Apple iPad mini (2024) review: A journalist’s notebook

Apple iPad mini terms successful India: Rs 49,900 onwards (excludes the outgo of Apple Pencil Pro)

How I usage the iPad

I person been utilizing the iPad for implicit a decennary now, and I’m blessed to beryllium called a seasoned iPad user. There was a clip erstwhile I switched to the iPad completely, wholly replacing my Mac, and that signifier lasted for a fewer years—until the M1 Mac came out, astatine which constituent I went backmost to utilizing the Mac. I wouldn’t accidental I person an on-and-off narration with the iPad. I inactive usage it a lot, but not needfully arsenic a Mac replacement, arsenic overmuch arsenic Apple would similar maine to. Instead, I bask taking notes connected the iPad with the Apple Pencil, signaling dependable notes during merchandise briefings, attending video calls, listening to euphony connected Apple Music, and sometimes playing games. Honestly, I neither urge buying the iPad Pro for these activities, nor would I privation to walk that overmuch wealth conscionable to watercourse a Netflix amusement connected it. I’m not into coding oregon making music, truthful I don’t spot the request for the iPad Pro oregon a premium tablet. It took maine a portion to fig retired which iPad works for me, and considering I already usage a Mac for computing tasks and the iPhone for phone-related activities, the iPad mini stands retired for the things I privation to bash connected a tablet.

The iPad mini is made for speechmaking and browsing. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)

My emotion for dedicated devices

If you ever peek into my tote container and wonderment wherefore I transportation truthful galore antithetic devices: an iPhone, an iPad, an iPod, a Nintendo Switch, a MacBook, a Kindle 3rd procreation and a Samsung Galaxy camera. This is who I am; I’m a spot weird—someone who inactive listens to euphony connected an iPod and uses wired earbuds. I similar dedicated devices for antithetic purposes, and I don’t regret that choice. I don’t judge a azygous instrumentality tin regenerate each different instrumentality connected the market. Maybe that’s wherefore I chose the iPad mini implicit the different iPads. It feels different, excels successful 1 oregon 2 areas, and looks similar what a tablet should be. This is the lone iPad successful Apple’s merchandise portfolio that stays existent to the archetypal iPad.

Small and compact

I’m gladsome that Apple didn’t marketplace the iPad mini arsenic a machine similar it did with the iPad Air and iPad Pro. The essence of the iPad mini lies successful its small, compact footprint and its simplicity arsenic a tablet. I’m definite you get that feeling erstwhile you prime up the mini. The 8-inch surface makes it conscionable the close size for maine to clasp portion lying connected my backmost successful bed, though I would accidental it isn’t arsenic airy arsenic a Kindle. In presumption of size, the Mini has been wonderful. It’s tiny capable that I tin tuck it into a tote container erstwhile I instrumentality nationalist proscription oregon Uber, and it slides into adjacent a stuffed backpack. It’s highly lightweight (even with a protective case), which makes it a imagination to question with. That’s what I emotion astir the iPad mini: you cognize it’s a tablet, and the Mini’s plan and signifier marque that clear. If you request an iPad for speechmaking eBooks oregon taking notes, the Mini is the cleanable choice.

The iPad mini is adjacent to the archetypal iPad. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)

I didn’t get the aforesaid feeling erstwhile I was utilizing the caller iPad Air (the 1 with the 12.9-inch display)—the bulkier outer keyboard doesn’t truly suit a instrumentality arsenic tiny arsenic this. However, with the iPad mini, the plan is intentional: you cognize it doesn’t enactment a Magic Keyboard, truthful you already recognize its champion usage case. In my case, I usage the Mini arsenic a notebook replacement and jot down notes with the Apple Pencil. I besides transportation the Mini during interviews, keeping it connected the array to grounds unrecorded transcriptions with Voice Notes. My beingness is sorted.

The Mini features the flat-sided plan of the iPad Pro, which I truly like. That level broadside enables enactment for the USB-C Apple Pencil arsenic good arsenic the Apple Pencil Pro (more connected that later), which attaches magnetically to the broadside of the iPad and charges inductively. However, there’s nary enactment for Face ID, arsenic biometric authentication occurs via Touch ID integrated into the wake/sleep fastener connected the borderline of the iPad. The iPad mini offers a somewhat little susceptible USB-C larboard and lacks the Thunderbolt larboard recovered connected the iPad Pro. But thing detracts from however the Mini feels arsenic a device, due to the fact that its intent is good defined—what a tiny tablet tin perchance do.

The close surface size

The surface show was a large selling constituent for maine erstwhile switching to the iPad mini. First, the 8.3-inch surface size is conscionable close for me—somewhere betwixt the iPhone 16 Pro’s 6.3 inches and the MacBook Air’s 13 inches. Second, the surface size allows maine to work eBooks connected the go, which I’m not arsenic comfy doing connected the iPad Air’s 12.9-inch screen. Finally, the Mini’s size and surface are cleanable for taking notes. However, the iPad mini lacks a ProMotion show oregon an OLED display. I bash consciousness that Apple could person included a high-refresh-rate show connected the Mini. That would person been great, particularly since galore radical who prime up this instrumentality apt mean to usage it arsenic an eBook scholar oregon for gaming.

The show is precise good, and the artillery beingness is arsenic well. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)

I paired a keyboard with the Mini

Apple has gotten a batch close with the iPad mini, but determination is simply a caveat I indispensable admit, arsenic a instrumentality of compact devices. The much you usage the Mini, the much you realise that the on-screen keyboard isn’t great. The tiny signifier origin limits its usability for penning beyond a definite point. The scenery keyboard is cramped, portion the representation keyboard feels excessively large. Overall, the on-screen keyboard doesn’t supply a satisfying experience. That’s wherefore I paired an outer keyboard for typing, which has greatly elevated my penning experience. However, you’ll ne'er beryllium wholly satisfied. I person been utilizing a mechanical keyboard with the Mini, and truthful far, the acquisition has been great. But I wouldn’t privation to wholly power from my Mac. That being said, it doesn’t halt the Mini from being a susceptible portable penning instrumentality erstwhile paired with a large keyboard. I person figured retired however to constitute much efficaciously connected the iPad mini and however to bash it. That’s a amusive facet of utilizing the iPad mini, oregon immoderate iPad successful general. I tin effort caller keyboards and accessories to find what works for me. The do-it-yourself (DIY) attack is fantastic due to the fact that it gives you the state to research caller ways of utilizing a instrumentality contempt definite shortcomings.

I utilized the iPad mini for writing. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)

A almighty processor and enactment for Apple Intelligence

But the Mini feels similar a almighty instrumentality with plentifulness of capableness for the tasks it is designed for. The caller Mini has been upgraded to the A17 Pro spot (the aforesaid 1 recovered successful the iPhone 15 Pro). Scrolling done LinkedIn, speechmaking newspapers, and visiting websites each worked conscionable fine. I person besides utilized the Mini arsenic an eBook scholar by firing up the Kindle app, and the instrumentality felt great. I’m not idiosyncratic who volition usage the Mini for bonzer tasks due to the fact that I person a Mac for that. I cognize what benignant of idiosyncratic I americium and wherefore I’m truthful inclined toward the iPad mini. This knowing helps maine admit the Mini amended and spot what it tin bash for me.

The Mini besides supports the brand-new Apple Intelligence (I tested a beta version; the nationalist rollout mightiness instrumentality a small longer, apt successful aboriginal 2025 for India) connected apical of iPadOS. I person been utilizing Apple’s AI strategy for months since it was announced backmost successful June, and my instrumentality connected Apple getting into generative artificial quality is thing I person been saying for a agelong time: it’s acquainted and helpful, but not retired of this world. There are immoderate features that are mostly useful, specified arsenic penning tools that marque your emails dependable much nonrecreational and AI-powered audio transcription successful the Voice Memos and Notes apps. I americium already utilizing the AI audio transcriptions successful Voice Memos, and I can’t archer you however adjuvant they are. This diagnostic was agelong overdue and aligns perfectly with the iPad mini much than with immoderate different device.

Recently, I interviewed a developer connected a video telephone utilizing the iPad mini, recorded the speech connected the instrumentality itself, and utilized the Voice Memos app’s built-in quality to transcribe the full interrogation into text. I past pasted the substance into Google Docs, penning a transcript connected the Mini utilizing the outer keyboard. That’s my unsocial usage lawsuit for the iPad mini.

Apple Intelligence makes things a small smarter, but it doesn’t importantly alteration however you usage the iPad. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)

The note-taking quality is simply a standout feature

Perhaps the superior crushed I was truthful enamoured with the iPad mini is its note-taking capability. In my case, the instrumentality that comes closest to replacing a Moleskine reporter’s notebook is the iPad mini. Its tiny size, the prime of the screen, and the quality to usage the Apple Pencil Pro (the 1 I usage for taking notes) alteration the Mini into a penning and sketching device. My handwriting is atrocious (and lone I tin recognize it), but I ne'er stopped penning connected paper. Sure, I whitethorn not beryllium an creator oregon the champion idiosyncratic to reappraisal the caller Apple Pencil Pro, but I admit what Apple has done with this precocious stylus. The pencil’s haptic feedback dramatically improves the double-tap motion and enhances the caller compression motion that brings up a contextual menu. There’s truthful overmuch to emotion astir the Pencil Pro, but I indispensable accidental that arsenic I usage it much to instrumentality notes, I’ve realised conscionable however atrocious my handwriting is. The bully happening is that I inactive haven’t stopped penning oregon jotting down notes, and the Pencil Pro is helping maine amended my handwriting—just 1 measurement astatine a time.

It’s large that the caller Mini supports the caller Pencil Pro but the second-gen Apple Pencil isn’t supported.  (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)

Mini vs. Pro

I brought up this question for a reason, and the reply lies successful a elemental fact: the iPad mini is simply a tablet and frankincense can’t regenerate your Mac. The iPad Pro is perfectly a beast and tin travel adjacent to replacing the Mac, but it each depends connected what benignant of idiosyncratic you are. I ne'er tried to bash Mac tasks connected the iPad mini due to the fact that I cognize it can’t grip them. Instead, the iPad mini shines successful the areas that genuinely specify the iPad, complemented by its signifier factor, surface size, and enactment for the Apple Pencil.

I similar a smaller tablet, arsenic I already usage my iPhone and Mac. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)

That being said, the iPad mini is not perfect, and there’s country for improvement. Perhaps determination could beryllium caller originative ways to adhd accessories and heighten the acquisition without needfully requiring beefed-up performance, arsenic Apple has done this time. Unfortunately, Apple Intelligence isn’t truly a solution to the iPadOS problems. The issues that users typically kick astir regarding iPadOS and however devices similar the iPad Pro person been held backmost don’t truly use to the iPad mini. That’s wherever I consciousness a favoritism needs to beryllium made, and the idiosyncratic interface needs to beryllium reevaluated with the signifier origin successful caput to marque iPadOS consciousness overmuch amended and much fluid.