Apple iPad mini 2021 review

This year’s iPad mini is smaller than before. In fact, while it has a slightly smaller chassis, it actually packs in more screen space than the 2019 model. Also, this Liquid Retina display is much brighter and sharper than before.

The iPad mini is more of a consumption device. (Image credit: Nandagopal Rajan/Indian Express)

However, as someone who has been using iPad for all sorts of productive stuff for a few years now, I don’t really see the iPad mini as a tablet I would write stories on. For me, despite the smaller screen, it will be more of a consumption device. One that I will use while travelling, or would get from my son so that he can take his online classes without interference.

As a consumption device, the higher resolution screen with its 500 nits brightness, means you can use it to read books on the Kindle app under the sunny Noida sky or slump into a sofa with Squid Games with a hot cup of coffee in rainy Kerala. There are very few handheld consumption screens out there these days. The fact that the iPad mini does not need to be rested somewhere so that your hands don’t tire out, is indeed an advantage. In fact, the 2021 model is a bit lighter than the last version.

The iPad mini makes for an excellent reading device. (Image credit: Nandagopal Rajan/Indian Express)

This also means the iPad mini is a pretty good note-taking device that can if needed be squeezed into your jeans pocket or pulled out of the side zip of a backpack. The new iPad mini works well with the Apple Pencil 2 and it helps that the new iPad OS version makes it easier to scribble notes. My only issue is that after having used the Apple Pencil on larger iPads, using it on the smaller mini felt a bit odd initially. But I did get over this awkwardness.

The iPad mini is powered by the A15 Bionic with a 5-core Apple GPU, making this a very capable machine in every sense of the term. This is the sort of machine a pro photographer can keep in his camera bag to quickly edit the RAW images he has shot using the Photoshop app so that he can send it to the newsroom or his studio from wherever he is. The iPad mini coolly handles anything you want it to, wherever you are.

Even when you do something as relaxed as creating a new Mandala’s using an app, the iPad mini reminds you of how smoothly the processor works. (Image credit: Nandagopal Rajan/Indian Express)

Interestingly, given this power and the form factor, I found the iPad mini to be a great handheld gaming device, the sort that could technically compete with the Nintendo Switch. Playing a game like Asphalt 9 is much easier on the iPad that you can grip so well — while a the same time offering you a screen that is much larger than any phone. On this screen, you also see how the GPU renders such realistic visuals in games with no stutter or lag. The audio quality is loud and spatial to add an extra layer of experience to all your gaming.

Even when you do something as relaxed as creating a new Mandala’s using an app, the iPad mini reminds you of how smoothly the processor works in tandem with the display to offer a really natural experience.

The rear camera on the iPad mini. (Image credit: Nandagopal Rajan/Indian Express)

I don’t really appreciate those who shoot photos with a giant tablet, but I have to say the iPad has a pretty neat camera which is almost as good as the iPhone 13. It clicks photos that no one will guess have been clicked on an iPad. And it can record 4K video as 60fps opening up a wide range of possibilities on what this iPad can be used for. However, this camera does struggle a bit in low light, reminding you that this is not really an iPhone camera. But, the front camera is decent making this quite a good option for those who have to take a lot of video calls daily.

The battery life of the iPad mini has last you a full day with extensive use. If it’s a few hours a day you can easily stretch it to a week.

The new versions are available with 5G in case you want to future-proof yourself. That would make sense also because iPads generally last a few years and stay very contemporary even then.

At a starting price of Rs 46,900, the iPad mini, especially given that this is a smaller tablet, might seem a bit pricey. But the iPad brings in top-level productivity, gaming, and consumption features to an ultra-portable form factor. The iPad mini is, without doubt, one of the best tablets in the market, however, do make sure this is the right size for you.