, if you want one now. And if you can wait for another year, I'd wait. I

In all likelihood, the Mini 4 will get a respectable spec bump.

If the Mini 3 performed like the Air 2, I'd get a Mini 3.

Having both the Air 2 and a Mini 2, I can attest that the Air 2 is a much nicer experience all around.
 
The previous generation doesn't have the hardware to accommodate Verizon AND AT&T networks I thought?

You were forced to buy the iPad that you intended on using with either a CDMA or GSM network.
 
TJone said:
I think the Mini 3 is like the full size iPad 3. There will be a lot of buyers remorse as soon as the Mini 4 comes out and has significant upgrades. I would wait for the Mini 4 or buy a refurbished 2.
Click to expand...

it would be hilarious if they update the mini 3 early like with the iPad 3 to 4. I wouldn't be surprised to see the iPad mini 4 at WWDC.
 
Bought an iPad mini 3 and happy with it. I'm still deciding if I want to upgrade the iPad Air to Air 2 or not.
 
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