iPad mini (2024) hands-on: fantastic and frustrating

The iPad mini is demonstrably so the most polarizing product in Apple’s portfolio. There’s a segment of die-hard fans who would choose the device over any other device in its class, and then there’s a group who can’t quite figure out what exactly it can offer in terms of meaningful usability.

Reading? Bill. Is it good for taking notes? It’s probably the world’s best little diary. What about gaming? It can shoot past the best titles out there. All that excellence can be yours for at least $500.

In my case, the profit I got this year for an entry-level iPad mini was $771 after taxes. That’s enough money to buy a full-fledged laptop or a larger tablet with some accessories thrown in. Look no further than the excellent OnePlusPad 2 for that heavy dose of tablet goodness.

Now, here’s the kicker. Almost every situation in which the Seventh generation iPad mini seems to excel is where an Android device can do better. The best thing about the iPad mini – its pleasantly palm-friendly construction – may also be that it’s undone the moment you start pushing it.

The iPad mini’s hardware is (mostly) great

Let’s start construction. It’s identical to its predecessor, but the iPad mini’s aesthetic is also its biggest appeal. There are hardly any other devices with the same footprint.

E-readers? Certainly there are many, including the new Kindle Colorsoft. The Boox ColorGo even runs Android, but the papery, sluggish color screen is a test of patience even by conventional 60Hz screen standards. Apple also fixed the jelly scrolling issue this time, which was a huge relief for me.

Now I absolutely love the in-hand feel and weight profile of the tablet. At 293 grams it is certainly not feather light, but thanks to the larger size and weight distribution it actually feels lighter and less stressful on the hands compared to a iPhone 16 Pro.

I love that even with the Apple Pencil Pro attached to the side, the tablet fits neatly into the side pockets of my cargo jeans. As someone who hates the hassle of carrying a bag to a nearby coffee shop for a work sprint on my laptop, I love this side of the iPad mini.

It’s wonderful to read while sitting on a comfortable beanbag. As my colleague Prakhar Khanna puts it, the iPad mini is an absolute joy for reading and watching videos on a flight, because you don’t have to fiddle with the tray or even fight for space.

I recently tried to edit a video on the iPad Pro (13-inch) in an airplane seat, and it was disturbingly awkward. For video editing, I highly recommend sticking to the basics. Anything with a good timeline, it’s going to be overwhelmingly busy, even for short clips.

Another scenario where the iPad mini excels with its pocket-friendly size is gaming. The A17 Pro silicon is enough to handle any mobile game. But knowing that your hands won’t bother holding a tablet (mini tablet, yuck!) while playing a few rounds PUBG Battle Royale or grind into it Katana zero creates a wave of joy.

Interestingly, it gets hot quickly, even compared to the iPhone 16 Pro. I don’t think Apple has put the same kind of thermal hardware in the tablet as in its flagship phone, even though there is more breathing room inside and a metal surface around it for heat dissipation.

Of course, the small battery loses steam quite quickly. My first brush with the iPad mini was nothing short of a disaster. I installed Chrome and within half an hour the app unexpectedly crashed more than ten times. That’s a bit too much, considering Apple’s standards or those of any other $500 machine.

Once again I will highlight the problem with the screen refresh rate: 60 Hz is no longer enough. If you’ve experienced a 90Hz or 120Hz display on any device, the difference will be noticeable from the start. I couldn’t ignore this visual disparity between the iPhone 16 Pro and the iPad Pro, both of which have ProMotion 120Hz displays.

For some reason, animations felt sluggish and app transitions felt less smooth on the iPad mini than on the MacBook Air, which also has a 60Hz panel. This happened even when running the stable build of iPadOS 18. Despite being in a developer beta, the iPad Pro feels a lot more reliable.

Finding a purpose far from home

I’ve spent almost a week with the iPad mini and have struggled to find a use for it. Given the size, you’d say, “Don’t think about it too much, dude.” But when you’ve spent more than half a thousand dollars on a device, you can’t afford to think that way. Unless of course it was an intentional ‘backup’ purchase.

For me, the iPad mini worked quite strangely, and not exactly in a value-oriented way. It’s a fantastic companion device, one that you can even prop up against a salt shaker on a table or one of those cheap $20 metal stands for your desk.

I’m simultaneously juggling Slack and Teams for workplace communication, while keeping an eye on task management apps like Trello and Teams. Of course, Gmail is a permanent fixture in the workflow, and so is WhatsApp for mobile communications.

A 13.3-inch MacBook Air quickly runs out of space for app windows. Furthermore, putting it in Stage Manager brings the machine to its knees. With the iPad mini on the side, all my chat apps run in split-screen mode, as do my news feed and social media trackers.

With Universal Control enabled, controlling the iPad mini user interface with the MacBook Air’s keyboard and touchpad is a breeze. Screen mirroring helped me overcome even the most annoying limitations of the iPad mobile ecosystem.

I’ll start with the most low-key example of all: Google Docs. The mobile version of Docs is painfully limited. For writing sessions – which is half my day job – where I have to keep multiple tabs open for reference screens, I use the iPad mini exclusively as an external screen for Google Docs.

In addition, all the editing bells and whistles of Google Docs are available to me on the iPad mini screen. It’s definitely a bit tight, but not exactly in a deal-breaking way. I like the distraction-free experience, and that’s what counts when it comes to getting real use out of it.

But those aren’t iPad mini benefits. Those are ‘Apple’ benefits. Or, to put it more precisely: Apple’s ecosystem has advantages. Those benefits are pricey, you know. In my case, that seamless interoperability cost me about $3,000, and that’s not even counting the Apple Watch and AirPods.

Just give me a reason

I did a “taste test,” if you will, of the iPad mini among a group of students, mobile gaming enthusiasts, and business executives. Everyone was universally in love with the sleek design and minimal weight. Yet none of them could confidently pick out usage scenarios where the tablet could be indispensable for them.

“I would prefer to keep my social media limited to my phone.” “I definitely need a bigger screen for games, otherwise I would just stick with a phone.” “It’s fun to watch videos, but I don’t think the screen looks any more attractive than my phone’s OLED panel.” “Oh, it doesn’t feel as smooth as my iPhone.”

These are all valid concerns that are rooted in practice. So far, the iPad mini has stood out to me mainly because of its unique form factor. Still, it continues to face an identity crisis, especially considering the asking price Apple has charged for it.

It’s not a bad device, but it’s just confusing in its own limiting ways. I will soon share my detailed findings after more extensive testing. I’m hoping for more surprises (the good kind, of course) and fewer functional disabilities. Stay tuned for my full review soon.