Remember the days when seemingly every product was advertised as “New and Improved!” Those were fun times. Apple has its own way of spinning that runs close enough to the parody border that it more often than not becomes white noise. For example, Apple trumpeted the latest update to the iPad mini as “its biggest update ever.” Thankfully, without exclamation points. The update is a good one. The best thing I can say about the iPad mini 8 is that it is still the same with a few very nice and welcome improvements. That won’t work as a marketing slogan and narrative nudger, but it works for the product.
I mean that has a complete compliment and high praise. It’s not that I’m too set in my ways, but a key marker for the success of an upgraded device is how quickly I can get back to the work I was doing once a device is set up and if the improvements make a difference.
Everything that has made the iPad mini a key part of my toolkit is still there and Apple’s hardware iterations do up the iPad mini’s game. As well as the price. Except for that, I’m glad to see the changes. They are meaningful. More importantly, I’m glad Apple is still selling the device. Although you have to look hard on Apple’s website to find a mention of it, given everything else they are hyping this fall.
The improvements include adding an OLED display, more protection against water and dust, and making the device thinner while slightly expanding the display. The chips running the device graduated to the current generation with the one year shy of legal drinking age A20 shouldering the workload. Apple’s N1 wireless chip enables WiFi 7, Bluetooth 5, and Thread support, though that’s mostly future-proofing at this point. For cellular communication, Apple’s C2 modem is there for your cellular connectivity pleasure. The Center Stage camera used for FaceTime and other video calls has now moved to the landscape edge for better viewing angles.
All in all, it’s a good, short list for the small tablet, both today and for tomorrow. And a worthy list for what continues to be a worthy entry in Apple’s mobile computing lineup that often feels like it’s treated as a bastard stepchild.
OLED Display
The OLED screen looks lovely as OLED screens usually do. Bonus points for not having a bad pun or silly portmanteau in the name. I had no problems with the mini 7’s display, but this OLED version unquestionably creates a nicer viewing experience. The display is slightly larger and the bezels are slightly smaller. Coming from the iPad mini 7 to the mini 8 that size difference feels negligible.
In dark mode, blacks are blacker (handy in dark theaters where I work) and apps using darker colors get a bit more pop. (What is this fascination with black and white icons lately?) Handwriting with an Apple Pencil is just as smooth as it has been for several generations of the iPad line. Apple has nailed this and it’s good to see other apps like Marco Arment’s new app, Fineliner, (on the right below) taking advantage of it.
Many (too many in my opinion) were outraged that the display still only has a 60Hz refresh rate. I think any real disappointment with that depends on what you use the iPad mini for. In my use case it’s not an issue and I think some of the frustrations come from comparing too many spec sheets more than actually using the device. Narratives, good and bad, form in lazy ways.
A THINNER SLICE
The thinner device is indeed nicer to hold and carry. It’s not an earth-shattering difference, but it noticeably feels lighter in my hands. It’s enough of a difference that I still notice it after using the device for a week.
The narrower width does make carrying the Apple Pencil attached to the magnetic charging port feel a little more precarious. Improving the water and dust resistance will certainly be a plus for those who use the device in environments more wet and dusty than I do. Although I wouldn’t bathe with it or bathe it in dust.
Do You Want Chips With That?
The chip and communication upgrades promise more efficiency, and the A20 offers more power to tap and performance to appreciate. I have noticed a performance boost in some of my work this week. If AI is your thing, the iPad mini is as ready as most of Apple’s other mobile devices are to handle those chores. More power to you.
Given the infrequency of iPad mini updates, bringing this edition into line with other current hardware means the iPad mini 8 will have a good life for several years to come. For those who use an iPad for more extensive or demanding work than I do, there is now more oomph in your hands.
As to the N1, I don’t have WiFi 7 but I’ve noticed a boost in WiFi performance and assume that it’s due to the NI chip given that there’s no change to my networking setup.
SOUND AND SPEAKERS
The one new feature that concerned me turns out not to be an issue. In order to improve the water and dust resistance Apple removed the speaker holes from the frame and placed the woofers under the screen with concealed the tweeters between the display glass and the aluminum enclosure for what Apple calls an Acoustic Display.
Since I watch content on the iPad mini quite a bit I was concerned about how that would affect sound quality and volume. To my ears there’s no discernible difference. Everything sounds fine. I just spent hours watching video audition submissions for my next directing project and things sounded like I expected. I was able to distinguish between the good and bad recordings with no issues.
I have seen and heard others say that they can feel the device vibrate a little when the volume is turned up loud. That makes sense to me given the design change, but I don’t typically run things anywhere close to full volume so I haven’t experienced this myself.
MY KIT AND HOW I USE IT
I purchased a Midnight colored (that would be black to most of the world that isn’t in marketing) iPad mini with 512GB of storage. I did not add on the Nano-texture display or cellular upgrades. Note that depending on which storage size you choose affects not only the price, but the chip configuration (binned or not, two Neural engines or one). I can’t speak to the differences, and I doubt we’ll ever see a review that compares one configuration to another.
As to my use case, at work I’m a theatre director. That’s the prism I view iPads through. I carry my scripts on an iPad Pro and an iPad mini, two different tools I use during different phases of the job. I import the scripts into GoodNotes and use an Apple Pencil to make notes on the script itself. I use Apple Notes to take rehearsal notes with the Apple Pencil as well. I’m a Slide Over fan, and I wish Apple would get rid of the unnecessary border around the Slide Over window.
I’m constantly viewing and reviewing designs, documents, and communications throughout the pre-production and rehearsal process. Since the days of COVID, video auditions have become the predominant way for actors to submit prior to being called back for an in-person audition or callback, so there’s lots of video viewing there. When I’m not directing I use an iPad for streaming video entertainment, reading, and web browsing.
I was never in the now dwindling camp of iPad users that wanted to push the iPad more towards a Mac. I’m a believer in using the right tool for the job and am lucky enough to be able to stock my toolbox with the different computing solutions I need. iPads as they were and are fit my needs just fine. But the beauty of the iPad lineup as it currently stands is such that it can fill a lot more needs than I need it to and can be many different things to many different people.
I think you can extend that to Apple’s entire lineup of computing solutions. There are a variety of solutions that can fit a variety of needs, and none of them have to be everything for everybody. Unfortunately, Apple’s tools are increasingly even more expensive than they always have been. Indeed, the iPad mini 8 saw a price jump. But I’m a believer in the old clichés that you get what you pay for and that you should buy the best tools you need for the job at hand.
iPads have been so much a part of my theatre work that I’ve owned most of the lineup since the first iPad was introduced and I retired my Microsoft Tablet PCs. My current iPad Pro is an M4 version. I skipped the M5 version, but previously with both the Pro and iPad mini lineup I had been upgrading every cycle.
I’ve written about why I think the iPad is the perfect theatre rehearsal tool for a director many times before. And, I also see more actors using an iPad in rehearsal for their scripts. Though the majority I’ve seen are using an 11-inch model more than the iPad mini. I find that interesting given the comparable size comparison to the Samuel French and Dramatists scripts many actors are familiar with.
The Future and Now
As I mentioned earlier I alternate between the Pro and the mini for different stages of my work and even before this upgrade I found myself using the iPad mini in more scenarios than the Pro. Apple releases new versions of the iPad mini less frequently than the Pro. Given what looks like a broad curiosity about the iPhone Duo, I think any release cadence the iPad mini may have been on might change in the future depending on how things play out with the folding phone’s trajectory. That’s a script that’s still being workshopped.
I will say this. If Apple releases a foldable version of the iPad mini, I’d buy it in a heartbeat. Remember, the iPhone had its early beginnings in Apple planning for a touch tablet.
For the moment though, this year’s upgrades to the iPad mini have improved an already very good small tablet solution that will fill the various needs of those who use one today and for a few years to come. I hope that doesn’t come off as hyperbolic.
Thanks for reading. You can subscribe to this blog if you care to. You can also find more of my writings on a variety of topics on Medium at this link, including in the publications Ellemeno and Rome. I can also be found on social media under my name as above. This site does not use affilate links.
