2024 - Apple iPad mini (2021): the ideal tablet for everyone?

Compact size, beautiful screen with thin edges, big power… this tablet will be able to appeal to children who like video games as well as to adults with a second screen.

After a few days with the iPad mini in your hands, what is Apple’s new compact tablet worth? We used it in the most realistic conditions possible (surfing the Internet, streaming series, video games, taking notes, consulting emails, photos, videoconferencing… everything went there. And here is our verdict on the new iPad mini , 6th generation.

The first thing that jumps out at you is the new design. With its straight edges and the absence of a button on the front, Apple’s iPad mini 2021 looks like an XXL smartphone. A new design straight inspired by the iPhone which also saves space for the screen. This drops from 7.9 inches diagonally in the previous version to 8.3 inches here. What’s more, it gains in quality and brightness. We also like the presence of black borders much more discreet than in the past. This gives an impression of lightness to the whole. Moreover, the iPad mini 2021 weighs 293 grams, or 7 less than its predecessor.

An iPad mini still as compact and cut for games

Just under 8 inches high and 5 inches wide… Apple’s new tablet can be held with just one hand. Its format also allows a perfect grip for many video games, the iPad mini then turns into a console with a large screen. And its enormous power – the tablet is equipped with the same latest-generation processor as the iPhone 13 – ensures true velocity and perfect fluidity whatever the activity.

Also note, among the novelties of this compact tablet, the choice of Apple connectivity: the brand abandons the proprietary Lightning port to adopt the universal USB-C port. Very practical for connecting other devices (transferring photos from a Reflex for example) but also to save yourself the headache of multiple cables at home.

iPad mini: the perfect second screen?

Excellent option for a family tablet with its size and light weight that will allow children to have it well in hand, the iPad mini can also be an excellent for an adult looking for a complementary screen at work. Its compact size allows it to be slipped into your bag, in addition to your computer, without adding too much to the total. And it can be a complementary screen service (display emails, a real-time statistics monitoring screen, spreadsheet, etc.) in the office. By purchasing the Apple Pencil, the tablet also becomes a note-taking support (especially since Apple has integrated a handwriting recognition tool, perfect for quickly creating reports).

Especially since the Sidecar function of iPadOS 15, the operating software for the tablet, very similar to iOS 15 for the iPhone, allows you to very easily synchronize a Mac or Macbook with an iPad to display different apps or window or, conversely, duplicate the same content on both screens. And the mouse can wander from one to the other. Finally, the iPad mini has a 12 million pixel photo sensor on the front and back to take very good quality shots but also make FaceTime / videoconferences in the best conditions.

iPad mini: the results

What we liked

The new design inspired by the latest iPhones with straight edges
Being able to hold the tablet with one hand
The compact format that allows you to get the most out of video games
The possibility of magnetizing the Apple Pencil (the stylus)
Screen quality

What we liked less

Lack of FaceID facial recognition
The autonomy could be further improved (about 10 hours in continuous varied use)
At more than 500 €, it is not the best value for money in the range

It’s hard to find any real flaws in this tablet, the size and weight of which are perfect so that you can take it anywhere without asking any questions. We may regret the absence of FaceID, the facial recognition system nevertheless. To unlock the device, you have to put your fingerprint on a button on the edge of the tablet. A choice of Apple not to raise the note a little more. In this regard, for the best value for money, it is to the iPad 9, in the classic format, that it will be necessary to turn. However, the iPad mini offers many other advantages which can justify this additional cost (power, format, design, etc.).

Available from September 24, the iPad mini is available in four colors : Space Gray, Pink, Mauve and Starlight. And his price ? From € 559 for the 64 GB version and € 729 for the 256 GB version.