Why YOU should buy the iPad Mini as a student
I’ve been using the iPad Mini as my primary device for university since the end of 2021.
The form factor of the 2021 iPad Mini is unparalleled. It rivals the footprint of an A5 notebook, except it has much bigger potential: the Mini can do everything the Pro and Air models can do, but at a fraction of the size (and a little cheaper too). Talking of price, it’s not the most budget-friendly, but hear me out: here are some reasons that students need this device.
Portability
The main draw for me to move over from the 2018 iPad Pro to the 2021 iPad Mini was it’s size, and subsequent portability. The iPad Mini can fit into some jacket pockets, which is unbelievable for a tablet device. It easily slots into a backpack or handbag, and it’s so light that it is pretty much unnoticeable to carry around.
2. Handwriting
The 2021 iPad Mini is compatible with the Apple Pencil 2, including it’s magnetic charging functionality on the side of the iPad Mini. To give you an idea of how small the device really is, when the Apple Pencil 2 is charging it almost stretches the full length of the side of the device! I use a Paperlike screen protector on my iPad Mini, to give the feel of writing on paper. Sometimes the feeling of an Apple Pencil directly on glass is too slippy and doesn’t give you a nice handwriting experience. Thus, Paperlike is an excellent compromise: the feel of writing on paper, but it’s digitised. This is made even better when using an app such as Notability, which can organise your notes into subjects and folders, ideal for keeping track of different notes across different modules and semesters.
3. Ecosystem Integration
If you are already in the Apple ecosystem, the Mini is a brilliant addition to your collection. It’s small enough to message friends and family on instead of constantly carrying your phone (useful in classes), and if you are an iPhone user, your iMessages can sync across to the iPad Mini. Additionally files can be shared in the Cloud or via AirDrop from one Apple device to another. This is useful if you have a document that perhaps needs signed, you could share it to the Mini, sign it, and share it back. The iPad Mini also supports wireless printing: if you have an AirPrint compatible printer, files can be printed wirelessly directly from the Mini. Some university libraries will have this compatibility on their printing systems, which avoids the need to log into a university device should you need to print any documents.
4. Video Calling
As with so many aspects of our lives, university classes have been online for over two years. The 2021 iPad mini is compatible with Centre Stage, a new Apple feature which uses the front-facing camera to track movements to keep the subject in frame even when they are moving. This is perfect if you are on a video call for a practical subject that requires you to move around: you don’t need to worry about always adjusting the angle of your camera. It’s also great if you have a personal trainer or do online fitness classes!
5. USB-C Port
The iPad Mini, along with the Pro and Air models, now incorporates a USB-C port. This means that dongles and adapters can be plugged directly into the Mini, to facilitate video editing, external drive file transfers, and HDMI cable input. The possibilities of this functionality are huge, but particularly useful for photography or graphic design students that may use SD cards for photo storage, or for connecting the iPad to an external display such as a projector or TV screen for presentations.
6. Reading
The iPad Mini is only slightly larger than the standard Amazon Kindle so if you are already used to reading on a device of that size, you will take to reading on the iPad Mini very easily. A benefit of the Mini over the Kindle is that additional apps can be downloaded on the device: apps such as Libby and BrowZine. Libby integrates with your local library, allowing you to borrow books and read them completely free of charge. BrowZine is an app for academic papers: log in with your academic institutions credentials and save articles to read later or download them as PDFs to save directly on your Mini. Additionally, the Kindle app itself is great for accessing your full Kindle collection on the Mini.
While I still use my 2018 iPad Pro for gaming as it has a bigger screen, the 2021 iPad Mini had replaced the Pro in every other way. As mentioned at the start of the post, it’s not the cheapest available iPad model, especially when you add in the cost of the Apple Pencil 2 and a case or cover, but if you have some spare disposable income, this really is the iPad for students (as well as many others!)
