It’s time to buy a new tablet, and you’ve finally honed your choice down to two really good options: the iPad Mini or the iPad Air. Which is best?
The answer to that depends on many factors: your lifestyle, your preferences, your eyesight, and the type of activities you like to use your iPad for. Here we’ll look at the differences between these two iPads, as well as some of the similarities.
Similarities Between The iPad Mini 6 And iPad Air 5
Both the 6th generation iPad Mini and the iPad Air 4 have a similar design: all-screen industrial with flat edges, narrow bezels around the display. These bezels look larger on the iPad Mini, but that’s just because the screen itself is that much smaller.
Both tablets have touch ID scanner built into the top button, so you’d be unlocking your table the same way either way. They feature a similar liquid retina display with fingerprint resistant coating, full lamination, 500 nits max brightness, and TrueTone.
The cameras on both devices are very similar. Both the iPad Mini 6 and the iPad Air 5 feature a 12MP ƒ/1.8 wide rear camera with a 5 times digital zoom. There’s only one little difference: the iPad Mini has the addition of a Quad-LED True Tone flash. Both cameras can record video at up to 60 fps, 1080p HD at up to 60 fps, and 1080 slo-mo at up to 240 fps. The front facing camera on both devices is identical; a 12MP ƒ/2.4 ultra wide with 2x zoom, center stage, and 1080 video recording.
The second generation apple pencil is compatible with both devices, and they both charge via a USB-C port. The battery life turns out to be almost equivalent: about ten hours. And they both have Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0. If you get the cellular model, it’ll also have sub-6GHZ 5G connectivity.
iPad Mini 6 vs iPad Air 5: Form Factor And Display
The biggest difference between the iPad Mini and the iPad turns out to be the most obvious one: the size. The iPad Mini is 165 grams lighter than the iPad Air— 0.36 pounds— and, at 52.2 mm shorter and 43.7 mm narrower, it fits much better into the hand. It’s also much easier to stuff into a jacket pocket, purse, or handbag.
If you hope to use your tablet extensively on the go, the iPad Mini may be the better buy.The cellular version is also great as a phone replacement, and won’t look weird held to your ear if you prefer not to use the speakerphone.
That said, the larger size of the iPad is certainly a plus in some situations. If you love multi-tasking, you may hate the Mini—- there just isn’t room for very much to fit on that extra-small screen. Even pulling up the on-screen keyboard takes up an awkwardly large portion of prime real estate, especially if you’re in landscape view. App icons are smaller, and so is the text underneath them.
iPad Mini 6 vs iPad Air 5: Processor
The other big difference between the newest versions of the Air and Mini is the processor. Both tablets have new, modern chips that provide a superb user experience— but the chips are different. In the iPad Mini, you have an A15 bionic— that’s the same chip in the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro. The chip is slightly down clocked, showing speeds of 2.9GHz vs the 3.2GHz of the iPhone 13. But the effect is Minimal, and the A15 bionic is overall a very good chip.
If you think you can’t get better, though, Apple shows you a way they can. The iPad Air boasts the M1 chip also used in the latest MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and iPad Pro. This chip clocks at 3.2GHz. The iPad Air also has 8 gigabytes of ram, rather than the four in the Mini.
Want numbers? The M1 that we find in the iPad Air has Geekbench scores of 1,700 for single-core tasks and 7,220 for multicore. The iPad Mini A15 scores are lower— 1,550 for single core, 4,400 for multicore. It’s a significant difference, so if you tend to push the operating potential of your devices to the max, the Air may be what you want.
If that’s two much jargon for you, here’s the take away: the iPad Air 5 has more processing power than the Mini, but the Mini is so good you won’t be able to tell the difference in causal computing. To keep your device safe and cool get our best iPad mini 6 case
iPad Mini 6 vs iPad Air: Accessories
There’s another reason you might want the Air instead of the iPad Mini: more accessories. While the 2nd generation Apple Pencil works with both devices, the magic keyboard and smart keyboard folio don’t. The iPad Mini doesn’t have the Smart Connector needed for those keyboards, and Apple hasn’t designed any keyboard specifically for its Miniature iPad.
If you really want a keyboard, you might be able to find a bluetooth keyboard from a different manufacturer that works with your device. If you go that route, make sure you check the reviews carefully before purchasing— some of those third party bluetooth keyboards have very spotty connections.
iPad Mini vs iPad Air: Conclusions
So which is better: the iPad Mini or the iPad Air? They’re both good in their own way. With keyboard potential, a nice big screen and that computer-worthy M1 processor, the iPad Air could be a perfect computer replacement. Those are shoes that the iPad Mini would have a hard time filling. Buying for FaceTime? Again, the iPad Air might be a better deal: you get to see those grandkids, besties, or old friends in something close to life-size.
But do you prefer holding your iPad in one hand, taking notes, shooting video, or turning the device into a second phone? Then the Mini is the better choice for you. With crisp, high-resolution graphics on a smaller screen, the smaller version of the iPad will do just about anything the bigger one can.
Which one will you choose, and why? Let us know!
