OPINION: Apple has just announced the brand-new iPad Mini 6 and I think it’s one of the most exciting products from the company in a long time.
A new iPhone is always big news but I can’t help but feel more excited about one of my favourite Apple devices getting a much-needed second chance.
The rumours of a redesigned, possibly iPad Pro-inspired, iPad Mini refresh have been ticking along for what feels like two years now and Apple has finally such a device.
It has a modern design. the same panel from the excellent iPad Air and support for the newer accessories the pricier tablets all use.
The iPad Mini was the first tablet I ever bought and it still brings back very fond memories. The size was perfect, the build was excellent and it slipped easily into even the smallest bag. I have great memories of other small tablets of the time, like the Nexus 7 for similar reasons.
It’s fair to say the iPad Mini, and smaller tablets in general, have languished as phones have gotten bigger. The iPad Mini has never really bagged itself a proper redesign and the most recent upgrade, which happened in 2019, was barely more than a processor bump. I loved the iPad Mini 5 at the time, but even then it felt in need of modernisation and it’s hard to recommend it to anyone now.
The new iPad Mini 6 should give fans of smaller tablets a truly new device to get excited and one that feels like a ‘pro’ device. I’d even like to think if it proves popular then we might see Android manufacturers like Samsung give the smaller tablet form-factor another chance. A tablet with similar specs to the excellent Galaxy Tab S7 Plus but with a screen that measures 9-inches could very well be the ultimate notebook.
I often hear the argument that with phones now much bigger, the smaller tablet is dead. This just makes no sense to me, as even with the 6.7-inch displays on the biggest iPhone the actual amount of screen can’t be compared to an iPad Mini. I couldn’t even begin to read books or magazines on an iPhone screen, but they fit perfectly onto the squarer iPad canvas. It’s a similar story for games – I just much prefer the iPad display to the iPhone’s for these.
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But I just can’t help getting excited by a truly powerful, miniature iPad and I really do hope Apple delivers. It’ll be the icing on the cake if we then see some Android competition.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.