Apple iPad mini 8.3" Blue 2024 Review

The iPad mini is the small tablet that's easy to love. It's got Apple's latest A17 Pro chip, a sharp 8.3-inch screen, and full 5G support, all in a package that weighs less than a can of soda. But it's still an iPad, which means it's fantastic for some things and frustrating for others. Let's break it down.

The A17 Pro chip is plenty fast for everyday stuff. Apps launch quick, games run smooth, and that 5G modem is blazing. But that 60Hz screen feels dated next to smoother competitors, and the 26th percentile RAM score means you'll hit reloads in Safari faster than you'd like. It's a solid performer, just don't push it too hard.

It's a premium small tablet, and you pay a premium price. You're getting a great chip and build quality, but you're also making big compromises on the screen and multitasking. If you're deep in the Apple ecosystem and just want a super portable screen, it makes sense. For anyone else, the value gets a lot harder to justify.

Stack it up against a Surface Pro 11, and the mini feels like a toy. The Surface runs full Windows, has a 120Hz screen, and is a legit laptop replacement. The mini can't touch that. Even next to a Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra, you're giving up a lot of screen real estate and multitasking power for portability. The mini wins on size and Apple integration, but loses on almost everything else.

Buy this if you're an Apple fan who needs the absolute smallest tablet possible for reading, media, and light tasks on the go. It's a fantastic secondary device. But if you need to do real work, or if you want your tablet to be your only computer, look at a Surface Pro or a larger iPad Pro instead.