Why the iPad Mini is the tablet to buy
By: Robert Craig
Tags: Travel, Apple, Productivity, Simplicity, Technology

Why the iPad Mini is the tablet to buy

All things considered, this is the killer Apple device

Photo by Kenny Luo on Unsplash

The best iPad to buy doesn’t have the word ‘pro’ in its title (and that’s ok)

Why is it a winner?

Plain and simple, the iPad mini the most handheld friendly of them all. In the same way that A5 sized notebooks and paperback novels just ‘fit’ into your flow when using them, so does the iPad mini.

There will be some who need a bigger screen for specific tasks, but these are outlier tasks in my mind. As a multifunction device, the iPad mini is the sweet spot.

Phones are just too small. iPads 9.7 inches and above are small laptop-sized. Only the iPad mini works as a truly handheld tablet device.

Cost

The mini is of the cheapest ways to access the Apple tablet ecosystem. It may not be the cheapest overall (the basic iPad 7th Gen is £349 in the UK at time of writing for 32GB ‘v’ Mini 5th Gen at £399 for 64GB) but I wouldn’t suggest anyone buying anything less than at least 64GB nowadays anyway.

Simplicity

It's a delight to hold and use. Simple layout with touch ID (which I much prefer to Face ID anyway) with lightning port and headphone port (charge and listen to music at the same time? Radical idea!) No need to splash on expensive Bluetooth headphones.

Performance

These minis have the same processors (A12) as the iPad Air, 2 generations better than the entry-level iPad with an A10 chip. This is a fast little machine.

It also has a smaller battery which means it charges to 100% quickly and as the screen is smaller, the battery lasts as long as other larger devices. Win-Win.

Portability

Not quite jeans pocket-size but fits in my jacket pockets. Like a paperback novel, it's easy to grab and go and there's always space for it in your bag.

Usability (in a crowd or small airline seat)

This is where it gets really useful. Standing up in the Tube, it’s easy to hold and doesn’t give you wrist strain after 10 minutes holding it up. On a plane (likely not at the moment but soon…), there's space to stand it up without taking over the whole real estate of your minuscule seatback tray.

Lightweight

Not just in holding it in your hand to read from, as another electronic item in your bag, it's really light (About 300g ‘v’ almost 500g for the basic iPad model)

Kindle replacement

It can do double duty of a kindle for reading. I know reading on an e-ink screen is better for me (especially at night just before going to bed) but this is a good compromise. And the Kindle app on iOS has the fantastic Audible Narration feature where you can listen to the audiobook as well as following the text in the book at the same time. Gimmicky, but I love it.

Uses the pencil

This is new for the 5th gen mini but you can now use the apple pencil 1st gen. I had one of these already for my iPad Pro 12.9 2nd Gen and its great to simply pair it with the mini for scribbles and even lazy point and swipe navigation when my index finger is tired!!!

Value for money

Overall this is hard to beat. Its performance is great for entry-level price, and coupled with that you get the portability benefits of the smaller form factor. I can do anything on the iPad mini that I would normally do on a larger iPad screen.

What are the negatives?

Screen size

When you absolutely want/need a larger screen then you need a larger device. The laws of physics will get in the way here. But I challenge you to really ask if you need a larger screen (remember you’ll lose some of those portability benefits).

Lack of keyboard options

This one is more pertinent I think. The mid-sized (10–11 inch) and large (12.9 inches) iPads all have great keyboard options that connect to the device physically, usually combining with a case. No such luck with iPad minis as they are smaller than an even a compact standard-sized keyboard. Solution: just buy a separate Bluetooth keyboard which is really the preferred option for those who want a high-quality typing experience anyway. In fact, I’m typing this right now on a Logitech K380. And these are massively cheaper than the proprietary keyboard/cover options.

Conclusion

The iPad mini is a hard package to beat. Extreme portability whilst remaining useable as a tablet-sized screen; great performance and a very reasonable cost outlay.

You don’t need to spend Pro prices to have a great iPad on the go.