Uploaded October 2021 | Updated September 2026, 4 days ago
This is the 2021 iPad Mini 6. It takes design cues from the iPad Pro and iPad Air and puts it all in a super tiny package. I replaced my daily 12.9in iPad Pro with this iPad mini for the last few weeks, and here's how it went.
Amazon Affiliate link to Product Discussed:
2021 Apple iPad Mini 6: amzn.to/3j4Dndk
Amazon Affiliate Links to Gear I use:
Sony A7S III: amzn.to/3jD0fxC
Vanguard Alta Pro 263AB Tripod: amzn.to/2O7V8Yn
M1 Macbook Air: amzn.to/3rV5Zru
Philips Hue Light Strip: amzn.to/2VZq2EV
Godox SL-60W: amzn.to/37LsdT0
Rode VideoMic NTG:amzn.to/2RKHVrL
Shure SM7B: amzn.to/30Dxji7
Logitech MX Master 3: amzn.to/30G1GV2
Logitech MX keys: amzn.to/3bHytQ8yo
Timestamps:
0:00 Introduction
0:20 Physical Features
3:17 Personal Experiences
4:45 Why the Mini?
8:40 Conclusion
The iPad mini comes with the ipad mini, a usb-c charging cable, a usb-c charging brick, and some documents. The first thing you'll notice once it's out of the box is how small it is. The iPad Mini 6 now has a fingerprint sensor at the very top right side of the ipad. And the volume buttons were moved from the sides to the top left of the ipad. They did this to make space for Apple Pencil 2 support. The iPad Mini got an overall massive redesign, with a usb-c port, squared off edges, and a front face lift. It now has speakers on the top and the bottom that sound pretty good, but lacks a bit of bass, especially when compared side by side with the larger ipads, but this is a smaller device, so less room for booming sound. The front facing 12mp wide angle camera has center stage, a software feature that lets the camera constantly follow you around while you're on video calls. Beyond the front facing camera is a singular 12MP rear camera which takes decent enough photos. Other than that, the last notable physical difference is that there’s no longer a headphone jack. So, if you still want an iPad with headphone jack, only the base model iPad that starts at 329 has it now.
Typing on it with both hands is easier than it is on any other iPad. But if you have an Apple Pencil 2 it feels weird pressing against your hand when you hold the mini on the side. Thanks to the mini’s size it does things in a way that the bigger ipads don't. The iPad mini is easily one-handable. I found it to be fantastic for reading books; scrolling through social media, reading comic books or manga, and a nice little YouTube watching or Netflix splurging machine. Because the ipad Mini shares the same A15 chip as the iPhone 13, you're getting great performance out of this tiny thing. Most games you play and most apps you use should perform pretty good. In my short time with it, I've had no issues with performance, and no weird hangs or delays.
These ipads have the same design, same fingerprint sensor, so what sets this mini apart? What would make someone decide to pick the iPad Mini over the iPad Air? The iPad Mini stands out in 2 ways. Portability, and Single-tasking. Let's talk about that last one first. The iPad air and Pros are good for multi-tasking. The iPad mini excels at doing a lot of tasks, but one at a time. And the small screen size actually makes it easier to reach any area of the screen you need at once. I can reach different areas of the mini better, but that small screen size also makes it really hard to have two windows open at once without having to shove your face against the display to see what's going on.
So let's talk about its defining feature. Portability. I really enjoyed using the iPad Mini everywhere I go, it's so small, and compact that I find it really easy to justify taking it with me. Honestly, I think this iPad Mini is the ideal travel ipad. Combine THIS form factor and the 5G upgrade, and you have yourself, a budget iPhone 13R MAX. So, I think this iPad mini serves a different purpose from the iPad air or iPad pro. I think the iPad mini is for people looking for a companion they would use in bed, take with them on their travels, it's a perfectly sized tablet in a kid's hands and is useful as an entertainment device.
So, conclusion time, should you buy the ipad Mini 6? If you want an ipad for portability, or want to use it as a daily entertainment device or even as a travel companion. Then get the iPad Mini. It's so portable and easy to take everywhere you go with all the benefits of having an ipad. If you're looking for a tablet that is just as great and want to use it primarily for productivity like school work or multi-tasking, you might want to pay $100 more for the iPad air, the ability to use a magic keyboard and the bigger screen makes it way more usable for that kind of stuff. For me personally, I think if you got a great use case for the iPad Mini and know exactly what you want to do with it, it could be a good fit. But it's definitely not for everyone.
This is the 2021 iPad Mini 6. It takes design cues from the iPad Pro and iPad Air and puts it all in a super tiny package. I replaced my daily 12.9in iPad Pro with this iPad mini for the last few weeks, and here's how it went.
Amazon Affiliate link to Product Discussed:
2021 Apple iPad Mini 6: amzn.to/3j4Dndk
Amazon Affiliate Links to Gear I use:
Sony A7S III: amzn.to/3jD0fxC
Vanguard Alta Pro 263AB Tripod: amzn.to/2O7V8Yn
M1 Macbook Air: amzn.to/3rV5Zru
Philips Hue Light Strip: amzn.to/2VZq2EV
Godox SL-60W: amzn.to/37LsdT0
Rode VideoMic NTG:amzn.to/2RKHVrL
Shure SM7B: amzn.to/30Dxji7
Logitech MX Master 3: amzn.to/30G1GV2
Logitech MX keys: amzn.to/3bHytQ8yo
Timestamps:
0:00 Introduction
0:20 Physical Features
3:17 Personal Experiences
4:45 Why the Mini?
8:40 Conclusion
The iPad mini comes with the ipad mini, a usb-c charging cable, a usb-c charging brick, and some documents. The first thing you'll notice once it's out of the box is how small it is. The iPad Mini 6 now has a fingerprint sensor at the very top right side of the ipad. And the volume buttons were moved from the sides to the top left of the ipad. They did this to make space for Apple Pencil 2 support. The iPad Mini got an overall massive redesign, with a usb-c port, squared off edges, and a front face lift. It now has speakers on the top and the bottom that sound pretty good, but lacks a bit of bass, especially when compared side by side with the larger ipads, but this is a smaller device, so less room for booming sound. The front facing 12mp wide angle camera has center stage, a software feature that lets the camera constantly follow you around while you're on video calls. Beyond the front facing camera is a singular 12MP rear camera which takes decent enough photos. Other than that, the last notable physical difference is that there’s no longer a headphone jack. So, if you still want an iPad with headphone jack, only the base model iPad that starts at 329 has it now.
Typing on it with both hands is easier than it is on any other iPad. But if you have an Apple Pencil 2 it feels weird pressing against your hand when you hold the mini on the side. Thanks to the mini’s size it does things in a way that the bigger ipads don't. The iPad mini is easily one-handable. I found it to be fantastic for reading books; scrolling through social media, reading comic books or manga, and a nice little YouTube watching or Netflix splurging machine. Because the ipad Mini shares the same A15 chip as the iPhone 13, you're getting great performance out of this tiny thing. Most games you play and most apps you use should perform pretty good. In my short time with it, I've had no issues with performance, and no weird hangs or delays.
These ipads have the same design, same fingerprint sensor, so what sets this mini apart? What would make someone decide to pick the iPad Mini over the iPad Air? The iPad Mini stands out in 2 ways. Portability, and Single-tasking. Let's talk about that last one first. The iPad air and Pros are good for multi-tasking. The iPad mini excels at doing a lot of tasks, but one at a time. And the small screen size actually makes it easier to reach any area of the screen you need at once. I can reach different areas of the mini better, but that small screen size also makes it really hard to have two windows open at once without having to shove your face against the display to see what's going on.
So let's talk about its defining feature. Portability. I really enjoyed using the iPad Mini everywhere I go, it's so small, and compact that I find it really easy to justify taking it with me. Honestly, I think this iPad Mini is the ideal travel ipad. Combine THIS form factor and the 5G upgrade, and you have yourself, a budget iPhone 13R MAX. So, I think this iPad mini serves a different purpose from the iPad air or iPad pro. I think the iPad mini is for people looking for a companion they would use in bed, take with them on their travels, it's a perfectly sized tablet in a kid's hands and is useful as an entertainment device.
So, conclusion time, should you buy the ipad Mini 6? If you want an ipad for portability, or want to use it as a daily entertainment device or even as a travel companion. Then get the iPad Mini. It's so portable and easy to take everywhere you go with all the benefits of having an ipad. If you're looking for a tablet that is just as great and want to use it primarily for productivity like school work or multi-tasking, you might want to pay $100 more for the iPad air, the ability to use a magic keyboard and the bigger screen makes it way more usable for that kind of stuff. For me personally, I think if you got a great use case for the iPad Mini and know exactly what you want to do with it, it could be a good fit. But it's definitely not for everyone.
