Review
MINI ME
I’ve tried the new iPad Mini and it’s great for Netflix – but its tiny size has an even bigger perk
I'm already obsessed with a game on it
THE iPad Mini is back to the delight of its adoring fans – and I've been trying out the revamped (and ultra-portable) tablet.
Apple released a new version of the iPad Mini just last week, three years after the previous model.
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The model is at the cheaper end of Apple's tablet line-up at £499 / $499.
It's still pricier than the regular iPad (£329 / $349), but costs less than the iPad Air and iPad Pro.
The main perk of the iPad Mini is its smaller size, owing to the shrunken 8.3-inch Liquid Retina screen.
For contrast, the new iPhone 16 Pro Max screen size measures 6.9 inches from corner to corner.
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And the regular iPad comes in at just shy of 11 inches.
The point of the iPad Mini is to give you roughly the experience of owning a normal iPad, but in a far more portable way.
Some people simply don't like lugging around an iPad, or even holding one up.
The iPad Mini is far neater, fits easily in a coat pocket or handbag, and is a bit easier to whip out on a packed train or cramped flight.
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It's got a sharp enough display with great colour accuracy and enough brightness to work by the pool.
And it looks great too: I really like the purple model I've been trying out, but it also comes in similarly slick blue, space grey, and starlight options.
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The gadget is powered by the A17 Pro chip. Apple fans will know that's the same processor in last year's top-end iPhone 15 Pro Max.
It powers some Apple Intelligence AI features like a more natural Siri, Writing Tools for proof-reading, and Clean Up to remove unwanted objects from pictures.
Several Apple Intelligence features will be available at launch in the United States, but Brits will need to wait for a December update.
Battery life is promised at "all-day", and that feels about right.
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I tried using it as my main leisure device, so playing some games (including the always-addictive League of Legends spin-off Wild Rift), watching a bit of TV and YouTube, and browsing the web.
And I struggled to wear it down in a day. It'll get on just fine on a long flight.
It comes with 128GB of storage as standard, which isn't enormous but will suit most users just fine.
Power users who need more can upgrade it to 256GB or 512GB storage for a fee.
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MORE FEATURES...COMING SOON!
The iPad Mini will also be upgraded with more AI features, "rolling out over the next several months". Here's what Apple says is coming...
- Image Playground allows users to create playful images in moments.
- Image Wand is a new tool in the Apple Pencil tool palette that can transform a rough sketch into a polished image.
- Emoji will be taken to an entirely new level with the ability to create original Genmoji by simply typing a description, or by selecting a photo of a friend or family member.
- Siri will be able to draw on a user’s personal context to deliver intelligence that is tailored to them. It will also gain onscreen awareness to understand and take action with users’ content, as well as take hundreds of new actions in and across Apple and third-party apps.
- With ChatGPT integrated into experiences within iPadOS 18, users have the option to access its expertise, as well as its image- and document-understanding capabilities, within Siri and Writing Tools without needing to jump between tools. And privacy protections are built in so a user’s IP address is obscured, and OpenAI won’t store requests. Users can access ChatGPT for free without creating an account, and ChatGPT’s data-use policies apply for those who choose to connect their account.
What you need to think about before buying an iPad Mini is whether you want this as a work device.
Honestly, if you're doing proper work, you probably want to consider a bigger iPad.
Full-size iPads can reasonably replace a laptop due to their screen size.
You can sketch on it fine with an Apple Pencil, but you'd benefit from the larger canvas of an iPad proper.
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And doing any serious typing, creating presentations, or photo-editing is better off done with a larger display.
I think the iPad Mini is much better suited as a leisure device: it's easy to move around, looks great, and handles Netflix shows and games perfectly.
Its also a great size for gaming specifically: with Wild Rift, I am able to enjoy the benefits of having a bigger screen than an iPhone, but it's not as unwieldy as a giant iPad in terms of control.
It might be the best size format if you're gaming with the touchscreen itself.
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If that's your thing, this is the device for you.
And it's fine as a secondary device to your main work machine, if that's what you need.
It's got a USB-C port so it's very compatible with newer iPhones, Macs, AirPods, and so on.
And you can buy accessories for it like Apple's fairly popular Smart Folio case (which comes in matching colours). Accessorise!
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The Sun says: The iPad Mini is the perfect portable size for a casual Netflix and gaming machine. It's a great leisure tablet, or as an add-on to your work set-up – but power-users might want to upgrade to the bigger iPad Air.
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All prices in this article were correct at the time of writing, but may have since changed.
Always do your own research before making any purchase.
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