Why I’m more excited about an iPad Mini with Apple Intelligence than the new iPhone 16 models

A new iPad Mini might be coming alongside the new iPhone 16 series. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the current stock of iPad Mini is running low across Apple stores, possibly suggesting that a successor could be unveiled as soon as during the company’s “It’s Glowtime” event on September 9. That would be just in time for the release of Apple Intelligence.

The iPad Mini, last updated in 2021, is due for a refresh. This could be the ideal moment for a processor upgrade and some minor physical tweaks. While there are no confirmed specifications yet, the previous iPad Mini launched with the then-new A15 Bionic chipset. The next iteration might feature the iPhone 15 Pro’s SoC or the A16 processor.

Also: Apple confirms iPhone 16 event date, and ‘It’s Glowtime’, according to the company

I’m excited about the new iPad Mini because in recent years, I’ve struggled to find practical uses for iPads. In 2021, I replaced my old iPad with the iPad Air 4, hoping to integrate it into my workflow, but that never happened. As a remote worker who’s always on the go, my iPad Air has spent most of its time sitting in a drawer. I can’t even remember the last time I needed to use it.

I knew I needed a smaller tablet for media consumption and reading on my travels. That’s why I picked up the iPad Mini after my most recent CES trip, and it has since become a part of my daily life. Unlike the fancier, more expensive iPads, the Mini works for me because it isn’t trying to be a MacBook replacement and is instead more of an extension of my phone and laptop.

What works with the iPad Mini

My iPad use cases are browsing, reading, and watching videos — in that order of priority. When I first tried the iPad Mini, I didn’t expect to prefer it over my iPad Air or the foldable phones I was testing at the time.

The iPad Mini is the perfect amalgamation of form and function. Unlike the iPad Air, it’s extremely comfortable to hold for long durations and doesn’t strain my wrist. I can dive into the depths of Wikipedia at two in the morning without feeling the need to put it down. I’m a fan of the paperback book-like size; it’s thin, small, and less of a burden than anything larger.

The iPad Mini is also an excellent travel companion, thanks to its small, ultraportable size that makes it easier to tuck into a backpack than any other tablet. I have never brought along my iPad or iPad Air when traveling, but I don’t second-guess putting the iPad Mini in my bag, whether it’s for de-stressing myself during work travel or entertainment during vacations. It doesn’t take up too much space and gives me an extra device for media consumption, so my phone still has sufficient battery left when I land.

The 8.3-inch display is just the right size between my phone and laptop. I haven’t felt cramped by the screen, and it easily fits on a plane’s fold-out table. It helps that the small size doesn’t compromise the Mini’s performance. Multitasking and split view modes are as quick as ever, and reaching for Quick Notes with a swipe is more useful on this size than on larger iPads. I’ve typed articles on my iPad Mini as notes, synced them to my iCloud, and filed them later from my MacBook Air.

Also: I’ve used every iPad since the original. Here’s my buying advice for the new 2024 models

The iPad Mini also packs a decent battery with great standby battery life. Like my iPad Air, I can come back to it after two days and see just a minimal drop in power. I have had instances where I didn’t even have to look for a charger during brief one to two-day work trips.

Another benefit of the Mini is its second-gen Apple Pencil support, which offers a similar level of precision and accuracy when editing photos in apps like Lightroom as on the more expensive iPad Pro.

What I’d like to see in the new iPad Mini

All that said, there’s one major design flaw in the sixth-generation iPad Mini: the unnatural placement of the volume buttons. Even after more than four months, I haven’t gotten used to having the volume buttons in the top-left corner. It’s not ideal in any orientation — portrait or landscape.

Also: The best iPads of 2024: Expert tested and reviewed

While watching videos, I find myself reaching the top edge (like any other tablet or smartphone) but then realize that it’s on the bottom-left. Repositioning these buttons to the right side would make the experience better, although that area of the tablet is where you connect the Apple Pencil. 

Secondly, a base storage of 64GB isn’t sufficient in 2024. If you download movies and TV shows for travel or edit a large chunk of photos, both of which I frequently do, you shouldn’t have to spend $150 more for the next storage tier. I hope Apple doubles the base storage to 128GB or at least introduces that storage variant with the upcoming iPad Mini.

Also: Apple’s hardware blitz in the M4 iPad Pro is missing the software magic to make it sing

I’m also looking forward to better functionality with Apple Intelligence. I use my iPad Mini for browsing, answering emails, and staying in the loop at work with Slack and Teams. I’ve been using the new iOS 18 beta, and I imagine that Apple Intelligence’s notification summary will be a godsend on my iPad Mini. More often than not, my iPad is cluttered with notifications that I’ve already checked on my iPhone. 

Plus, a smarter Siri could help me plan and organize my upcoming trips better. I don’t feel like planning and organizing things on my iPhone 15 Pro because I have access to a bigger screen that makes the job more comfortable. I look forward to seeing how Apple Intelligence changes my iPad Mini use cases.