Apple iPad Mini 6 review: Not extravagant but practical for its size, price

The iPad Mini has been through five cycles of generational refreshes, yet its design has not been as radically improved as it has in the recently launched sixth-generation upgrade. Called the iPad Mini 6 or iPad Mini 2021 by technology enthusiasts, the new iPad Mini looks modern and in line with Apple’s most other big-screen tablets.

The design refresh boasts trimmed display bezel areas, which allowed Apple to accommodate a tad bigger screen than the last-generation model, without compromising on the compact ergonomics the iPad Mini is known for. Other design changes include flat sides and back, both of which aid handling and improve overall usability. Speaking of handling, the iPad Mini has a fingerprint scanner (Touch ID) embedded in its power button mounted on the top side. It takes some time to get comfortable with it, especially if you are a user of the iPhone X or higher models. Once accustomed, the Touch ID feels natural to use for unlocking the device, logging in to apps, etc.

Coming to the display, the iPad Mini sports an LCD panel of modest contrast and brightness. It is no match to OLED panels seen in premium Apple and Samsung tablets, but is not bad, either. However, I wish it had better sunlight legibility because this display is hard to read in bright outdoors. Aspect ratio is another thing I wish the iPad Mini had done better on. Though optimised for most apps and user interface elements, the iPad Mini’s boxy aspect ratio leaves a thick patch of empty spaces on the top and bottom sides of the window while rendering content with a wide aspect ratio, such as movies and television shows available on most over-the-top platforms.

The iPad Mini has a modest display, but it sure does have a solid audio set-up powered by four speakers – two each on the top and bottom sides. The speakers are loud and have fuller output, supported by stereo effect in both vertical and horizontal orientations.

Rounding up the package is a solid performance, courtesy Apple A15 Bionic chip and iPadOS 15 operating system. The sheer performance on offer by the chip made on a 5nm process is visible in both regular operations and while using power- and graphic-intensive apps, including games and video editing. On top of it, the iPad Mini supports the second-generation Apple Pencil (sold separately) – it features a flat edge that attaches magnetically for automatic charging and pairing. The Apple Pencil adds a new dimension to the iPad Mini use case. With Apple Pencil, you can take a quick note on any screen, even in apps, by simply swiping the pencil tip diagonally from the bottom right corner of the screen. The same swiping gesture from the bottom right side takes a screenshot, which is another cool feature enabled by the Apple Pencil besides its other fundamental utility features like drawing, scribbling, etc.

Complementing the iPad Mini is the iPadOS 15, which has tons of new features and services especially tailored for the iPad experience. Among its many other features, I liked the Split View the most. It is because this feature allows you to multitask with ease – opens two different supported apps and windows side-by-side. Another interesting iPadOS 15 feature is the spatial audio and portrait mode support in video calls.

This brings us to the iPad Mini’s cameras. The iPad Mini has two cameras, a wide-angle 12-megapixel sensor on the back and a 12MP ultra-wide-angle sensor on the front. Among the two, the front one is quite capable, and far better. Besides portrait mode in video calls, the ultra-wide-angle sensor gets its strength from Apple’s Center Stage feature. This feature uses machine learning to keep you in the centre of the video, even if you walk around, when using video conferencing apps such as FaceTime, Webex, Meet, etc. It also expands the field-of-view (FoV) automatically to accommodate more than one person in the frame.

As for the on-battery time, the iPad Mini 6 goes on for about two days on a single charge when used for regular operations like internet browsing, scrolling through social media, taking notes, sketching, drawing, etc. Even when used for power tasks like video editing along with regular operation, the on-battery time comes down to a day, which is not bad. For charging, there is a USB-C port. It doubles up as a data transfer and connectivity port for external devices.

Verdict

Priced at Rs 46,900, the Apple iPad Mini is a unique proposition in the tablet market. It is a handy tablet packed with so much performance that you do not know how to use it to its max potential. The second-generation Apple Pencil support is a welcome move, and so is the addition of USB-C port and Smart Folio cover (sold separately) for protection. That said, consider the iPad Mini 6 if you need a handy but powerful tablet without the extravagant features of the Pro models.