iPad mini 6 reviews are finally out and all of them are loving the refreshed design with an almost edge-to-edge display and rounded corners, powerful A15 chip, USB-C port, Apple Pencil 2, improved front, and rear cameras, and power button TouchID. It seems to be the iPad mini that has the least number of compromises compared to its larger and more expensive siblings.
Of course, the new iPad mini 6 gets all these features for a price bump of $100. There are still a few minor compromises primarily due to its size: despite being larger, the 8.3-inch display is still too small for extended use, and there is no Smart Connector which means that the only keyboards that will work with iPad mini 6 are Bluetooth ones. Apple has also removed the headphone jack, and there is no high refresh rate on the Mini, unlike iPad Pro models.
Here is our selection of some of the best reviews of iPad mini 6 to help you decide whether you should buy it or not.
iPad mini 6 reviews
Ars Technica
Andrew Cunningham from Ars Technica praised the iPad mini for its powerful performance, versatile one-handed usage, and Apple Pencil support. However, he echoed our sentiments: iPadOS is built to take advantage of larger displays and 8.3-inch simply is too small for it.
On the other hand, most of the work Apple has put into iPadOS in the last half-decade or so has been about taking better advantage of the tablet’s processor power and larger screen. That has come in the form of improved multitasking features, robust support from professional app-makers like Adobe and Microsoft, and surprisingly good keyboard and mouse/trackpad support. The iPad mini can take advantage of every single one of those things. But on an 8.3-inch screen, these tasks just aren’t as pleasant. I almost always find myself using the iPad mini with a single full-screen app at a time, just because that’s what is most comfortable.
Gizmodo
Caitlin McGarry from Gizmodo also loved the iPad mini and liked its redesign, lightweight size, portability, performance, battery life, and 5G support. Due to its size, the iPad mini is just a tablet and not a convertible computer that asks for work to be done. For such purposes, there are other iPad models.
The iPad Pro is an excellent tablet-computer hybrid, and you can even get a lot of work done on the iPad Air with Apple’s Magic Keyboard. But the iPad Mini can’t replace a computer, nor is it trying to. It’s an ereader, a notebook, a lightweight game console, and a portable smart display. But it’s just an iPad, and using an iPad that doesn’t want to be more than what it is has been so freeing.
MacStories
Federico Viticci from MacStories also praised the iPad mini, echoing the sentiments shared by other reviewers: this is the best handheld tablet Apple has ever made. It’s basically perfect for media consumption.
I consider the new iPad mini the truest expression of a portable, handheld tablet to date. Although my 12.9” iPad Pro with M1 chip and Liquid Retina XDR display is, objectively speaking, a better computer, I find the new iPad mini a more enjoyable tablet for certain tasks in which the iPad Pro feels overkill – reading articles and books, playing games without a controller, catching up on Twitter and RSS, watching TV shows, and taking quick notes.
There’s a quality you can’t define with tech specs and objective analysis, which the new iPad mini embodies: delight. The new iPad mini isn’t as powerful as an iPad Pro or versatile as an iPad Air, but it’s more delightful than either of them for specific tasks that don’t require a powerful CPU or Split View multitasking.
Engadget
Valentina Palladino gave the iPad mini 6 a score of 89 out of 100. Her review says that the iPad mini finally looks fresh, but its niche appeal is still the same. She also called out the paltry 64GB storage as one of the cons, even though Apple has increased the price by $100.
What it will come down to, as always, is size. The iPad mini remains the best small tablet out there and you probably already know if an 8-inch tablet has a place in your life. It either solves a specific problem, or it doesn’t — and if you fall into the second category, you probably prefer bigger screens anyway.
Wired
Brenda Stolyar from Wired gave the iPad mini 8 out of 10, and praised its design, performance, display, USB-C port, cameras, Apple Pencil, and 5G. But she called out the low base storage, average battery life, lack of headphone jack, price, and front-facing camera placement.
This tablet is powerful and pleasantly smol. But its steep price makes it a tough buy if you already have a phone, laptop, and TV.
Sleek redesign. Powerful. Touch ID! Bigger (and brighter) display in a small package. USB-C charging port. 5G (sub-6 only). Front camera comes with Center Stage. Works with second-gen Apple Pencil.
YouTube reviews
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