Here’s why you should get an iPad mini on Cyber Monday, even without a deal

The pint-sized iPad packs a powerful punch.

A lot of our readers are saving some serious cash this year with all of the terrific Cyber Monday iPad deals going on right now, but one tablet in Apple’s lineup has been spoiling the party for deal hunters: iPad mini.

Apple’s latest diminutive iPad has essentially remained at its full MSRP throughout Black Friday and into Cyber Monday with the only hint at an iPad mini 6 deal being about $20 off the very top-end configuration.

Even though it hasn’t been discounted, here’s why I think the iPad mini 6 is still a great Cyber Monday buy.

More display, less body

In the design of the iPad mini 6, it’s clear that Apple took design cues from its pre-existing iPad Pro and iPad Air models. In the latest mini, the display has been stretched out into the dead space previously occupied by the ‘forehead and chin’ bezels that housed the Home button and camera modules.

That means you now get more screen real estate without the overall footprint of the iPad mini getting any larger (in fact, it’s a tad smaller). The effect is a display that feels much more expansive with zero downside.

Despite the display growing from 7.9 inches to 8.3 inches, the display keeps the pixel density the same as before (326ppi) as well as P3 Wide color and True Tone for a gorgeous, clear image. That’s the highest pixel density of any iPad making the mini the perfect device to use for reading as you’ll get pin-sharp text.

E-reader with benefits

Speaking of reading, the size of the iPad mini lends itself tremendously well to operating as an e-reader. With Apple Books or the Kindle app, you’ll be able to comfortably fly through your collection of digital books and enjoy that super-sharp resolution.

Unlike a dedicated Kindle, though, you can also use your iPad for other forms of reading like magazines, comics, or even just email and the web. Since it’s got a proper LCD display and the power of iPadOS behind it, you can do anything with it that you would on any other iPad.

At 0.65 pounds, the iPad mini 6 is incredibly light. Its weight combined with its form factor makes it a delight to hold, even with the Smart Folio case attached. For reading, browsing the web, watching videos, or playing games, it has the perfect screen size to weight ratio, meaning you can be immersed in your content for long periods without your arms getting tired.

Portable powerhouse

The reason the iPad mini can do practically anything any other iPad can do is down to its internal specs. You see, the iPad mini 6 is more than just a facelift for Apple’s smallest tablet.

Inside, it’s powered by the A15 Bionic chip — the same that powers Apple’s latest iPhone 13 models — meaning you’re getting top-notch performance. It packs a six-core CPU, five-core GPU, and 16-core Neural Engine onto a single die. According to Apple, it delivers a 40% jump in performance and 60% graphics boost over the previous-gen iPad mini.

While the numbers are impressive, what matters is how it performs in real life, and, fortunately, the iPad mini absolutely sings. In my testing for my iPad mini 6 review, it felt superbly responsive, edited photos like a dream, handled demanding games with aplomb, and never felt like it was being pushed to its limits. In fact, for most people, the A15 Bionic is overkill in terms of performance but the chip means the device will keep up with iPadOS and the demands of new apps and features for years to come.

The last, er, notable feature of the iPad mini is its support for Apple Pencil which transforms it into the ultimate note-taking device. You can sketch, handwrite, and just generally scribble away as you see fit. Magnetic wireless charging for the Apple Pencil 2 built-in meaning you’ll never lose your stylus or let it run out of battery.

Thankfully, there are plenty of Cyber Monday Apple Pencil deals to take advantage of so there is at least one way to save this year.

No iPad mini deal, no problem