Get the iPad Mini 7 for $399.99 at Amazon This Week ($99 Off)

I want an iPad mini pro with OLED and face ID

I hemmed and hawed on replacing my iPad Air (5th) with a Mini, swearing I would when the 7 came out. I finally did a few months after release and I absolutely love it. The size is perfect for me, the weight is wonderful, in my simple case it feels wonderful, and outside the case it's a lovely thing to hold.

The only "criticism" I have is that it really doesn't need a rear facing camera. Drop it and save the weight! And maybe lower the price by $50. Heck, I'm not sure why the Air has one either. Is there really a big call for taking photos/videos with these particular models*?

-bdd

*Cue the folks saying they do use it and love it. I get everyone is different. This is called "an opinion".

I don’t use the camera often, but it makes sense to keep it for scanning QR codes at least.

Drop it to $350 and consider it… drop it to $300 and it’s worth it. $499 is a bit of a joke…

I feel like someone wanting a folding iPhone who refuses to pay $499 for an iPad is in for a shock.

Normally I would think a new model is coming.. not sure we will every see a new Mini

iPhone fold gonna be the 🐐

Serious question. Why an iPad mini? What is it about the form factor that appeals to people? I’m not taking a shot. Quite the opposite. I do like my M2 iPad Pro for the larger screen but I’m not a fan of the bulk that goes along with it because for me, it’s not a laptop replacement even with a Magic Keyboard with the trackpad.

I’m seriously considering selling my iPad Pro. I rarely use it. It’s not a good laptop replacement for me and it’s too bulky to carry around as a larger screen for content consumption. To me the iPad Mini would at least check the latter box. I can see a use case for it as the device I use when I’m lounging around consuming content. The iPhone Pro Max doesn’t fit comfortably in my front pocket with my wallet. That’s a basic requirement for any phone that I use.

Up until the iPhone X I’d use my iPhone while working, out and about on the town, etc. and when I got home I’d put it on the charger in favor of the larger screened iPad.

The screen on the X was finally large enough where I didn’t feel like I had to have a bigger screen, and I’ve not really used an iPad much since then as a result. I’ve owned a few but iPads and now this Pro again since then but for what a Pro costs I’m not willing to leave it in a case that doesn’t properly protect it and that makes it bulky enough that I prefer the iPhone when I’m at home in the couch or on vacation sitting in a hotel room.

I can potentially see the iPad Mini hitting that sweet spot again for me in the way the iPad and iPad Pro did when iPhone screens weren’t as large.

For me, an iPad Mini Oled would mostly be an entertainment device. I play a ton of games. They can sync between the iPhone and the iPad. The form factor is just really nice. It's big enough to use, but small enough to be extremely portable-friendly, especially while traveling.

I have a Macbook Pro 16inch (M1), and it's still a great device overall. I'll need to buy a new one eventually, but... It is not travel-friendly, especially if you're backpacking around. The 5 pounds usually doesn't matter if you're commuting to work, using a car, et cetera, but it matters significantly more when you don't have access to a car and you're constantly on your feet. In addition to everything else in my backpack—clothes, chargers, necessities—I severely underestimated how much more I would sweat with a laptop and how much it'd hurt my back.

Some people might think, "But I take my laptop with me everywhere!" ... So do I. I take my personal laptop with me all the time. But there's a difference between having a backpack on your back for several hours out of the day, versus taking your bag, putting it in your car, driving to work, taking it back out, walking 5 minutes, placing your bag on the ground, and leaving it there for 8 hours, then walking with it for 5 minutes, then driving back home, then walking it back into your house for 5 minutes, then placing it down for the rest of the day.

In that first scenario, you're carrying it around everywhere under the summer sun, you're sweating miserably. In the second scenario, you have your backpack, and you think you "travel" with it, but really, you don't—you're just hopping from air-conditioned room to air-conditioned room, without any weight on your shoulders.

An iPad Mini isn't a replacement for a computer, but it makes for a great travel companion. The larger iPads also have some uses, I imagine, especially in the creative and art world, but a slightly smaller iPad has the advantage of not taking up as much space when space is a premium. It's easier to have an iPad mini on an airplane as opposed to a larger one, for example. Takes up less table space on a dinner table... You can take pictures with it more easily... Et cetera.

The other major advantage of an iPad Mini is that it's a backup device if you lose your phone.

The only major disadvantage I can think of is attempting to type on iPad mini. The larger ones with attached keyboards would be better. You can't really write on it. But you can find small foldable travel keyboards that help serve that purpose.

Serious question. Why an iPad mini? What is it about the form factor that appeals to people?

I bought my Air (5th) as an iPhone "replacement"/"battery saver", meaning when I'm on the couch scrolling or playing games or cooking and need a recipe up I wanted to avoid using my 13 to preserve the life of the device. I liked the Air, but always felt the Mini would be better for me. And it is! It serves the same purpose as the Air did, plus it's lighter, smaller, easier to hold, works great as an e-reader (which I would suggest the phone is not), and is just a lovely little device all around. I always thought the Mini was the right version for me and it turns out it is. I love it.

-bdd