Rewind the clock to the year 2021, and Apple has just released the newestiPad mini. It’s a pretty big refresh for the device, as it was the first to ship without a home button – but it also saw two iterations with a standard Wi-Fi version and a cellular version. Its miniature size makes it pretty manageable with just one hand, and it’s an overall pretty well received tablet. But somebody asked one horrible question: Can I use an iPad mini as a phone?
No, you can’t – but that’s absolutely fine. You should honestly avoid thinking of the iPad mini this way. With rumors swirling ofanother iPad mini refresh on the horizon, I think it’s important that we get this straight: No, you can’t replace youriPhonewith an iPad mini. I’m going to break down all the reasons why.
Do you have the right iPad model? This is the one you should actually be using
Here’s an outline of Apple’s increasingly complicated iPad lineup.
The miniature elephant in the room
It’s just too big
I think it’s important first and foremost to frame the iPad mini as a device that’s enjoyed as a tablet by many people. I count myself amongst them – my iPad mini is one of my favorite multipurpose devices. I use it for reading, working, streaming, and even emulating retro games. I get a ton of use out of it that really goes beyond things I want to do with my phone. It’s also way too big to be a phone.
Imagine taking a normal phone call on an iPad mini.
It’s big enough that I would never want it in my pocket at all times, if I could even fit it into whatever pockets I have on me at any given time. Size wise, pocketability might be the least of my concerns. While it’s very easily held with one hand, imagine taking a normal phone call on an iPad mini. Which, isn’t possible, because it doesn’t have a phone speaker. But even if it did have one, holding this thing up to your face feels absolutely ridiculous.
And that’s not even to mention texting. The on-screen keyboard experience with the iPad mini is fine, but it’s nothing I would ever want to use in place of my phone’s keyboard. Whenever I sit down to write something on my iPad mini, it’s usually with a Bluetooth keyboard. I can’t imagine regularly texting or writing up social media posts with the iPad mini – it’s more comfortable to type on it than an iPad oriPad Pro, but nowhere near as comfortable as an iPhone.
How much does a ‘good’ iPad cost?
“Good” is subjective, but we’ve still got recommendations.
My final issue that iPad mini’s size presents is fragility. While a lot of people still rightfully protect their $1000 phones with their lives, you have to admit that the iPhone has become pretty sturdy over the years. The iPad, on the other hand, is nowhere near as durable as the iPhone. In large part, it’s due to being larger, but also much thinner than the iPhone. The fear of breaking your phone is already bad enough without actually going back to how fragile phones used to be.
Mini enjoyers of the world unite
You have nothing to lose but your pros
With all these detractions from why the iPad mini could be a phone in mind, it’s important to remember what makes it so great to begin with: It’s tiny. The iPad mini is just a little larger than the size of two iPhone 15 Pros stuck together. It gives you far more screen real estate than a phone, but not so much as to be overwhelming. The iPad mini is wildly comfortable to hold in your hands, and it’s my go-to reading device for books and comic books alike.
The iPad mini is also a wonderful size for portable entertainment. Games that are great to play with a touch screen – such as Fallout Shelter and Bloons TD 6 – are incredible on the iPad mini. But, emulating games with RetroArch is just as amazing with the right controller. The iPad mini’s size also makes it great for kicking back and watching something while comfortably holding on to it.
The lack of quality cameras and a better screen on the iPad mini stings.
All of these factors come together to make a great tablet, but there’s still something missing from the iPad mini: pro features. Just as the iPhone mini was hindered by a lack of features, so too, is the iPad mini. The lack of quality cameras and a better screen on the iPad mini stings. It’s also one of the biggest reasons the iPad mini isn’t going to replace your iPhone anytime soon.
The kind of user that wants a phone the size of an iPad mini is absolutely a pro user, but the iPad mini is absolutely not a pro device. As much as I wish it was, it doesn’t seem like Apple thinks the same way. Rumors have circulated that the next iPad mini is likely just to be a minor spec refresh that will allow the iPad mini to utilize Apple Intelligence. No OLED display, no 120hz, and certainly no better cameras.
Do you care about color e-readers?
Kobo has released two color e-readers, including the Kobo Libra Colour and Kobo Clara Colour, adding a dash of vibrancy to the typically grayscale world of digital book readers. The hues are muted, but they still look great, allowing you to add colorful notes, doodles, and enjoy book covers in all their colored glory. Still, this makes the devices more expensive, and a lot of e-reader users might not care about color in their books and notes. Amazon still hasn’t released its take on a color e-reader, though the tech giant is rumored to be working on several devices. With all of this in mind, do you care about color e-readers? Or is it an addition you wish you didn’t need to pay for?
As much as I love the iPad mini, it’s highly unlikely any of those features will be coming to the iPad mini in the not too distant future. But that’s okay, so long as it’s just a tablet within my wider tech rotation. So no, the iPad mini isn’t going to be replacing your iPhone anytime soon. But if you don’t need a pro iPad, maybe it can replace your tablet.
