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I’m a big fan of the iPad mini 6, it’s been one of my most anticipated iPads, ever. For consuming long-form texts, be it in-depth articles or ebooks, the iPad mini is ideal. There’s no other iPad that makes reading such a joy. I love it.
And yet, it sits there, unused, and has been for the past couple of weeks. You see, I swapped out my iPhone 13 mini, for the latest iPhone 14 Pro Max. I prefer smaller phones, but all iPhones are what I’d call too big, and if that’s going to be the case, I might as well get a model with a good camera and a better/larger screen. The mini-iPhone is the only iPhone that’s pocketable, but it’s not exactly pleasant to carry like that, it’s still too big for my taste. My reasoning is this: If I’m going to carry a small bag anyway, I might as well get the best iPhone there is.
So, here I am with an iPhone 14 Pro Max, and I must say, I’ve missed the pro camera. I’ve even enjoyed some games on this one, using my Backbone controller, although it’s not as good as pairing an Xbox controller with an iPad Pro. More portable, though, which is something I’ve discussed before, regarding the iPad mini 6. You might recall that I’ve paired that with an Xbox controller too, and yes – it’s a preferable gaming experience compared to using an iPhone in any capacity. In fact, anything that wants you to touch the screen is preferable on an iPad mini compared to the iPhone 14 Pro Max. And then there’s the Apple Pencil support, the iPad mini has plenty of things going for it.
But, how many devices can you use, really? And, do you lug them with you, all the time?
To me, the iPad mini stands out as a reading device, and for lighter gaming. It can handle more than that, for sure, but I’d generally pick one of my iPad Pros for anything else.
In comparison, the iPhone 14 Pro Max is doing a pretty decent job as a reading device. I’d prefer the screen to be slightly larger, but it definitely works. It’s a better screen, too, than the iPad mini, in any way but size. I don’t mind reading long-form articles, nor books (fiction, mind you) on the iPhone’s screen. This is something I didn’t do on my iPhone 13 mini, nor to any real extent on any previous non-Max-sized iPhone screen. The Max models hit the sweet spot, right there, at least for me.
Which, again, brings me back to the iPad mini 6. It’s a lovely device, I used it a lot when I had a smaller iPhone, but, well, it’s not even charged right now. That says a lot in itself. Sure, it could very well be a case of The New Shiny, but the fact that I always bring my iPhone, and the size of the thing, has effectively replaced my iPad mini when I’m out and about. And, if I want to get work done, some writing perhaps, while I’m away from my desks, I’ll bring the 11” iPad Pro anyway. (Although the iPad mini typewriter kit is still appealing, albeit not particularly nice to work with. Yet.)
I love the iPad mini. It’s the perfect iPad for so many things, and for many people, that’s what an iPad should be. But, I fear it’s been replaced by the iPhone Max size. It’s a little disappointing, I’ve wanted the iPad mini 6 for so long, and it’s already been made obsolete. I guess Apple was right not pushing it, in the end.
