iPad mini 6: First Impressions

Today is such an awesome day. Not only is my iPhone 13 Pro Max arriving soon, but the nice UPS man drove directly from the distribution center to my front door to bring me the new iPad mini and Smart Folio. Here are my first impressions of this new tiny iPad.

First of all, this thing is small (duh). Even the boxes look smaller than I expected. I went with the purple option because purple has always been my favorite color, though I will say, this purple is a little light for my taste. The iPad itself is a nice shade that almost looks gray in some light, but the “English Lavender” Smart Folio is more of a pastel. I considered exchanging it for black, but that seems boring. I’m sure I’ll get used to English Lavender eventually…or I’ll cover it with stickers.

The lightweight iPad mini is easy to hold for long periods, making it the perfect device for casual reading and browsing. It’s super easy to thumb-type when it’s in portrait mode, so I can respond to texts or type quick emails without needing to grab my phone or laptop. I also appreciate how easy it is to hold in one hand while writing with the Apple Pencil.

Speaking of the Pencil, it snaps magnetically to the side of the device just like the larger iPads. The writing experience is nice, though if you’re used to using an Apple Pencil on an iPad Pro, you’ll notice some lag since the iPad mini doesn’t have a ProMotion (high refresh rate) display. It’s still a great writing experience, so don’t let the lack of ProMotion dissuade you.

The Apple Pencil is only slightly smaller than the side of the iPad itself, which forced Apple to relocate the volume buttons. Now they’re on the same side as the sleep/wake/Touch ID button. Fortunately, Apple was clever in their implementation of the volume buttons on this iPad. When the iPad is in landscape orientation, the software compensates so that up is up and down is down regardless of which way you’re holding it. The same goes for portrait mode. The buttons follow the on-screen volume indicator, so whichever button is on the right turns the volume up, and left is volume down. It’s such a thoughtful implementation, and I’m surprised and sad that they weren’t able to roll it out to all iPads in iPadOS 15.

The most difficult adjustment for me has been Touch ID. I’m so used to Face ID on my iPhone and other iPads, it’s really tough to train my brain to reach for the fingerprint sensor for everything. Every time I pick this thing up, I position it so that it can see my face, swipe up from the bottom to unlock…and I’m greeted with the passcode screen. I’m sure I’ll get it eventually, but this just makes me wish that Apple could include both Face ID and Touch ID in every device going forward. More choice, more convenience, better accessibility. Maybe some day.

iPad mini 6, 11-inch iPad Pro, 12.9-inch iPad Pro

Touch ID was relatively easy to set up, though it seemed a little more finicky than I remember it being with a Home Button. The side button is much more narrow, so I get it. Just an observation. It also requires you to register two fingers, since the side button will swap sides as you turn it from portrait to landscape mode.

The screen on this iPad mini looks wonderful. While it lacks some of the bells and whistles of its larger siblings like mini LED, HDR, and ProMotion, it does support P3 wide color, True Tone, and it has the highest pixel density of any iPad at 326 pixels per inch. For comparison’s sake, the newest iPads Pro have 264 PPI.

The small screen and high resolution do create one small issue: some of the Home Screen widgets have very small text. If you have difficulty reading small print, some of the widgets may not be useful for you. There’s a Home Screen setting to “Use large icons,” but that doesn’t change the size of widgets.

One thing I haven’t tested yet is Center Stage, which is Apple’s method of keeping subjects framed while on video calls. It uses the new wide-angle front-facing camera to automatically pan and zoom as you move, and if it detects another face in the shot, it’ll automatically shift to fit them in too. It’ll be nice for FaceTime calls, or if I ever decide to start my own cooking show.

The stereo speakers sound good. I don’t see myself watching many movies on this thing without headphones, but it’s good to know that they sound totally fine.

Overall, the new iPad mini is a joy. This is going to be my go-to device in the mornings and evenings when I’m avoiding productivity, but in the event that I do need to do something productive, it’ll be more than capable of handling it. I also look forward to traveling with it because it’s so much lighter and easier to use in tight spaces. I’m curious how I’ll feel about reading magazines in Apple News+ on this little screen because I’ve always said the 11-inch iPad Pro is the perfect size for magazines. Fortunately, I’m not getting rid of either of my other iPads. I’m officially a 3-iPad guy.

Did anyone else pick up the iPad mini or are you holding off? Let me know your thoughts!