Hi everyone, I'm back here with another review for you all, with the new iPad mini 6 which I just picked up recently after lots of persuasion from a few unnamed individuals, but what's it actually like and how do I use it, let's find out!
First impressions
I was so hyped to try out this iPad! After lots of consideration and persuasion I decided to go for it! I was very happy that I did! I went for the base model in purple, and I'm glad that I did, this thing is the ultimate portable powerhouse and the purple is beautiful. At first, I couldn't believe how thin and light the device was, it literally fits in some of my pockets, which is dope! In the box you get the 20W power adapter and a USB-C to USB-C like most other iPads Apple sells. When I first started using it I instantly noticed the 60Hz refresh rate but after setting it up and using it, after a while I forgot about it. It's not like the iPad feels slow but I'm very used to 120Hz displays now. During setup, the iPad asked me to set up Touch ID which is placed in the power button this time round, and this is my first time trying it as I haven't used an iPad Air 4 or 5. Another thing I noticed right off the bat was how big the Apple Pencil looks on this iPad, it literally takes up one side of the iPad meaning that Apple had to move the placement of the volume rockers but that isn't too much of a big deal although it may take some adjusting to. It was alo interesting to see iPadOS on such a tiny screen, it’s so dam cute!
What I use it for
Surprisingly, the iPad mini has perfectly slotted itself into my everyday ecosystem of tech. It fits perfectly underneeth my monitor with a stand from Moft which fits the aesthetic of my desk and you can tilt the stand to adjust the view of the iPad (when I first put it there it kinda reminded me of the Echo show series). The major problem with my desk is that its way too small, and I'm unable to fit my MacBook Pro, my monitor and my iPad Pro all in a line to use as a triple monitor set up but, with the iPad mini, I can do that because it fits on my mini desk, no pun intended. I love using it to listen to podcasts and watch youtube videos while I'm doing other things at my desk, like writing this review or having a game of Mortal Kombat! But of course I don't just keep this beast at the desk, I take it pretty much everywhere I go, and for the past few weeks I've been leaving my iPad Pro behind and taking the mini instead, for a few reasons. First is of course I needed to get a proper feel for the device before attempting to review it but even after I had done that I still kept taking the mini, because of how light it is and that it can literally fit in some of my pockets, which is incredible. So now when I'm on the go and I need a screen thats just bigger than my phone but smaller than my laptop, then the iPad mini has me covered.
Stand out features
One feature that i have had lots of fun playing with is the centre stage camera which was first seen on the latest iPad Pros last year, but I have a 2020 iPad Pro which doesn't have that feature so the mini is my first look at it, and now I wish that the iPhone had it too, it's so handy and fun to play with! Another feature that I love is the A15 bionic, because it makes the mini feel super snappy and it doesn't get hot at all, even with a bit of Apex Legends mobile! I'm also really happy that this iPad mini works with the 2nd generation of the Apple Pencil, this meant that I could simply use the pencil I and already bought with my iPad Pro back in 2020 on the iPad mini without needing to buy another, and on the topic of the pencil, this is the perfect size for takinging notes with the Apple Pencil, it didn't feel too cramped but it was so light and easy to hold with one hand or balance on your knee which cannot be said about the bigger iPads. I’m also really happy that this model got a redesign and waved bye bye to the home button, shame they didn’t add Face ID though.
Battery life
Now this is not what I was expecting. Since the iPad mini is the smallest iPad in the lineup, it has the smallest battery inside, so I thought that the battery life would be terrible, but it is definitely not. It is in fact better than my 11” iPad Pro but bear in mind that my iPad Pro is almost 2 years old now and may have suffered from some battery degrading as all devices with lithium ion batteries do, but still, that's amazing and definatly had me impressed!
Who should actually buy this model
Although the mini may seem like it's for a specific niche, I think that a lot of people would enjoy the iPad mini. If you're not looking to replace your laptop with an iPad, then this may be the iPad for you! It's light and portable but very powerful, so great for gaming, media consumption and taking digital notes, but if you want to replace your laptop with an iPad then this is not the device for you as Apple don't even sell a keyboard case for the mini, yes you can get third party ones but there's a reason Apple doesn't make one, and that is because its way too small and cramped for most people’s liking. So if you want a laptop replacement then your money may be better spent on an iPad Air or an iPad Pro.
Thank you everyone for reading my full review of the iPad mini! On a side note, if you're in the UK and you're considering picking one up, you can get them for £360 at CEX which is steals and deals really!
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