iPad mini (A17 Pro): Apple Intelligence, 8.3-inch Liquid Retina Display, 128GB, Wi-Fi 6E, 12MP Front/12MP Back Camera, Touch ID, All-Day Battery Life — Space Gray

I got an iPad Mini to replace my Kindle Colorsoft for reading and it has been awesome. I was worried at first because I always enjoyed reading on an e-ink display and have used a Kindle since 2021. It did take me a week or so to adjust to the LCD screen on the iPad but now I don't notice it at all and it is well worth the switch to me. I made a list of pros because I wanted to be sure the money I was spending on an iPad was worth it. Here's my list broken into two parts - the first is specific to the iPad Mini and the second is based on the Kindle iOS app vs reading on a Kindle device. iPad Mini Pros -Font is crystal clear and sharp with no ghosting -Better auto-brightness (I never have to fiddle with the brightness! I hated this on the Kindle!) -Auto-warmth (I set mine to sundown to sunrise) -Integrated Audible control (can control via the Control Panel or in the Kindle app, and can access Audible app) -Integrated music control (don't have to pick up my phone every time I want to set/control background music) -Great for reading manga (images are clear and you can turn the iPad sideways to show 2 pages at once) -Maps are a lot easier to see and you can zoom in on them -Device is more responsive overall (faster page turning, faster highlighting, faster loading times) -The ability to access other apps (I use OneNote and Notes when I read, nice to have Goodreads too) -Aluminum backing is durable and easy to clean with fun color options -Very comfortable to hold in your hand and feels premium -The lock button is on the top rather than on the bottom of the device -More customization for lock screen and home screen (can incorporate character art, quotes, book covers, etc.) Kindle iOS App Pros (these functions are not available on the Kindle devices) -Continuous scroll option -Page turn animations -You can customize the information that shows when you tap bottom left of page -You can show a reading progress bar on the lock screen (I prefer a progress bar to a percentage) -"Search in book" function (can highlight a word and search the book rather than using Search function) -"Search on web" function (helpful to me when there's a word I want a visual of, such as a castle "crenulation") -Can view your reading streaks and challenges **UPDATE: AI has now been integrated into the books. You can use the "Ask" function to search for anything you want and the AI program will only search from the pages you have read to give you an answer. This is seriously game changing for me. I never have to go back and search for a character name, place or thing or look through my highlights. I can just use the AI function and will get a much more comprehensive and time efficient answer.** The things I miss from the Kindle is the always-on display that shows the cover of the book, the ability to import custom fonts, the ability to bold the font (idk why this isn't a thing on the Kindle app), and the longer battery life. The battery life on the iPad Mini is the only con I have, but it isn't as bad as I thought it would be. I read about 1-2 hours a day and can get 4-5 days out of the battery before I have to charge it if I'm only reading. If I use the iPad for other content like watching videos in addition to reading, I get 2-3 days of battery life. I don't mind charging it because I have a charger always out and ready to go and it charges quickly so it doesn't impact my experience much. Overall, I'm glad I tried the iPad Mini and don't plan on going back to a Kindle device. I'm hoping Apple continues to update the iPad Minis with features like the always-on display and OLED screens.

The iPad mini is hands-down the best compact tablet on the market. The size is ideal for one-handed reading, note-taking, and carrying everywhere, but the A17 Pro chip gives it incredible performance for multitasking and gaming. The display is sharp and vivid, battery life easily lasts all day, and the added performance headroom makes everything feel buttery smooth. Highly recommend if you want peak iPad power in a ultra-portable form factor!

I love iPads. I’ve had one ever since they came out because of the ease of use, good connection, and speed. The battery life makes it a good value. So this smaller version was purchased as a Christmas present for my 10-year-old daughter. She uses my old iPhone 7 to play games and text. So with all my experiences with Ipads, I'm confident the mini will be the same great quality with the same durability, clear screen and ease of viewing pages as the bigger Ipad. I like the way it looks, because it’s smaller, lighter, can easily fit in ny purse. I might have to get one for myself as well. I'm not ready to allow her to have a phone connected for calls. She can engage in learning apps for school and feel like it's her own device that we still keep at home without the worry of her losing it. I hate seeing kids constantly glued to their devices. So I know time management, self control, discipline, and many conversations about how to use it for education are going to be a part of the our learning process. Plus it’s going to be a good punishment reminder if rules aren’t followed. I will be buying a good screen protector and case to insure a lasting durable product.

This is ur sign to just buy it. I love it and the size. It’s perfect.

I use this everyday! Best iPad that Apple came out with!! Battery lasts literally all day! I plan on using this till it no longer works 10+ years! No issues excellent product! Would buy again!

Apple's been making pads for as long as I can recall, and for the most part they are all terrific. They run the Apple approved apps just as intended so no surprise there. Setup was super quick because Apple "sees" what devices you already have in their ecosystem and sets up new devices with little input necessary from you. I like the screen size and quality. The size is big enough for almost every task/game and the weight is better than having to hold their larger sized screens. Getting the pad to link to my router was super easy as well. I can't speak to the sound quality. Most of my apps don't have sounds, and when a game that I use comes on, I've already opted to turn the sound off. My recollection is that it sounds like a tiny speaker so forget about anything approaching high fidelity. Apple devices have always proved to be durable and I expect this will be too. I haven't dropped it yet and I have a protective sleeve around it for a time when it does slip from my hands. Apple gives you a magnetic cover in the box so you have something to cover the unit but it's not meant to save it from a fall. Are Apple tablets providing value for the money? That's a good question. People who buy other brand tablets might know better than me. I've always only worked with Apple tablets because they sync so well with their other products.

I have been using this iPad for over a week now and everything from the compact size, the beautiful screen quality to the performance has been an amazing experience. I am a hardcore gamer and part time editor so I purchased this tablet mainly for that reason. I was able to run PUBG mobile, Football Manager touch and Delta Force Mobile all on the highest settings available without any lags or stutters. It’s a 60fps panel it would’ve been nice to have at-least 90fps but the performance is more than enough for the average gamer or even hardcore like myself, you’re not losing out on much the A17 pro chip is more than powerful enough to run all the demanding titles at 60fps or 30 including triple A games. I’ve been able to run DaVinci Resolve’s tablet version, Adobe PDF and even iMovie ( which is came pre installed ) all without hiccups and I’m sure other editing apps can run without an issue on this iPad too. The battery life is also very good, on a full charge I was able to game intensely at max brightness for 3-4hr and still had 50-60% at the end to listen music and watch videos on YouTube. The charging speed isn’t even bad either in little under 2hrs it’s fully charged, which is fairly alright with me. I can confidently say it’s everything I ever needed in a tablet and more, it’s a powerful little beast that’ll certain serve me for the years to come, I’d consider it value for my money 1000% the best investment I’ve made it’s a no brainer.

I had an iPad mini fourth generation years ago, and then updated to a fifth generation. Skipped the sixth. Decided to splurge on this one due to a trade-in offer. I can only compare to my fifth generation, but the processor is definitely faster. The extra ram makes it speedier as well, and it can now handle the AI features of iOS 18.2 if that matters to you. As with the other generations, this size is very good in that it gives you a larger screen than your phone, but doesn’t give you the bulk of a full-size iPad if you’re just doing simple and casual things. Battery so far, is what I would call above average but not quite as good as previous generations I’ve used. As with a lot of people however, I’m going to have to knock a star off and criticize Apple for the screen. I could live without 120 Hz if they had increased the brightness. Or even perhaps just bumped it up to 90 Hz, and bumped up the brightness level a bit. But they pretty much did nothing after several years of waiting for this update. It has pretty much the exact same screen as to generation before it, and there was really no excuse at this price point for that. It’s still an OK screen, it’s just that it should’ve been updated at least a little. I don’t notice the infamous jelly scroll issue really hardly at all and in the way I use it it’s not an issue. The camera could have also been updated. Again, most people don’t use their iPads as something they take camera photos with much, but it too was not updated as well over the previous generation. Just the software tweaked a little. Again, boo to Apple. My opinion is that this is worth it if you can get it on sale or get a good trade-in value for it. But due to the negligence of not updating the screen or camera, I’m not quite sure I’m fully raving about it at full price.