So this here is the new 2021 iPad mini and it might just be my favorite Apple device
to date.
It's got an all-new design with Apple's powerful new A15 bionic chip, 2nd Gen Apple Pencil
support, a crisp camera around back and an incredibly thin, lightweight design.
It's the perfect tablet for traveling light, using on location or, you know, just using
around the house.
What you guys probably didn't know though is how I got this new iPad mini.
Remember my 2018 iPad Pro that I featured in many of my past videos?
Well, I traded it in for this iPad mini.
Kind of crazy, yes but realistically, it was well worth it.
I'm on this crusade to downsize my tech and the things that I have in my life because,
you know, less is more to me nowadays and I feel like I'm more creative and productive
because of it.
That iPad Pro treated me well for a long, long time and it was a familiar tablet here
on the channel because I made a ton of videos on it.
From accessories to video editing tutorials, man I loved that iPad Pro and you all seemed
to enjoy seeing it as well.
It was just an incredible tablet.
If you need a larger iPad, the Pro is no doubt the way to go.
However, that larger size and weight also became its downfall for me.
I ultimately wanted something small and light that, you know, I could take with me alongside
my M1 Mac instead of debating whether I should take my iPad or my Mac.
Now I don't have a thought in that process, you know, I take both my iPad and my Mac.
I wanted something to compliment my workflow on the go and the new iPad mini fits the bill
perfectly.
Apple was offering a solid trade-in deal for my 2018 iPad Pro and this new iPad mini had
my attention since it was revealed so I decided to take a chance and go for it.
Honestly, I think it was one of the best decisions that I've ever made.
In today's video, I'm going to be sharing with you guys 5 reasons why I love this new
iPad mini as well as some of my favorite accessories that I use along with it so let's get right
into it!
So the 5 reasons why I absolutely love this new iPad mini is the size and weight, it's
versatility, the new display, it's built-in camera and finally how powerful it is.
In many ways, this mini iPad is going to be the perfect tablet for many people.
The only things keeping it from being perfect in my book is that it's just screaming for
Face ID and that ProMotion high refresh rate tech in the display.
If it had those two things, it would truly be the ultimate tablet but they aren't really
breakers.
The first and main reason why I absolutely adore this new iPad though is, of course,
it's size and weight.
I knew it was going to small going in but I didn't expect it to be as small as it is.
The size and weight make it very comfortable to hold in your hands, read a book, use on
location at your job or to just toss in your bag and go get stuff done.
It's the perfect on the go companion in so many ways and I'll talk about that more throughout
the next 4 reasons.
That size and weight also allow this mini iPad to be extremely versatile in the things
that you can do with it.
That's reason number two.
The iPad is an incredibly versatile and powerful device, regardless of which model you decide
to go with and the many different ways in which you can use it, may make it a better
option then a laptop for some people out there.
There's a lot to love about owning an iPad.
This new mini also adds a USB-C port instead of Lightning port so you can easily connect
to external hard drives, SD cards, cameras and all of those things making it an awesome
productivity tool.
File management still isn't as intuitive on iPadOS as it is on a Mac but it does get the
job done.
For editing photos and smaller video projects, this thing is sweet.
Which leads us into the third reason why I love this new iPad mini, the display.
I know the display on this iPad has been controversial to say the least but I have nothing bad to
say about it.
Sure I wish it had ProMotion for higher refresh rates but honestly, that's nitpicking.
The 8.3" liquid retina display is bright, vibrant and just gorgeous overall.
I've been doing a lot of Fitness+ workouts during the day with this iPad, casually browsing
the web at night and lots of photo and video editing at all hours of the day.
The display is not one bit small when it's front and center to your face.
In fact, it's actually quite spacious.
I haven't once found myself wishing that it was bigger, even after coming from the 11-inch
iPad Pro, there still hasn't been a point where I regretted downsizing.
The mini just feels right to me.
The fourth reason I love this iPad mini is the built-in camera.
I know, I know using the camera on an iPad like goes against everything, especially when
you're out in public but here me out.
It does not feel one bit awkward using it on this iPad mini.
In fact, it feels natural, like taking a picture or recording a video on a larger phone.
We're so used to using large phones nowadays that this isn't much bigger than one of those.
The camera is really good for photos and of course, you can shoot high-res, 4K video with
it as well.
Grab some mounts and maybe a tripod and you can shoot all of your content on this thing.
In many ways, its a content creating dream machine with the ability to film, edit and
upload all of your content on one tiny little device.
There's nothing quite like efficiency in a workflow, especially if you're a creator.
And lastly is the power inside of this thing.
This iPad mini uses Apple's brand new A15 bionic chip and it is unbelievably fast.
No matter if I'm editing heavy RAW photos in Lightroom or straight up 4K video in LumaFusion
with tons of effects, this little tablet handles it all without a single hiccup.
Sure it's not as quick as the M1 chip but you honestly, don't need all of that power
on an iPad.
Even the cheapest iPad and used iPads from like a few years ago are so well optimized
that at the end of the day, any model that you choose, is going to help you get the work
that you need to get done, done.
And that's all that matters.
Now that you know why I love this thing, let's move onto accessories.
As far as accessories go, I've been using an amfilm tempered glass screen protector,
which I installed myself right after I took it out of the box.
A 2nd gen Apple Pencil, AirPods Pro, Anker Nano Pro, an Apple Smart Cover in Electric
Orange, which I think looks really unique, a Waterfield Design tech pouch that holds
the iPad mini, it's charger and a few other accessories.
It's an excellent, hand made pouch that compliments this beautiful little iPad very well.
And lastly I've been using a UGREEN tablet stand.
This foldable stand is fantastic for watching content or using your iPad mini as an external
display.
It even folds up nice and thin so you can just slip it right into your bag and take
it with you wherever you go.
This thing is a handy tool to have around.
So there you have it my friends!
5 reasons why I absolutely LOVE the beautiful new iPad Mini and some of my favorite accessories
that I use along with it.
I don't know what it is but I have been downsizing a lot lately and my iPad is the latest to
make the change to fit into my new lifestyle.
Less is more to me nowadays and I feel like, as I mentioned before, I've been much more
creative and productive because of it.
It's a different way of thinking and certainly a different way of living.
I think what I'm most excited about with this tablet is just seeing how it's going to change
things over time, you know.
Is it going to help me edit more videos?
Edit more photos?
Script out more videos?
Get out more content?
I don't know what it's going to be and that's exciting to me, you know?
I don't know what the biggest gamechanger is going to be with the iPad mini but I know
for a fact it is going to be a gamechanger.
So what that gamechanger is, is yet to be determined but I will be sure to follow up
in the coming weeks with another video.
So we will see what happens.
I'm excited to have it!
Anywho, that’s about it for this video!
I hope you enjoyed it and found out helpful.
If you did and you liked what you saw, be sure to give it a thumbs up and hit that subscribe
button because it always helps out the channel.
Also, don’t forget to follow @raystrazdas on Twitter and Instagram for much more!
Until the next one, I will catch you guys later.
Peace!