Upgrade iPAD Mini 2 After Almost 7 years?

[TechnicGeek]

Hello,

My mom's been using iPAD Mini 2 with 32GB since 2015. It still has properly working battery and I am surprised that Apple still makes iOS updates for that model because other brands don't offer software support for their old models for that long.

I was thinking of upgrading her iPAD regardless because it became slower with years. Which iPAD Mini do you recommend to upgrade to? Newer is not always better so maybe I should not jump straight on the latest model? What changed since iPAD Mini in recent models?

Thanks

 

[giradman]

Hello,

My mom's been using iPAD Mini 2 with 32GB since 2015. It still has properly working battery and I am surprised that Apple still makes iOS updates for that model because other brands don't offer software support for their old models for that long.

I was thinking of upgrading her iPAD regardless because it became slower with years. Which iPAD Mini do you recommend to upgrade to? Newer is not always better so maybe I should not jump straight on the latest model? What changed since iPAD Mini in recent models?

Thanks

Hello TGeek - my wife started w/ the Mini 2 and is now on her third, the Mini 5 - the newest is the Mini 6 - iPadOS is up to 15.1 (your Mom is stuck at 12.x - see much more of the table below and the link HERE) - depending on your budget, I would probably suggest considering the Mini 5 which you can likely obtain as a used or refurb model at a decent price - if money is not an object, then the Mini 6 would become a consideration. Dave

.

 

[TechnicGeek]

@giradman Any noticeable difference between iPAD 5 and iPAD 6 in terms of speed?

 

[giradman]

@giradman Any noticeable difference between iPAD 5 and iPAD 6 in terms of speed?

For myself, I have no personal experience comparing the speeds of the two Mini devices - I use an iPad Pro and rarely touch my wife's Mini except to do upgrades/updates. However, a little googling brought up a few articles of interest - first, Appleinsider Comparison and second, A12 vs. A15 Bionic Chips in the respective Minis; obviously, the newer chip outperforms the other and likely makes the Mini 6 a faster device, but would the difference really matter to your mother and her uses, don't know? Also, the Mini 6 has a USB-C port, which might be a consideration? So, look at the links and let us know what your think - best that I can do. Dave

 

[twerppoet]

The largest consideration between the two is not that the Mini 6 will be faster than the Mini 5, but that it’s 2 generation newwer processor means it will get one to two years more worth of updates before Apple stops supporting it. Basically you will pay more up front, but it should cost less spread accross the total lifetime of the device.

The second is that the screen is bigger for the same size device. I know my aging eyes appriciate every little advantage they can get.

 

[TechnicGeek]

The second is that the screen is bigger for the same size device. I know my aging eyes appriciate every little advantage they can get.

The bigger screen is a plus but what makes iPAD 2 Mini special is it's portable size. I think bigger screen will take away from that a bit, namely from size.

 

[twerppoet]

The bigger screen is a plus but what makes iPAD 2 Mini special is it's portable size. I think bigger screen will take away from that a bit, namely from size.

The larger screen is achieved by reducing the bezzel and removing the Home button. The physical dimensions are about the same, .18 inches shorter and a smidge thicker than the 5 gen. The screen is 8.3 inches, larger than the 7.9 inch display, with the same resoluton.

Slightly smaller device and slightly larger screen.

You do need to get used to doing a few things different without the Home button, but it’s not a difficult adjustment.

 

[jkingrph]

I had a Mini 4 and just got the Mini 6. Apps load quicker, books on kindle app load much quicker, screen is a little larger and much brighter and crisper looking, and I do like the USP C charging port. I did have to get an adapter for USB C male to Apple lightning female so I can use my Apple earbuds.

Again, not the best comparison, but we both have the same music library from iTunes installed, on my new Mini six and her now older Mini five. Downloading that library took about 2/3 the time on the six than it did on the five.