The iPad mini is a tablet that I’ve always wanted, ever since it was first unveiled. It was so cool looking, seemed super useful for certain situations, and that portability was top notch. And yet, over the years, I’ve picked one up here and there but I’ve never kept it. The same can be said for the newest variant of the long running small tablet lineup, too.
I thought the new iPad mini was going to be exactly what I wanted: same size, mostly, as the last generation but with that “all-screen” design. Plus so much more. And yet, with how much I knew I’d actually use it –compared to how much I envisioned I’d use a small tablet– I knew it ultimately wasn’t worth the price. My 11-inch iPad Pro is plenty portable in its own right, and I don’t feel like I have to squint to see the app icons.
Which is always a bonus.
Not too long ago, I asked what your use case is for an iPad mini. It didn’t matter if it was an older version of the tablet or the brand new model. I was just curious to see how the small tablet fit into your life, and how well it did just that. I had already figured out that the iPad mini 6 wouldn’t be long in my stable of devices, but I was just curious to see how I might be inspired to keep it.
And, honestly, most of the reasons people have an iPad mini are the reasons I want one. It’s a great device for reading. It’s awesome when it comes to playing games. And, just as a casual device to look at stuff on the internet, it’s pretty great. But, so is the iPad — the standard, entry-level one. And a lot of people have suggested opting for the larger tablet instead, especially since it’s much (much) cheaper.
But! There was one use case that actually got my attention because I didn’t think anyone really did this all that much anymore: carry two devices with you at all times. Now, I’m old enough to remember when having two phones was just a sign of having a personal number and a business number. I know this still happens, but today’s smartphones do try to help with that situation. But, in the case of the iPad mini, that’s not so much what I’m talking about.
I now know that there are people out there who intentionally buy a phone like the iPhone 12 mini or iPhone 13 mini or the iPhone SE and then bring an iPad mini with them, too. So they’ll use the phone for phone calls — and that’s it. The tablet is used for everything else, from emails, to messaging people, to games, to reading. The tablet is basically the primary workhorse, but phone calls are used with one dedicated device.
And that seems pretty great! It’s definitely not something I’d ever do, simply because I like having a big screen for my phone. But I do think it’s a cool idea. Which got me wondering if you do something similar to this, even if it might not be a small phone accompanied with a small tablet. Do you bring two primary devices with you everywhere you go, and that’s how you get things done on a regular basis? If so, which two devices are your go-to?