OT Should I upgrade my Ipad Mini 2 to the new 5?

[NHAero]

Full disclosure: I don't own a cell phone.
I've had an iPad Mini 2 with a cell card for close to five years, and like that I can get iMessages and emails while traveling. I read on it (ebooks and magazines), use Ridewithgps to track road rides, play music on road trips in the car, use an HP calculator emulator app, Google Maps and Google Earth, read error codes on vehicles, etc. I love that I can carry it in my pocket.
What it does badly is take photos - the camera sucks.
So - I don't care much that the new ones are faster. How much better is the 8 MP camera in the Mini 5 than the 5 MP one in the Mini 2?

[Pastashop]

The 5 is lighter / slimmer, much faster, the screen is much better, the camera is better, so taking and editing and viewing photos is a markedly better experience. The log-in is super easy, and I don’t want to deal with regular password after this. And works with the Apple Pencil, so hand-writing and doodles and highlighting books / reading is more like with regular books. Highly recommended.

[R3awak3n]

don't know anything about ipads but tell me this, you don't even own a dumb phone?

[oldpotatoe]

Full disclosure: I don't own a cell phone.
I've had an iPad Mini 2 with a cell card for close to five years, and like that I can get iMessages and emails while traveling. I read on it (ebooks and magazines), use Ridewithgps to track road rides, play music on road trips in the car, use an HP calculator emulator app, Google Maps and Google Earth, read error codes on vehicles, etc. I love that I can carry it in my pocket.
What it does badly is take photos - the camera sucks.
So - I don't care much that the new ones are faster. How much better is the 8 MP camera in the Mini 5 than the 5 MP one in the Mini 2?

Keep the ipad and get one of the really amazing, very low priced, small, digital cameras..that industry is hurting..prices are great..

[Spaghetti Legs]

My current gadgets are iPhone 6 and iPad Pro 11 in. I upgraded the iPad from the first gen Mini last year. The iPhone 6 has an 8mp camera and pictures are good, I think better than on the old mini, but I didn’t use that a lot for picture taking. Tech being what it is, I’d think the camera on the newer mini would be better than my 3 year old iPhone but that’s just a guess. The camera on the iPad Pro is fantastic.

All that being said, I don’t think I would upgrade just for the camera and would go for a cheap point and shoot instead (easier to fit in a pocket).

[cinco]

Nothing to add except, this question always plays out in my mind as, "should I upgrade my I-Pad or should I buy anther bike/part/kit?

Andy in Houston

[thwart]

I had an iPhone 6 with the 8 MP camera (there may indeed be differences, though) and the photos were very good, although I would have to say not as amazingly good as my iPhone 8.

I have the same iPad mini 2 (although not with cellular), 2013 vintage. It's really pretty slow compared to my wife's 2017 iPad. The battery is going as well, so I've been considering the same move you are. I like the form factor of the mini.

FWIW, Apple will give me $70 for a trade-in. You'd do better with the cellular version.

[saab2000]

I have an iPhone X. Prior to this I had an iPhone 5S. I was 100% satisfied with the 5S but it was dying and it was only a matter of time until Apple didn't support it anymore.

To make a long story short, there are some new features I actually like more than I expected and one of them is the vastly superior camera. It is MUCH better.

So to answer your question, yes, you will get a better camera.

I'm not on board with upgrading on every cycle or even close to that but it can't be denied that some things on newer units that look nearly identical are actually game changing improvements. One of the items that has consistently improved on mobile devices is the camera.

[AngryScientist]

you're fighting the obvious answer:

you have an ipad you're paying for cell service for, you use it for all of the things people use a phone for and you love that it can fit in your pocket.

just get a new iPhone and be done with it.

keep the ipad to read on with it's larger screen. a new phone will be better at literally everything else you use the iPad for.

[Likes2ridefar]

I’ve an iPad Pro and the same iPad mini you have. The wife uses the mini. I can’t even use it without being slightly annoyed. It just pails in comparison across the board. The camera on the pro is Ok, but nothing compared to my pixel 3xl or previous iPhone X. Those cameras are awesome and I’d never bother with a separate camera unless an enthusiast or pro.

Maybe you can get by with a jumbo sized smart phone instead of a mini? Big price difference though and I personally wouldn’t want to use it for browsing duty. I just take my pro with me when traveling.

[veloduffer]

If you want a pocketable camera that takes great pics, then buy a Sony RX-100. They still sell the older models III, IV, V and have the same 1” sensor, and are a significant discount to the current VI and VII versions. Terrific photos that easily surpass and iPhone/Galaxy pics.

The newer versions VI and to be released this month VII have longer zooms and enhanced autofocus. The older models have slightly faster lens (f1.8 vs f2.8) and zoom only to 70mm.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[sitzmark]

FWIW the Mini 2 was launched with iOS 7(.0.3) and A7 chipset. Post iOS 7 some camera functionality was not available due to physical limitations compared with newer minis. The Mini 2 does not support iOS 13, so it is effectively "dead" for future updates - meaning it is what it is. Depending on what current/future apps you want to use they may not be supported.

I've never taken a photo with my Minis (1xMini1, 3xMini4), so can't give any worthwhile feedback on that subject. The Mini 1 is effectively "dead" and won't run Zwift or other apps designed for later iOS versions than the Mini 1 can run. I was using the Mini 1 for remote video use (mobile FIOS, etc) but newer versions of some apps no longer function and the older versions have been discontinued.

Might want to sell the Mini 2 while is still has some value. Once iOS update support ends street value/demand drops quickly.

[woolly]

FWIW the Mini 2 was launched with iOS 7(.0.3) and A7 chipset. Post iOS 7 some camera functionality was not available due to physical limitations compared with newer minis. The Mini 2 does not support iOS 13, so it is effectively "dead" for future updates - meaning it is what it is. Depending on what current/future apps you want to use they may not be supported.


This (iOS limitation). I have a Mini 2 that I will end up upgrading later this year for this very reason alone. I'm already shut out of applications I would like to use on it because they can no longer be upgraded due to the outdated OS. And I'm not talking about not being able to use the newest version of the apps - some current/old versions have ceased to work altogether.

I'm fine-enough with this - it has served me quite well over the last few years, and I feel I've gotten my money's worth out of it. I don't expect Apple or any of the companies authoring the apps I use to support old versions forever. That's how software & tech go. . .

[EDS]

How do you fit an ipad mini into your pocket?

[NHAero]

I'm wearing a pair of Patagonia shorts at the moment, it fits in the front pocket.

Fits in most jacket pockets too, in colder weather.

How do you fit an ipad mini into your pocket?