iPad Mini 6: review of the gaming iPad in 2022

I've been putting off this review for so long, too long, and it's time to have my say on the'iPad Mini 6: a product as beautiful as it is controversial.

When you buy a device with love, firmly believing that it is THAT product, the one that will fill the void on the desk, it is always difficult to be objective.

Today, reluctantly, we will discuss the pros, and the many cons, in the definitive review ofiPad Mini 2021.

Let's go in order.

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iPad Mini 6: technical characteristics from iPhone

Today I am controversial, I warn you.

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Let's start by analyzing the hardware that is hidden under the body of theiPad Mini that, as anticipated by the title of the paragraph, It is equipped with the same processor as the iPhone 13: the Apple A15 Bionic.

This chip, called a processor to facilitate understanding, is composed of:

• 6-core CPU
• 5-core GPU
• Neural Engine 16 cores

Exactly like the iPhone 13 Pro.

And with 4 GB of RAM, unlike the 13 Pro, which, however, has 6 GB of RAM.

At this point, you may even think that, in fact, it is a useless controversy as it has always been the case.

The iPad has always been equipped with the 'Bionic' version of the iPhone chip for years.

But no.

IT WAS like this until the event of March 8 2022 in which Apple has updated the iPad Air with the Apple Silicon M1 chip of the iPad Pro.

And the iPad Mini in question was introduced just a couple of months earlier.

It's already old.

Or rather, it is equipped with decidedly undersized hardware compared to its “older” brothers.

In fact, Apple didn't even use the Smart Connector to connect a keyboard, 600 euros worth of iPads, as written on the official website, are used to SCROLL BACK EMAILS, retouch photos, use “evolved” apps - which With 4GB of RAM they don't even stay open in the background - and capture spectacular images.

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It's mini, sure. Especially in performance.

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Finally, the shopping list of technical characteristics, theiPad Mini 6 It has the 5 G, the Touch ID, the Center Stage and a rear camera for Japanese and Chinese people who take pictures of monuments with tablets.

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Listen to me, with a little more money buy the 2022 iPad Air with M1 chip and rest assured, it's a bomb.

Or better yet, an 11” iPad Pro with M1 at a discount of 799€ could be a bargain.

If, on the other hand, you are not interested in brute force, and controversy, let's move on.

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Let's also delve into the nice things about this small iPad Mini which, perhaps, is really the best ever.

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A look at design

Let's take a quick look at the aesthetic aspect of the new iPad Mini which, as you've surely noticed, presents the new, and iconic, design of the iPad Pro.

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THEiPad Mini 6, as also seen during the presentation and confirmed using it every day, It is a tablet created and designed to be used, for the most part, Vertically.

And that's where the new design comes into play.

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The frames that, at first glance, might seem thick and intrusive become a pivotal point of usability, making thePerfect one-handed use thanks to the space they create for the fingers when gripping.

Furthermore, in support of the thesis of the 'tablet designed to be used vertically', The volume keys are placed along the upper short side together with the Touch ID, unlike other iPads that have them on the long side.

This, in my opinion, was also an excellent solution for the Apple Pencil issue which, as you can see from the image, is almost as long as the entire iPad and leaves no room for volume keys.

And speaking of space, don't think about writing with the iPad horizontally, the keyboard covers more than 50% of the screen and it's almost impossible to see what's being written.

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Autonomy and mobility use “halfway”

I swear I love this iPad but, to give you the most honest review possible, I need to talk about the flaws first.

There are hundreds of reviews in which theiPad Mini It's only being praised, they're all on YouTube.

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Battery and lifespan

Apple, on the official page, declares a battery life of up to 10 hours of Wi-Fi web browsing or video playback and up to 9 hours with Wi-Fi + Cellular.

On paper, it is a lower figure, of a couple of hours of use, compared to the Air and Pro models, justified by the obvious smaller size of the battery but which, in real use, become more or less 5 or 6 effective hours.

And actually, you will say, 6 hours of autonomy between web, productivity and gaming are more than enough in a day.

But there is a problem.

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If the iPad is your only device, everything is fine because, every evening, you will charge it for use the next day.

If, on the other hand, as in my case, theiPad Mini It is a secondary device to always carry with you as a support for the Macbook, it's a problem: 70% of the time I take it out of my backpack and it's empty.

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So take a good look at the use you will make of it and how much is a priority in your daily workflow.

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And speaking of a primary or secondary device, let's talk about mobility and why I consider it “half done”.

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Portability and accessories

Now when we talk about portability The only device that is best suited to mobile use is always the iPad - whether it's the base, the Air or the Pro little changes - but theiPad MiNi How does it behave?

Let's start from an assumption, it's Mini and so It's absolutely perfect to pack in your backpack on the fly to carry it everywhere thanks to its weight of less than 300 grams.

I even changed my beautiful iPad Pro 11 with M1 for the Mini precisely because of the weight that, in the case of the Pro, even exceeded the Macbook Air.

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But what do we have to, and have I had to give up for all this portability? In a single word: throughput.

Let's get to the pain point.

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As already mentioned, theiPad Mini 6 is compatible with second-generation Apple Pencil, an accessory that totally changes the use of the iPad and that makes it perfect as a replacement for books, notebooks, diaries and various pens.

And, in the case of the iPad Mini, it's the only accessory you can connect.

In fact, the dear Apple decided not to equip the iPad Mini 6 with a Smart Connector rear, completely excluding the use of hypothetical magnetic keyboards such as the Magic Keyboard.

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Obviously, given the 8.3" of the screen and its small size, a physical keyboard with decently comfortable keys would have been impossible to create but, this lack, makes the mobile use ofiPad Mini productive “halfway” and, although it may still be comfortable to write with the keyboard using it vertically, it is still a device that you have to think twice before putting it in your bag alone.

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In combination with a Macbook, and used exclusively with the pen, it is a perfect support.

Used alone, without a keyboard, only a beautiful digital testosterone notebook remains.

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If you are still interested in understanding if there are compatible Bluetooth keyboards, Here is my article about it.

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Obviously, the use cases change from person to person, from use to use, so let's analyze them together and understand if, in fact, it's worth buying'iPad Mini' You're in 2022.

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iPad Mini 6: Is it worth it in 2022?

Finally, after almost 1200 words, I can start to speak well of the iPad Mini 6 which, in my opinion, lends itself well - spoiler - like best gaming device on the market.

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But let's go in order, if you're in a hurry, jump with your index finger.

To work

For work, I'm a UX Designer and Web Developer and I'll tell you something, leave it alone.

The screen is small, and due to the limitations of iPad OS, the overall experience is really bad.

As mentioned before, it is an excellent device to support a Macbook, but nothing more.

The only working case in which, perhaps, it could be useful as a single device is that of the photographer who, to retouch photos on Lightroom, only needs the pen.

But why spend 559€ when there is little more Air that also supports the Magic Keyboard?

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To study

Here we finally get into areas where I can speak highly of this poor thing. iPad Mini who is only taking a beating in this all too honest review.

As a professional, and recently a former university student, I can only speak well of this iPad, which, with its small size, is perfect for studying:

• To take notes it's fantastic, pick up the pen on the fly and start writing in apps like Notability and GoodNotes without problems. Maybe the screen is a bit small for long writing sessions, as can happen at university, but it fits in a handbag and really allows you to move around without having to bear the weight of books, pens, diaries and various notebooks.
• To read it's absurd! The 8.3” iPad Mini 6 is practically the size of an e-reader, but enhanced by applications for iPad OS such as Medium and Amazon Kindle that expand the possibilities and make reading a real pleasure.

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To play

And here we are entering the Olympus ofiPad Mini where it reigns supreme, inevitable and unattainable by his brothers Air and Pro.

Here I say it and subscribe to it: theiPad Mini 6 is the world's best tablet for gaming, especially in the Wi-Fi + Cellular version with 5G sim.

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sizes

While for productivity, the small size of the iPad Mini can be a problem - especially compared to higher models - in gaming it is unbeatable.

Ha lo Bigger screen than a Nintendo Switch but it's lighter and smaller.

It's perfect for playing on the move, on the train, in the subway, in the park and why not on the couch or warm in bed.

The peculiarity, which makes it superior in terms of usability to other models, is the perfect size of the screen, which with its 8.3” makes every part of the interface at your fingertips, therefore easily accessible, and well proportionate to the often too small UI of the iPhone or too large of the 12.9” iPad Pro

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Games and applications

The App Store, apart from the now banned Fortnite, presents a range of respectable titles and with apps such as Wild Rift, Pokemon Unite and Marvel Future Revolution The iPad Mini really manages to do its best, bringing mobile gaming to levels never reached before.

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Cloud Gaming

Obviously we are not stopping at the App Store because, for a year already, it has been Is it possible to play Stadia and XBOX Cloud Gaming on iPad with the Game Pass, accessing for all intents and purposes console titles such as Final Fantasy XV, Red Dead Redemption II, Assassin's Creed Valhalla etc.

Obviously you need a controller to play, Stadia offers touch controls but they are still anything but usable for a real game session.

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Apple patent

And here the bonus of this article comes into play: Apple has recently patented a new type of accessory with Magsafe technology: a magnetic game controller for iPhone and iPad that could totally revolutionize the current gaming market, especially for the Cloud Gaming issue which, thanks to the increasingly widespread 5G, will become the standard of videogame entertainment.

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We will have, literally, The brute force of a PS5 in the palm of a hand.

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I firmly believe it, we will witness it.

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Conclusions

Aaaah what a nice review, full of controversy and really sincere.

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I admit, about this iPad Mini I fell in love with it since its presentation and it was love at first sight in the Apple Store.

It's small, light and powerful and for the “support” use of the MacBook that I make of it, it's really perfect.

It's the best travel companion in reading and entertainment sessions, I play it very often and, honestly, I use it more than the Switch.

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But, like all good things, it also has flaws.

Defects obviously wanted by Apple so as not to castrate the Air market and caused, for the most part, by the operating system which, with its limitations, does nothing but make, this iPad Mini 6, just a great iPhone.

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As I said before, The real potential of the iPad Mini 6 is in gaming And between iPad OS 16 coming out in September and Apple's magnetic controller patents, I firmly believe we'll see some good ones.

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P.S. If Apple refreshes the in JuneiPad Mini with an M1 chip, see you in Cupertino.