Good place in the middle: We tested the new iPad mini - Walla! technology

2021-10-21T16:59:34.304Z

Upgraded processor, larger screen and new design: Apple's small, discounted tablet has been refreshed - and managed to get us to leave the iPhone on the table some of the time. Who is it suitable for?

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Good place in the middle: We tested the new iPad mini

Upgraded processor, larger screen and new design: Apple's small, discounted tablet has been refreshed - and managed to get us to leave the iPhone on the table some of the time.

Who is it suitable for?

We took it for a test and came back with some conclusions

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IPad Mini 2021. 8.3-inch screen (Photo: Walla! Technology, Yinon Ben-Shoshan)

Design

As mentioned, for the first time since 2019, the new iPad Mini has undergone a refreshing design change that abandons the huge margins we knew from previous models, and the feeling is that this is a shrunken version of the iPad Air model - with a sharp-cut frame and rounded edges.

In addition, at the bottom is a USB-C connection for the first time.

The round, traditional home button located at the bottom of the screen has been removed - and moved to the lock button located at the top of the tablet.

Also, in the new model you will not find a Face ID sensor (as in the Pro model), since the lock button also includes a Touch ID sensor that will help you unlock the device.

Rounded edges and USB-C connection at the bottom (Photo: Walla! Technology, Yinon Ben-Shoshan)

Although the new screen is larger - 8.3 inches instead of 7.9 inches in the previous generation - the tablet is very comfortable to hold.

In fact, in the tablet segment, this is an ideal size for grip and prolonged use.

In terms of weight, this is not a particularly heavy product - only 293 grams.

Compared to the iPad Air I have in a drawer at home, which weighs almost half a kilo (458 grams), the feeling is that it is convenient to do the various jobs from the iPad mini, since working with it is incredibly comfortable and it fits easily in a bag.

And even I left my new iPhone 13 Pro aside some of the time.

Fingerprint sensor on the lock button (Photo: Walla! Technology, Yinon Ben-Shoshan)

Screen and performance

Let's start at the end: the screen of the iPad Mini 2021, which Apple calls the Liqud Retina Display, although super-high quality, but does not support a refresh rate of 120 Hz.

In general, almost any image you see on this screen will just look great and sharp.

And that may be a cliché, but Apple has always invested in the screens of its products.

However, if you have an iPhone 13 Pro or Pro Max (which support a refresh rate of 120 Hz), or an Android smartphone with the same technology, you may slightly notice a difference in the flow of the screen (adversely).

And it's important to emphasize: this is not a very significant minus, but heavy users may be a little disappointed.

In the performance segment, unsurprisingly, Apple as usual brings us a meticulous and harmonious combination of hardware and software.

The A15 Bionic processor, which also exists in the iPhone 13 series, does a wonderful job and is responsible for a powerful processing power that may be sufficient for regular work without stuttering.

The results are agile and efficient functioning.

Perfect for watching movies (Photo: Walla! Technology, Yinon Ben-Shoshan)

In any case, if you are thinking of purchasing the tablet to use as your regular tool, you should know that it is not there yet, mainly because of the rather small screen.

For example, working on a split screen - as in iPads with larger screens - is less convenient.

The text is sometimes cut and the sites are crammed into a small cube.

On a personal level, the iPad Mini has mainly helped me move some of the day-to-day work on the iPhone to a larger screen - from writing emails to reading.

However, it is also a great product for watching movies.

Want to write documents in it?

This can be a great solution, as it also supports Apple's smart pen.

There is also a camera

The new iPad mini has a single camera on the back of the device with a resolution of 12 megapixels.

At the front is a 12-megapixel selfie camera, which also features Apple's Center Stage feature, which helps focus on the subjects during the video call - even if they'm moving.

A single camera with reasonable quality (Photo: Walla! Technology, Yinon Ben-Shoshan)

In practice, the pictures are reasonable - and you probably do not need more than that.

Come on, it's a tablet.

Anyway, in daylight and good lighting, the images come out clear with colors true to the original and great detail.

On the other hand, in slightly more challenging conditions - like a slightly dark structure - the photographs come out a little grainy and dark in some areas.

Photography with good lighting (Photo: Walla! Technology, Yinon Ben-Shoshan)

Some areas become darker in more challenging conditions (Photo: Walla! Technology, Yinon Ben-Shoshan)

Planning to shoot with the iPad?

There is probably no really justification.

During all the time I spent with the device I did not find a good enough reason to pick up an 8.3-inch screen and shoot with it instead with the iPhone.

And not just because it's embarrassing.

Bottom line

The new iPad mini is somewhere in the middle - between the iPad and the smartphone.

It is more suitable for heavy smartphone users who want to transfer some of the operations to a larger screen - such as writing emails, reading documents or opening Excel files.

Plus, it's good for those who like large screens, used to Apple's operating system, and want to watch movies on a (slightly) larger screen.