iPad Mini4 vs bigger or wait for a the mini 5

[Seth]

My iPad Mini 2 is getting slow.  I'd rather not purchase an iPad Mini 4 that was released in 2015, but it looks like that may be the current option with form factor.   

The new 9.7 inch iPad is close in price, with a much faster processor, but it's bigger.

Do you think and iPad Mini 5 or Mini Pro will be released?  If so, when?  Rumors are 51/49 that the mini is being phased out.  Thus the last mini may be the 4.  I hope that is not the reality.

I plan to remove as much as possible from my iPad Mini 2 in order to get it bare bones to hopefully allow it to function faster until I make my next purchase.  I may end up getting an iPad Mini 4 during the next "sale," I just know it's a slower processor than all other iPads now and they tend to get slower as operating systems are updated.  

Thanks in advance for thoughts or information you have.

-Seth

Edited June 20, 2018 by Seth

[aggiepilot04]

I'm in the same boat.  My iPad mini is painfully slow, but I don't want to spend money on a 3 year old device either.  I am also hoping for an iPad mini that is compatible with the Apple Pencil.  Based on the (somewhat) recent news of throttling devices as the battery degrades, I'm wondering if replacing the battery would be an acceptable band-aid fix for the time being.  

[johncuyle]

I've got a mini 4.  It's fine for FF and the like.  I want to get a second one, but I'm not going to buy a three year old device, so I'm waiting for the mini 5.  Not sure what I'll do if they don't release another mini since I haven't got room for a larger iPad on my yoke.

[ArtVandelay]

Doesn’t Apple usually release new stuff in September?
My mini 2 is slow as well, and the battery starting to fail to hold a charge, I’d probably go with the 9.7

[gsxrpilot]

I was a huge fan of the mini... but without new ones coming out... possibly, I got a 9.7 Pro. It doesn't go on the yoke but it's awesome. I love the performance and the larger screen for my older eyes.

[KSMooniac]

I bought a mini 4 a few months ago on a best buy flash sale for $300. Wi-Fi only, 128 gb and it is a big improvement over my old 2. If you can catch a sale price like that, it is worth it.

Set up an alert on slick deals and you won't miss a promo.

Sent from my LG-US996 using Tapatalk

[RLCarter]

You might try and restore to original , just remember you will loose all that is on there, so transfer any photos or documents before hand, my mini 2 will get to where it's charge doesn't seem to last, I'll charge to 100% then start WingX and let discharge fully until it powers off, and recharge, seems to help

[flight2000]

Best Buy has the Mini 4 on sale for $299 right now.  

Wouldn’t hold my breathe waiting for a Mini 5 to come out.  

Cheers,

Brian

[aviatoreb]

4 hours ago, Seth said:

My iPad Mini 2 is getting slow.  I'd rather not purchase an iPad Mini 4 that was released in 2015, but it looks like that may be the current option with form factor.   

The new 9.7 inch iPad is close in price, with a much faster processor, but it's bigger.

Do you think and iPad Mini 5 or Mini Pro will be released?  If so, when?  Rumors are 51/49 that the mini is being phased out.  Thus the last mini may be the 4.  I hope that is not the reality.

I plan to remove as much as possible from my iPad Mini 2 in order to get it bare bones to hopefully allow it to function faster until I make my next purchase.  I may end up getting an iPad Mini 4 during the next "sale," I just know it's a slower processor than all other iPads now and they tend to get slower as operating systems are updated.  

Thanks in advance for thoughts or information you have.

-Seth

I tried my iPad Pro 9.7 and it almost fits but it’s just uncomfortably too big.  My mini 4 is just right.

So what’s the intel on mini 5?  Pro mini?

 

[Bryan]

I don’t think they are continuing the Mini form factor.; my favorite. I have a Mini 4 64gb that I exclusively use for flying and it is great.

I am waiting for a small form factor with pen (pencil) support with fast charging like my phone - game changer. I can get 80% charge in 20min with the new tech, now just want the iPad version.

[StevenL757]

4 hours ago, gsxrpilot said:

I was a huge fan of the mini... but without new ones coming out... possibly, I got a 9.7 Pro. It doesn't go on the yoke but it's awesome. I love the performance and the larger screen for my older eyes.

Ditto.  I have the 9.7, and although it fits on the control column, it’s actually a tad on the large side, so I also wouldn’t mind if a new Mini came out.  It would show Jepps at just the right size.

[steingar]

Always difficult to predict what Apple will do.  Here’s a good question. Is there anything else on another platform that is about the same size?  I’m in the boat that if Apple discontinues the mini I’ll buy a mini 4 during the big sale and run it as long as I can. I like it on the yoke. I doubt I’d have anywhere good to put a larger IPad.

[Hank]

17 minutes ago, steingar said:

Always difficult to predict what Apple will do.  Here’s a good question. Is there anything else on another platform that is about the same size?  I’m in the boat that if Apple discontinues the mini I’ll buy a mini 4 during the big sale and run it as long as I can. I like it on the yoke. I doubt I’d have anywhere good to put a larger IPad.

 My Samsung Galaxy Tab A is almost the same size as my old ipad Mini Retina. I even like how it works, much better than the clunky, do-it-my-way iOs.

[donkaye]

I know the minis are nice and thin and small, but....there is nothing like an aviation specific piece of hardware.  I personally have grown accustomed to the Garmin Aera 796 and use it to "normalize" the navigation, charts, frequencies, AOPA Directory on all aircraft that I fly.  It has a large screen and fits nicely between the yoke of any airplane that I have flown.  With it you have XM weather, and with a bluetooth ADSB-IN source and ADSB-OUT installed in the plane, ADSB traffic and weather.

[steingar]

3 minutes ago, Hank said:

 My Samsung Galaxy Tab A is almost the same size as my old ipad Mini Retina. I even like how it works, much better than the clunky, do-it-my-way iOs.

Nice to hear. If Apple does away with the mini I foresee a platform change in my future. Good news is my mini 3 still keeps up and hasn’t yet had any problems in Foreflight. But I really don’t give any of these things more than about 3 years of confidence.

[smccray]

I was waiting for a mini 5 a while back- 18 months ago?  Got my tired of waiting and upgraded my mini 1 to the mini 4. Today I would look at the 9.7” assuming I could fit it on the yoke.

I had the 796 wired into the navigator and used it as an MFD. I use the iPad for plates in flight- it’s fantastic for that. 

[DAVIDWH]

For me, solved the 9.7 control panel issue by inverting the cradle. (Sporty's #7308A)

Was able to keep the same base and arm as on the mini.

When  mounted correctly , had  visual obstruction of key instruments, after inverting cradle 180 degrees, no visual issues.

One minor problem with this method is that the original base clamps are now on top and the one on the right is now above  the on off I pad switch.  With a bit of turbulence, have had the sw. activated and Foreflight shut down. This was solved with end nippers and a box cutter to partially remove the plastic cradle clamp above the I-Pad switch.

With this set-up your approach plates will now measure approx. 5 1/2  by 7 1/2 inches.

Bifocals not needed.

 

[Hank]

1 hour ago, steingar said:

Nice to hear. If Apple does away with the mini I foresee a platform change in my future. Good news is my mini 3 still keeps up and hasn’t yet had any problems in Foreflight. But I really don’t give any of these things more than about 3 years of confidence.

The nice thing about Samsung, besides avoiding iOs peculiarities, is that they all have GPS built in. There is no "hardware premium" to get it, and they are less expensive than GPS-less apple products. And I loaded a 64GB memory card into mine (2 cards for $35, versus $100 per installed hardware memory unit from apple). And there is a "Delete" button on the keyboard, which shows the numbers plus period, comma, question mark and exclamation point without changing to the Numbers & Punctuation keyboard. And there are spelling suggestions for every word I type, starting on the first or second letter where apple would often save me all of one or two letters at the end of a long word. And there are generally nine suggestions to apple's two or three, even on my Galaxy 8 phone.

Yeah, I guess I'm a Samsung fan . . . . .

[Marcopolo]

18 hours ago, Seth said:

My iPad Mini 2 is getting slow.

@Seth,

 

  Restoring to factory settings will offload system files that are getting in the way of precious resources for flying apps.

 

Download the itunes app onto a PC,

Connect your Ipad and backup the device,

In the Ipad settings find reset, restore factory settings,

Then restore the backup from Itunes and off you go.

 

I do this process every 3-4months on my 16gb mini2 and it is a noticeable difference every time.  All of your wifi settings and passwords are maintained across the refresh from the backup.

 

Ron 

[aggiepilot04]

13 hours ago, bluehighwayflyer said:

I’m in the exact same boat.  My everyday use and backup aviation iPad is a relatively new now-medium-sized 64GB model. I have a cheap 16GB Mini 2, though, that is my primary for aviation use. I use it on a magnetic yoke mount that I love, and 16GB is just enough when absolutely nothing else is on the thing. Both of my iPads are the cellular model b

Can you share the magnetic mount that you're using?  Thanks.

[Vance Harral]

31 minutes ago, aggiepilot04 said:

Can you share the magnetic mount that you're using?  Thanks.

I'm not bluehighwayflyer.  But based on advice from another Mooney driver here in other threads (I apologize I've forgotten which one), I recently set up my iPad Mini to mount on the yoke using a Night Ize Steelie Ball tablet mount.  I stuck the ball (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HC2FB5I/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1) to the center of the yoke, and the cradle (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HUV8GMQ/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1) to the back of the iPad.  The cradle is very slim and uobtrusive.  I did cut a hole in the back of my (cheap) iPad case to accommodate the cradle, but it's been no problem to carry the iPad around in a backpack and use it for non-aviation things.

I really, really like this arrangement.  I can click the iPad mini into the yoke mount in either portrait or (just barely) landscape mode.  I can easily tilt it back and forth to deal with glare.  If I decide I don't want it on the yoke for a bit (want to show a passenger something, don't want it there on landing, etc.), it takes literally one second to pop it off the mount, and put it back on later.  The other partners in my airplane who don't necessarily want anything on the yoke find the ball unobtrusive.  Very pleased with this setup.

Edited June 21, 2018 by Vance Harral

[johncuyle]

16 hours ago, steingar said:

Always difficult to predict what Apple will do.  Here’s a good question. Is there anything else on another platform that is about the same size?  I’m in the boat that if Apple discontinues the mini I’ll buy a mini 4 during the big sale and run it as long as I can. I like it on the yoke. I doubt I’d have anywhere good to put a larger IPad.

There used to be a bunch of Windows devices that size.  A Chinese iPad knockoff, the MiPad 2, was about perfect.  Not too many 8" Windows tablets on the market anymore, though.  Might change now that ARM support has returned in a more useful (can run x86 applications) way.  Unfortunately no Foreflight or Garmin Pilot.  FltPlan Go is available, but it kind of sucks.  There are some Android tablets, if you're a fan of insecure, poorly supported, update-free, spyware-ridden, dumpster fires of an OS.

[midlifeflyer]

9 minutes ago, johncuyle said:

There used to be a bunch of Windows devices that size.  A Chinese iPad knockoff, the MiPad 2, was about perfect.  Not too many 8" Windows tablets on the market anymore, though.  Might change now that ARM support has returned in a more useful (can run x86 applications) way.  Unfortunately no Foreflight or Garmin Pilot.  FltPlan Go is available, but it kind of sucks.  There are some Android tablets, if you're a fan of insecure, poorly supported, update-free, spyware-ridden, dumpster fires of an OS.

The one decent contender I've seen for Windows is iFly GPS. Looks, feels and runs almost exactly the same in iOS, Android, Windows, and its own dedicated hardware.

 

On the original question, having used full sized iPad Gen 1 and 3 before my Mini, I wouldn't have any difficulty going back to a 9/7"

Edited June 21, 2018 by midlifeflyer

[Gone]

I just ran into the slowness of my own mini 2.  So I went to Best Buy today and killed two birds buying a mini 4. 

First, I have a faster mini that fits into the same mount.  Second, I have a decent backup EFB in my mini 2. 

Mini 4 only has aviation apps on it and no telephone network connection - only wifi.  So no more cost from that standpoint.  Took 10 mins to download all the foreflight stuff and bring it online.  Ahhhh.  Works for me.

 

[whiskytango]

I have been really happy with my Mini 4 - except battery life.  Even running only ForeFlight, with no background apps and setting screen brightness as low as practical, I only get about 4 hours battery life.  Since my typical flight is 3.5+ hours I have to plug in the charger, and then deal with the AF noise (it is an aviation - specific dual 2.4 A charger from Sportys).  I would hate to be flying hard IFR and arrive at the destination with no way to pull up the approach plate because the Mini was dead.  If a Mini 5 comes out with improved battery life I would get it.