iPad mini 7 vs iPad Air 6 Buying Guide: 4 Key Decisions You Need To Make

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For those of us who aren’t looking to splash the cash on an iPad or simply don’t want/need something as cumbersome as an iPad Pro, there are two options; the iPad mini 7 or iPad Air 6.

Both models were released in 2024 and they seem similar on the surface. But the iPad mini and iPad Air are two very different tablets with different use cases.

It’s no secret that we love the iPad mini, but it isn’t right for everyone. To help you decide, we’ve picked out the four key things to consider before making a purchase!

Let’s start with the big one; price.

1. Price and Specs

If you’re after the cheapest iPad, then the iPad mini 7 wins out. At $499/£499 for the base-level model, the iPad mini 7 comes with the A17 Pro chip from the iPhone 15 Pro and 128GB of storage.

The base-level 11-inch iPad Air 6 comes with the same level of storage at 128GB, but the M2 chip, more commonly found in Apple’s range of Macs, for $599/£599. The standard 13-inch iPad Air 6 is exactly the same but the extra screen real estate bumps the price up to $799/£799.

Virtually all the other specs are the same. They both have a Liquid Retina display, P3 wide colour, True Tone technology and are Apple Intelligence compatible.

The camera systems are both exactly the same too, with a 12MP wide rear camera which can shoot 4K video and a 12MP ultra-wide front camera. Guess what, they both support the same Apple Pencil generations too; the Apple Pencil Pro and Apple Pencil USB-C.

The main difference is between the chips, and it isn’t as simple as you might expect.

First off, the M2 chip has two more cores than the A17 Pro. That leads to a 100% higher memory bandwidth (51.2 GB/s vs 102.4GB/s) which allows for more efficient multitasking and faster data retrieval.

On the other hand, the A17 Pro is built with 3nm technology compared to 5nm on the M2. This gives an 8% faster CPU clock speed. Considering the A17 Pro is made primarily for smartphones, it holds its own. There’s more on the A17 Pro in our iPhone 15 Pro Max review.

That being said, the M2 chip is objectively more powerful and more efficient. The iPad Air 6 is essentially an iPad Pro with some features and weight removed. That means you can perform more strenuous and intensive workloads on the iPad Air.

Both of these iPads have different use cases, which we’ll get onto in a moment.

2. Screen Size

The 8.3-inch display size of the iPad mini 7 puts it remarkably close to that of some smartphones. But it really doesn’t feel like it when you use it. That being said, it does restrict some of the tasks you will use it for.

The iPad mini 7’s screen is too small for split-screen working. It’s also far too small to be able to effectively double as a laptop (more on that later). For note-taking and easy content consumption though, it is the perfect size.

With 11 inches (or 13 inches if you want it) on the iPad Air, you get much more space to breathe and therefore a more dynamic tablet. 11-inches is the better option out of the two as it sits perfectly in the area of being not too unwieldly whilst also allowing for split-screen working.

It’s a simple decision really. Will the work you do, such as editing video or drawing, require more screen real estate? Then the iPad Air 6 is the better option. If not, then the iPad mini 7’s size is satisfyinly dinky and so convenient.

3. Laptop-ability

With advances in the internal hardware of iPads recently, people (Mark included) have begun to use an iPad as a replacement for a laptop entirely. 

Offering more portability and versatility, using an iPad as a laptop is a realistic proposal for the average user. If you’ll mostly be typing on it, then it is a really attractive setup. But which of the iPad Air and iPad mini is best for this?

Both iPads support Bluetooth keyboards but crucially, only the iPad Air has support for Apple’s excellent Magic Keyboard which directly plugs into the iPad’s USB-C port. That isn’t a dealbreaker but the Magic Keyboard is so convenient and is one of Apple’s best ever products in general.

Another thing that makes the iPad Air 6 better for using it as a laptop-tablet is screen size. 11 inches is big enough to be effectively used as a laptop, especially due to the split screen ability. If you think that the M4 MacBook Pro has a display size of 14-inches, the iPad Air isn’t too far off, especially with the larger 13-inch model.

In reality, the iPad mini 7 is just too small to be a laptop. But you may still want to type on it for note-taking reasons. For that, we recommend the Logitech Keys-To-Go which you can buy here.

4. Uses

Linking to the laptop discussion, when buying an iPad, you need to know what you’re going to be using it for. There are distinct use cases for each of these iPads.

The iPad mini 7 is primarily a note-taker. Whether with a keyboard or an Apple Pencil, the small size makes it a super convenient replacement for a standard notebook. iPad OS isn’t exactly the most intricate operating system out there but it sure does note-taking well!

You can use the iPad mini for other things like editing graphic work or drawing, it’s just that the screen really is a bit too small for optimal use. And for an extra $100/£100, you can get that extra display size.

The iPad Air 6 is an ideal device for users who will need a bit more power and space to undertake work like digital design, photography work or even video editing. Both of these iPads can run Final Cut Pro but it is undeniably better on the iPad Air 6 for both smooth running and ease-of-use.

As such, the iPad Air 6 casts a wider net. It is an all-rounder that comes at a very competitive price. If you know you’ll need the ability to carry out lots of different tasks then the iPad Air 6 makes sense.

If you know you simply need a reliable and slick note-taker, then look no further than the iPad mini 7. 

Conclusion

Hopefully after reading this buying guide, you’ll see that choosing between these iPads is actually very simple. It boils down to two things; use case and price.

The iPad Air 6 is by far the better option if you need to work on things that require a larger display and more power. Also, it is the ideal laptop replacement.

However, if you want the cheapest iPad mini (perhaps Apple’s greatest ever value product second only to the M4 Mac Mini) and know you only need it for note-taking and word-processing, then the iPad Mini 7 is perfect.

Which iPad would you buy? Let us know below!