- [Narrator] I've been using Apple's dramatically redesigned
iPad mini for well over a month now
and my biggest takeaway is that it is a great device
for reading and note-taking,
but as you'll see in my iPad mini 6 long-term review,
it is not without compromise.
Although the 2021 iPad mini isn't without flaws,
its strengths, namely portability
and pound for pound capability,
have made it an integral part of my workflow
for the last month and a half.
Should you consider making it
a part of your technology stack,
is it worth the $100 price increase
over the outgoing model?
Watch my hands-on video as we discuss the merits
of Apple's pint-sized tablet after some extended usage.
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The sixth-generation iPad mini is extremely small,
but I didn't need to tell you that
as that fact is immediately obvious upon unboxing.
The tablet is shorter than the fifth-generation iPad mini,
fitting into a more compact form factor,
yet it features a larger 8.3 inch screen
than its predecessor which was 7.9 inches.
This screen size increase inside of a smaller form factor
isn't a new phenomenon for modern Apple devices.
It's one that we've seen before
in redesigns of the iPhone and larger iPad tablets.
The so-called edge-to-edge display
makes it possible to crammy a larger screen area
inside of a smaller surface area,
which contributes to the devices increased portability.
That said, the iPad mini is slightly thicker
than the outgoing model and issues the tapered edges
that previously helped mask thickness
in favor of flat edges.
Apple offers the iPad mini 6 in four different hues,
including the standout starlight color,
which is like a subtle mix of gold and silver.
Additional hues included pink, purple
and of course, the dusty and worn out space gray.
Like all of Apple's recent iOS device redesigns,
The home button has been cast aside
in favor of a full screen edge-to-edge touch base interface
and like last year's iPad Air redesigned,
the new iPad mini relocates the Touch ID biometric sensor
into the side slash top button.
Although touch ID works reasonably well,
it requires a bit of finger gymnastics
depending on device orientation
and honestly, touch ID on an iOS device
feels sort of antiquated after using the iPhone
and the iPad Pro models with Face ID
over the last few years.
And after using the 2021 iPad Pro
and now the iPhone 13 Pro Max on a regular basis,
one of the things about the iPad mini
that stands out like a sore thumb is the lack of ProMotion.
Now, of course, ProMotion is Apple's marketing name
for it's a variable refresh rate technology
which can ramp up or scale back the display's refresh rate
according to what's happening on screen.
One of the key benefits of ProMotion
besides the less impact on battery life
when the refresh rate throttles down
is the super smooth experience
when scrolling through texts-heavy websites and documents.
Only iPad mini's display the lack of ProMotion
makes text appear blurry when scrolling,
not to mention the so-called jelly scroll effect
that's common on LCD displays.
So truthfully, of everything that the iPad mini may lack
when compared to its bigger brothers,
ProMotion is the feature that I miss the most by far.
An excellent electronic reader.
At just 0.65 pounds for the Wi-Fi model,
the featherweight iPad mini at 7.69 inches tall,
5.3 inches wide and 0.25 inches thick
is a portable powerhouse.
Compare that to the iPhone 13 Pro Max's 0.52 pound weight
and it's easy to see why the iPad mini sixth generation
is a beacon for portable productivity.
Any thing that I most appreciate
about the iPad mini's weight is just how balanced it is.
The 0.65 pounds is spread throughout the device
in a way that makes the tablet
easy to hold with just one hand,
even with just a few fingers,
which makes it work well for extended reading sessions.
And over the past month,
I've been using the iPad mini
as my full-time reading device,
using it to catch up on my Feedbin feeds,
eBooks, website articles, of course, Apple News+, et cetera.
And one can debate the merits of E-ink technology
found in Kindle devices over LCD technology,
but this is definitely my preferred reading device
due to number one, it's wealth of capability
combined with a relatively large display
in such a compact and light chassis.
Writing note-taking and artistry.
In addition to reading,
the iPad mini 6 is also a more capable note-taking device
thanks to the arrival
of second generation Apple Pencil support.
To be clear that previous fifth generation iPad mini
supported Apple Pencil support as well,
but only for the older rounded-style
first generation Apple Pencil.
One of the biggest issues with the first Apple Pencil
was that it was number one, hard to keep with you
unless you owned a case that included a pocket for storage.
The second generation Apple Pencil
features enhanced functionality, but most importantly,
it magnetically attaches
to the long side of the iPad mini for storage
and to facilitate pairing and recharging.
Now, having the Apple Pencil
attached to the side of the iPad mini
means that it's always readily available,
which greatly ups the likelihood
of it actually being put to use.
Unlike the bigger iPad models,
the iPad mini isn't great for long form typing
as there's no first-party attachable keyboard
and the virtual keyboard is just way too small
for a long form project.
But again, this serves to elevate
the value of the Apple Pencil
which can be used for a text input
using iPadOS features like Scribble for instance.
Throughout the last month,
I found myself using the Apple Pencil
to write notes, annotate video scripts
and create storyboards for upcoming video ideas
in the Notes app.
An artists may particularly enjoy
having a portable digital canvas
using popular apps like Procreate,
Linea Sketch, Affinity Designer and more.
Granted the iPad mini simply lacks the screen real estate
for someone who may want a tablet
primarily for artistry,
but it's portability makes it a great travel companion
for artists who often find themselves inspired
while out in about.
USB-C flexibility.
One of the biggest new additions to come to the iPad mini
is the adoption of USB-C connectivity
and not only is this used for recharging the iPad,
but it also features faster USB 3.1 Gen 1 connectivity,
but basically means five gigabits per second maximum speed
for a speedy offloading of photos and videos.
It's not as capable as the iPad Pro
which features faster Thunderbolt connectivity
which works with a wider array of products as well,
but even plain USB 3.1
opens up a litany of peripheral options
that simply weren't available in the past on the mini.
With the single USB-C cable,
you can easily connect external drives,
microphones, audio interfaces and more
and having this sort of flexibility present
removes workflow roadblocks
associated with iPad's porting Apple's slow
and antiquated Lightening connector.
Please get rid of that Apple.
Especially for photographers and videographers
who regularly offload photos and videos,
the presence of the ubiquitous USB-C connector
makes a huge difference in productivity.
iPad iOS 15 should also not be overlooked in this area
because it features an upgrade
to the file transfer interface
with finder-like time remaining statistics
that are clearly inspired by the Mac and thankfully so.
Having better insight into in progress file transfers
is priceless when transferring large files
to and from the iPad mini, a big win for users.
The 12 megapixel f/1.8 camera on the iPad mini 6
presents a significant improvement
over the eight megapixel f/2.4 camera in the iPad mini 5.
Not only does the camera feature at 50% boost in resolution,
but it also gathers more light resulting in cleaner photos
and videos with less noise.
The small size of the iPad mini
makes it easier to shoot with than larger iPads
and I don't take photos or videos regularly with my iPad,
but in a pinch and more importantly,
with the right lighting conditions,
this thing is quite doable.
Now, like it's direct predecessor,
the iPad mini 6 liquid retina display
maxes out at about 500 nits of brightness,
meaning that you won't get the full HDR experience.
This won't be a big deal for most people,
but for me, someone steeped in HDR workflows,
is one of the first things I noticed
about the iPad mini's display.
The lack of brightness also means that HDR video shot
with an iPhone 12 or an iPhone 13
cannot be viewed with full brightness as you can see here.
Again, this probably isn't a huge deal
for the majority of people,
but it will be quickly noticed by people
who care about such things.
Now, regarding the camera,
one of the most impressive technologies is support
for Center Stage with a front-facing camera.
Center Stage which is specifically designed
for video calls like FaceTime
and even third-party apps like Zoom,
automatically pans the camera to keep you centered in frame.
As you move about the frame, the camera moves with you
and is multiple people appear inside the frame,
the camera will zoom out
to ensure that each subject is well represented.
Now, obviously there is no moving camera
with a variable focal length inside the iPad mini,
so Apple makes the Center Stage effect happened
via number one, the wider camera,
clever software tricks and machine learning
powered by the A15 Bionics faster Neural Engine.
It starts with the new ultra wide 12 megapixel camera
with its 122 degree field of view
compared with that of the wide angle seven megapixel camera
found in the previous iPad mini models.
Now, thanks to that huge increase
in the field of view in greater resolution,
Center Stage can capture a larger scene area
and then use machine learning
to digitally paint around the frame
without a drastic loss in resolution.
And although I was sure
that this feature would be a gimmick,
I mean, I was positive about it.
When I first tried it on the iPad Pro I ended up loving it.
It lends a dynamic look and feel to video calls
that make them feel less static and robotic
and I especially appreciate this
during the video call renaissance
that the world has gone through recently.
Everything else, now in the past,
I usually start out iPad reviews
by raving about the performance
and talking about the latest system on a chip.
However, after using this tablet
for the last month and a half,
specs tend to take a back burner
and overall usability it comes to the forefront
and that's the same case here.
The iPad mini 6 is a major step forward
in performance of the fifth generation model no doubt.
And as I mentioned, the iPad mini is indeed slightly faster
than its larger brethren, the iPad Air.
With the A15 Bionic slightly increased GPU performance
over the A14 in the iPad Air,
most Apple Arcade games run great,
but almost no one should buy the iPad mini
solely as a gaming machine for instance.
Considering that the entry-level iPad mini
with 64 gigabytes of storage
costs as much as a modern day flagship console,
it's probably not a good idea
to buy it solely for that purpose.
However, if gaming is a secondary use case,
then the iPad mini makes for a solid
portable gaming machine,
especially for those who subscribed to Apple Arcade.
Now, for watching videos and even editing videos
via apps like iMovie or LumaFusion,
the iPad mini 6 with its 8.3 inch display
provides a better experience
than an iPhone 13 Pro Max, for instance,
but the iPad mini is only available in either 64 gigabyte
or 256 gigabyte configurations,
which can quickly fill up
when working with high fidelity pro res video.
Couple of that with the 500 nits max brightness
and it's clear that Apple thinks serious video editors
should probably op boards
more pro designated tablets instead.
A few other things, there are stereo speakers
which are available when the device
is oriented into landscape mode
and the speakers while nowhere near iPad Pro level
are significantly louder and clear at higher levels
than the previous iPad mini design
and although purchased the Wi-Fi only model,
5g connectivity is an option.
Apple charges a very hefty $150 premium for 5g capability,
but I just couldn't justify
based on how I plan to use my iPad mini.
With that being said, there's a certain sense of freedom
that you get from a cellular enabled iPad,
not to mention, a faster 5g cellular enabled iPad.
So if you plan on using your mini
on a regular basis while traveling,
opting for the cellular model makes perfect sense.
Conclusion, the iPad mini 6 is hands down
the best portable tablet on the market today.
It's a portable device
that can pretty much do everything well,
but isn't necessarily amazing in any one area.
For example, it's a wonderful reading device
because of its large screen and lightweight balanced design,
but it suffers due to the lack of ProMotion
and the screen is larger than the iPad mini 5,
but there's been no real jump
in screen fidelity, color or brightness.
It's also a powerful mobile video solution,
but it lacks the higher end storage tiers,
more capable Thunderbolt connectivity and HDR playback.
Now, one thing I failed to mention was battery life,
which apple touts is being all day capable.
I don't really use my iPad mini
in that way for hours on end continuously,
but a single charge lasted me for several days
of intense reading and note-taking.
I was more than satisfied with the battery life
and I think if you're reasonable in your expectations,
given its size, you will be as well.
The one area where the iPad mini particularly excels
is in note-taking ability, largely thanks to the support
for the second generation Apple Pencil
which attaches magnetically to the side of the tablet.
But with that being said,
it lacks the sort of real estate
that some artists might desire.
All in All, I can say confidently that the iPad mini
is an amazing device for portability
and it's really the only option
for those looking for a portable tablet
with class-leading software support
that can do pretty much everything
that it's more powerful brothers and cousins can do.
However, just keep in mind that with that portability
comes some compromises in various areas.
Personally speaking, I am more than willing
to live with those compromises
because there's really nothing
that comes close to the iPad mini
in a comparable form factor.
Even if you already own the fifth generation iPad mini,
I think the sixth gen version is a worthwhile upgrade.
You get a much faster tablet
with that 6 core A15 Bionic chip,
support for a much better Apple Pencil,
a larger display, better sound,
although you lose that 3.5 millimeter headphone jack,
and you get 5g connectivity as an option.
That makes the iPad mini 6
a pretty decent upgrade over older mini models.
What do you guys think about the iPad mini 6?
If you appreciated this video, leave me a thumbs up as well
and let me know what you guys think
down below in the comment section.
This is Jeff with 9to5Mac.
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