Should You Buy an iPad Mini?

If you buy one, you’ll use it for something

When Apple announced the very first iPad, twelve year-old me was critical. Isn’t it just a big iPhone? After Apple announced the iPad Pro, I started believing. It was then that they transformed the device from a casual tablet into a productivity machine.

I bought the iPad Pro in the summer of 2020, the LTE version. It was basically a computer. I loved it for the entire year that I had it.

This year, I decided to simplify my workflow. I bought an M1 MacBook Air and an iPad Mini. After the first full week, here’s what I think.

It’s just like the iPad Pro

Except maybe it’s not. I had Apple’s $300 Magic Keyboard attached so mine was basically a laptop. This one is more like a tablet. But I have a MacBook Air now. I don’t need another laptop.

Besides the fact that it’s a different device, it’s slightly different elsewhere.

No 120Hz display

I didn’t think I would notice, but I do. The 60Hz refresh rate compared with the 120Hz is an acquired taste. It’s still a powerful small device and comes equipped with Apple’s A15 bionic chip — the same one in the new iPhone 13.