iPad mini 7th gen – review
Today, recalling my experience with the 1st generation iPad mini, I couldn’t help but notice how much the world around me has changed. Currently, the largest iPhone 16 Pro Max offers almost the same working space on the screen as the smallest iPad, and the Pro models of Apple tablets are replacing laptops for many people. At the same time, however, finding a role for the iPad mini was very easy for me, but it depended on several important factors. What did I pay attention to and how does the iPad mini perform in everyday tasks?
iPad mini 7th generation specifications
Display
- 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display
- Resolution 2266 by 1488 pixels at 326 ppi
- Wide color gamut (P3)
- True Tone
- Brightness 500 nits
- Oleophobic coating resistant to fingerprints
- Full lamination
- Anti-reflective coating
Chip
- A17 Pro (formerly A15 Bionic)
Apparatus
- 12 MP wide-angle rear camera, ƒ/1.8 aperture
- 12MP ultra-wide front camera with Spotlight (previously 12MP, ƒ/2.4 aperture)
- Video Recording:
- 4K video recording at 24 fps, 25 fps, 30 fps or 60 fps
- 1080p HD video recording at 25 fps, 30 fps or 60 fps
- 1080p slow motion video recording at 120 fps or 240 fps
- Time-lapse mode with stabilization
Zoom wideo 3x
Sound
- Stereo speakers for horizontal listening
- Two microphones for calls, video recording and audio recording
Communication
- Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax) (formerly Wi-Fi 6)
- Bluetooth 5.3 (previously Bluetooth 5.0)
- USB-C connector
Sensors
- Touch ID
- Accelerometer
- Three-axis gyroscope
- Barometer
- Ambient light sensor
Dimensions and weight
- Height: 195.4 mm
- Width: 134.8 mm
- Depth: 6.3 mm
- Weight: 293 g
Other
- Apple Pencil (2nd generation) support
- Available colors: pink, moonlight, purple, space gray, blue
iPad mini 7. gen vs. 6. gen
Let’s start with technical issues, although the iPad mini, apart from a newer processor and increased amount of RAM, is no different from its predecessor. However, these are enough new features for the smallest Apple tablet to cope with all daily duties and have a certain amount of performance. In fact, some people even run video editing applications on it, which the A17 Pro and 8 GB RAM handle quite well, but the small screen is a limitation that is not easy to overcome. However, we are still dealing with a Liquid Retina screen, 8.3 inches and 2266 by 1488 pixels.
The resolution is quite sufficient to watch movies or read books and articles with pleasure, but lower contrast, not so strong color saturation, so weaker blacks, mean that all activities are not as much fun as they could be. And there is also the issue of “jelly scrolling”, which has somehow been reduced by Apple, but not completely eliminated. For many people, this will be a reason to return or avoid the tablet, especially since at such a price we would expect not only no problems with the screen, but also a higher refresh rate than 60 Hz. This is the same problem that affects regular iPhone models – Apple needs to improve the refresh rate as soon as possible, and in the iPad mini get rid of the “jolly scrolling” effect, which is most visible when scrolling text in vertical orientation.
iPad mini 7 in everyday use
The speakers of the 7th generation iPad mini were a surprise to me, because we get a really solid stereo sound system for such a small device. The low tones, of course, do not dominate the sound, but Apple has configured the speakers so well that the sound coming out of them is full, strong and clear. While watching or playing, a surround sound “bubble” is created, and listening to podcasts or audiobooks at increased volume without external equipment, such as a Bluetooth speaker, is not tiring for the ears.
Other aspects of the iPad mini, which are no longer so controversial, quickly become its advantages after a longer acquaintance. For some, the modest size of the tablet may be a disadvantage, but it can quickly turn into an advantage. If this type of use of the iPad mini suits a given person, it may be the perfect bridge device between a smartphone and a laptop. I work a lot at the computer, but after leaving my desk I still often exchange messages, e-mails, make calls and simply stay online. Back then, I used my smartphone most often, but the smaller screen and battery consumption were not good for me.
iPad mini has a major impact on everyday life, because it is a great companion at home and outside – I use my smartphone less and less often for most activities, which happens not only due to the huge resources of the App Store, but also the Apple ecosystem, because text messages, telephone calls etc. are redirected to the tablet. However, I cannot help but point out that the keyboard in the vertical orientation of the iPad mini can be a challenge at first, because the screen is wider than on a smartphone and longer distances require greater finger gymnastics. I don’t practice typing on the iPad mini in the horizontal position, because then I can’t use my thumbs, and the screen is too small to treat the on-screen keyboard as a substitute for the physical QWERTY keyboard, with which I work for several hours every day.
iPad mini 7 i Apple Pencil Pro
Another way to interact with the iPad mini is with the stylus. Apple Pencil USB-C and Apple Pencil Pro are supported and I have been using the latter for several weeks. This is a great example of how technology is ahead of its analog counterparts, and at the same time it is not yet able to convey the same sensations and experiences as classic handwriting or sketches.
The multitude of tools, modes, applications and settings, especially in combination with the functions of the stylus in the Pro version, which also has rotation and squeeze detection, offers enormous possibilities, but when plastic comes into contact with glass, there cannot be the same sensations as taking notes on paper or drawing in a traditional way. However, I greatly appreciate this versatility, especially since calculations and writing can be automatically solved and converted into plain text, respectively, and this speeds up and facilitates a gigantic number of everyday tasks.
The stylus is charged wirelessly, but the Apple case does not protect the Apple Pencil, which can detach, get lost or destroyed. In the long run, it is definitely better to invest in something better, although I cannot fault the Apple case itself. This is a proven design that has been produced for years, which also allows you to place the tablet in a convenient position for viewing, reading or writing.
Is it worth paying extra for the iPad mini cellular LTE/5G version?
Many people ask whether the cellular version, i.e. supporting LTE/5G, is worth the extra fee. From my perspective, this is one of the features that justify the purchase of such a device. If the iPad cannot connect to the Internet on its own, it will be completely useless to me outside the home, because I do not intend to remember to take a portable router, share the network from my phone or hunt for Wi-Fi networks every time. Of course, this affects the working time without charging, but the quick switch allows you to manage connectivity as needed, so it’s something you can manage. iPadOS 18 itself brings many useful innovations and fixes that improve the use of the tablet, although of course it is still not a platform ready to replace the system from 1:1 computers. On the other hand, I know people for whom this simplicity is helpful because it makes them work faster.
Touch ID works great, but…
I won’t say that using Touch ID in some situations is irritating, because I regret that looking at the screen is not enough to unlock the device when my hands are busy or dirty, but the reader built into the lock button is so accurate and fast that a fraction of a second is enough. seconds to authorize the user.
Is it worth buying the iPad mini 7th generation?
iPad mini works great as a handheld reader of books, magazines and newspapers. I like watching YouTube and sitcoms on it, and it has also managed to replace other devices for listening to music, podcasts and controlling audio at home. This is where I talk, reply to everyone and read articles from the Internet, as well as take notes by hand and try my hand at graphics. I also sometimes edit photos or videos – it’s not as big a screen as the ones in the basic iPad or iPad Pro, but it’s still more space than on the iPhone, but in a no less handy device, which I know about in a bag or backpack you can even forget about it. Charging via USB-C allows you to quickly and conveniently replenish energy, which I don’t do more often than every few days, which is a very satisfying result for me.
Source: antyweb.pl
