What is going on, everybody, Mike, here today, we're talking
about my review of the iPad Mini six after 30 days.
How good is it?
Maybe how bad is it?
Probably the better question.
What do I think about jelly scrolling?
And really, is it a big deal?
And who should buy it?
Let's get started.
So today's video will not necessarily be a deep dive
into the specs.
Those you could find an Apple product page, and I don't think
that's why you're here.
We're really going to talk about experiences and what it's
like to use this device over the past 30 days, because on
day one, today 30, my opinion of this device has changed,
and over the course of time, my opinions going to change.
And that's really what's important, and that's
why I think why you're here.
And that's because you should really never buy something
based on purely specifications of one of devices.
It's really about experience, and you get that experience by
proximity to the device and using it for consistent
on a time.
Now, when I first purchased the iPad Mini, I thought I was
going to use this as a device and it was going to take away
some of the low hanging fruit from my iPad Pro or even
my Mac.
You, our music has a supplementary device sitting on
my couch, browsing Twitter, you know,
surfing the internet.
Boy, was I wrong?
Because not only did my usage patterns on my iPad Pro and my
Mac remain intact, and this actually ate into usage from my
iPhone 13 Pro Max, which was
completely unexpected.
I want to choose what device I'm going to use for task based
on the context that I find myself in and how much time I
have for that given task.
If I have a lesson a few minutes, I'm probably gonna
use my iPhone because that's the device that requires the
least amount of effort.
It has less amount of resistance with me using a
device that's usually in my pocket, and it is relatively
simple to use anything more than maybe five, 10,
15 minutes tops.
I'm probably not going to use the iPhone.
I'm going to go to my iPad Pro.
Well, there are times where I expect to use my iPhone for a
given task, and I'm compelled to pick up the iPad Mini
because of the large display.
And it's just such an immersive device where this type of usage
was just unexpected, where I thought I was going to use the
iPad Mini again as a device to sit on the couch, maybe use it
to relax, surf the internet to do things that are lean
back content consumption.
I was actually using this in a much more different way.
There are things that I'm going to use my iPad Mini six,
which just feel a little bit more natural on the iPad Mini
six than using the iPhone.
Since the screen on the iPad Mini six is much larger than
my iPhone, and it's much more immersive at 8.3 inches,
there's less friction with using the iPad Mini six than
actually going to a device that is larger like the iPad Air,
the iPad Pro.
Whatever the device, I find myself more compelled to pick
up the iPad Mini than I do one of those other devices, or even
the smaller iPhone, which again, this is strange
because it is something that I wasn't expecting.
Let's talk about the things that I do not like about the
iPad Mini six.
Now, after using this device for the last 30 days, I can
honestly say there's really only about a handful of things
that I don't like about the iPad Mini six.
If that and they're going to be specific to how I
use the device.
So I imagine anyone after use this device for any period of
time would come to the same conclusions.
Now I set up the iPad Mini six to unlock using both my pointed
fingers on my left and right hand.
That's because the device itself.
I tend to use it in landscape mode, and when I do,
I want to make sure that I'm covered for me either way.
Well, oftentimes it feels too mechanical to where it's almost
unnatural to place my finger on the sensor itself and then wait
a few seconds for it to open.
Well, new in iPad OS fifteen out one.
There's an accessibility feature and I actually don't
think it existed in iPad OS prior to that one.
But you basically push down on the sensor and it unlocks the
device and then brings you into whatever screen that
you're on.
Otherwise, you have to use the device almost to hand it one
finger to place on that Touch ID sensor and then another
finger to swipe up.
I'm all about single handed use.
And again, this is a device that is really designed for
single handed use for, I would say, for a
majority of people.
Second, if these wonky volume rockers, since the
physical size, the device is relatively small in comparison
to the next closest iPad and the fact that the iPad Mini
supports the newer, faster Apple Pencil two with
magnetic charging here along the side, the placement of the
volume rocker is somewhat confusing because it doesn't
behave the same way based on the device orientation.
Hold the device in landscape mode in the Apple Pencil
at the top.
The volume rockers behave as you would expect.
The upper button raises the volume in.
A lower button does the opposite.
But if you turn the device 180 degrees, the buttons behave
completely opposite of what you would think, making it
intuitive but not instinctive.
And it's not a deal breaker by any means, but it is something
to keep in mind because you have to unwind the behavior of
using a device that functions exactly the same no
matter the orientation.
And last but not least, there is the padding that you
see here on the iPad, whether it's in
landscape mode.
There just seems to be a lot of additional space that you can
use here now.
If you look, I've see along the bottom.
I have a very limited dock.
I don't have all the dock, my apps that I normally use
inside of the dock, nor do I have a large app icons.
But that doesn't change the content that dramatically.
It does look a little weird.
Even the small widget sizes look very, very small.
And if you compare that against the widget sizes on
the iPhone, they're even smaller than that.
So that's just a little bit annoying.
So keep in mind if you're thinking about getting this,
that you got to make sure that you have good eyesight.
Now, one of the things that I do to combat this is that I use
per app dynamic texting and that little bit flexibility
with the size of text that is displayed in the apps and also
within this iOS system.
Now let's shift gears and talk about things that I do like
about the iPad Mini.
A spoiler alert is probably my favorite device to use
right now, but all the devices that I have, this is the most
portable device I've had in a very long time.
It goes with me everywhere and it's coming with me, and I'm
using it as an additional device in lieu of my iPhone,
when I think really just need a bigger screen.
But it's a little bit more than I'll get into that in
just a minute.
I actually feel so strongly about the portability,
the device that I went to the store and I exchange the Wi-Fi
only version that I had for the 5G version because I stick it
in my handbag or my satchel, whatever you want to call it.
And it really is just so portable and the screen is so
big immersive that it gives, really, I think,
a differentiated experience that I certainly was
not expecting, which is kind of surprising.
It's the first device that I pick up in the morning after
turning off my alarm on my iPhone, and it's the last
device that I use before going to sleep because it's I'm sorry
because it's so immersive.
The screen is so big, and it's really just a pleasure to use
in comparison to larger size iPad devices.
Now, part of that immersion is from the uniform bezels that
you see on the device, so the uniform bezels go all the way
around the device, and it really makes it very easy to
hold one handed.
So if I'm holding this year, by the way, what do you think
about that sticker?
I like it.
It gets my hands just enough room to, you know, have my
thumb here on the side and brace it and it feels good
in the hand.
Now, I don't know if they have big hands.
I can hold it one handed.
It's just a pleasure to hold and a pleasure to use.
This device itself is much more conformable to everyday
scenarios where I thought my iPhone would kind of reign
supreme in those use cases.
Now let's talk about the display and really whether or
not jelly scrolling is something that I notice now.
I've seen it once and once you see it, once you can see
it many, many times, it only happens to me in portrait mode
like two devices right now.
I only happen to see it on web pages.
I don't see it in apps, or at least I haven't noticed
it in apps.
I would tell you that if you think that you're going to be
impacted or you'll have some sensitivity to this, I would go
to the store and check it out in person.
For me, I notice it.
I give it to my wife.
She didn't notice it.
I give to my father-in-law.
He didn't notice it.
So I think it really depends on your individual calibration and
this type of behavior.
But again, I would say that if you think that you're going to
be sensitive to this, go to the store, check it
out in person.
For me, it's not a big deal.
I'm not expecting this display that cost $499 to have extra
high fidelity where it's like, you know, a Pro Display XDR.
That's not my expectation, and for me, it's not really a
big deal at all.
Now this probably has you wondering, is the iPad Mini
six capable of doing real work?
Because when you look at it in comparison to the iPad
9th generation, the iPad Air, the iPad Pro, it is much
smaller screen now.
The answer to that is a resounding yes.
It certainly is capable.
But the caveat is depending on one how you define real work
and to what your appetite for complexity is now.
The iPad Mini six is certainly capable of sending and
receiving emails, you know, communicating with loved ones,
pressing your inbox, taking notes, reminders,
all that stuff.
And that's really what I would think about is core basic
functionality and no matter which iPad you choose.
All that core functionality is going to function exactly the
same on all the different iPads.
What you are getting as you move up the ladder in different
iPads is you're exchanging kind of broad capabilities for
something that's very hyper specific that that iPad model
is capable of.
For example, the iPad Mini is very good at portability
because it is so small.
The iPad Pro is very good at watching HDR content because of
the type of screen that it has.
It's very good at doing hyper specific tasks that
these iPads, which are lower priced, are not
capable of, meaning that the iPad Mini excels at portability
and former ability compared to the cheaper, larger 10.2 inch
9th generation iPad.
Because this is smaller.
You are paying for when you buy the iPad Mini is size and
portability in comparison to all the other iPads in terms of
appetite for complexity, because the iPad Mini does not
have the Smart Dock connector on the back.
You can't use a first party keyboard made by Apple,
and there are a ton of different keyboards on
the market, but none of them are very good.
I'm in the process of building my favorite accessories for
the iPad Mini.
So that is something that you're interested in.
Make sure you click Subscribe because every year will be
coming out next.
It is decision time whether or not you are going to purchase
the iPad Mini six, and I honestly think that this is.
The best iPad that most people should start with in terms of
their decision process, and I'll explain why now I know
what you're saying, Mike.
The $329 iPad 9th generation is cheaper.
I'm not saying that price is not an important component of
making a purchase, but I am saying when you shop on
price alone, you end up losing out on experience and value.
When you look at the iPad Mini in comparison to all the other
non-Pro iPads, so this one has the newest processor compared
to the iPad 9th generation, which is the A13 and the iPad
Air four, which is going to be the A14.
This has the same rear camera as the iPad Air four, but it
also combines the same front camera as the
iPad 9th generation.
So you get the best of both worlds on this device with the
front camera and the rear camera.
So if you're using this, maybe you take pictures,
maybe to take VIDEO.
If you're using this for video calls, you're going to
get better quality images on the front facing camera here,
as you would on the ninth generation iPad, but also a
better rear facing images on the back of this iPad in
comparison to the iPad Air four.
This and the iPad 9th generation support center stage
means it's a technology where it will automatically frame you
in the center of the photo.
And as people are added or removed from the frame,
it'll change that framing, which is a really
great technology, especially if you might be doing a lot of
video calls with this device.
Now, the display technology that you see here on this iPad
is as good as the iPad Air four, and it's better than
the iPad 9th generation.
The iPad 9th generation is really just a distraction,
I think, to get you in the door and to look at the device.
And again, if you're shopping on price, there's nothing
wrong with that.
But it's not where I would start based on value.
You're also getting USB-C 3.1, which is really going to give
you more flexibility if you ever plan to use a device for
any type of data transfer.
It's way better than lightning, WI faster
than lightning, and it gives you more flexibility.
And while your decision to choose the iPad Mini six over
the iPad 19 region is more expensive, it's $170 when
you take the total purchase price of that device and at
three hundred and thirty dollars or $499 and divide
that by, you know, conservatively speaking,
your own device for four years.
That works out to be 34 cents a day for the iPad Mini six
versus twenty three cents a day for the iPad 9th generation.
So 10 cents a day to own something that is
more portable, more conformal to many use cases.
And it gives you at least the applicability of using it in
different use cases where you might not have that because of
the size of the iPad net generation.
Also, this has 5G, which is the way that I bought it, and I
think this device deserves to have 5G because it is really
meant to be a portable device that you keep with you.
I really put it my man bag every day in my satchel,
whatever you wanna call it, and I carry this device with
me every day.
It really goes with me everywhere.
Now I want to know what you think.
Are you thinking about purchasing the iPad Mini six?
If you are, what size and configuration are you thinking
about?
Getting is my recommendation of getting the iPad Mini six.
Not really something that brings with you.
Let me know down the comments below.
My name is Mike, and if you're looking for another video with
maybe iPad accessories, I'll put one right over here
somewhere for you to go and check out and make sure you're
subscribe for that iPad Mini six accessory video, which will
be dropping soon.
Talk to you in the next one.