I’ve been using my iPad mini (now updated to iPadOS 18.5, soon to 26) for a while, and this felt like the right moment to examine its current state—particularly how it balances UI, information density, and real-world usability compared to the 11" iPad Pro and the 6.1" iPhone.
Apple’s Smallest iPad Gets the Least Attention
For years, the iPad mini has sat in Apple’s lineup as the compact middle child: too big to be an iPhone, too small to be a MacBook substitute (or even an iPad substitute). Yet in 2025, it remains one of the most overlooked—yet compelling—members of the iPad family.
There’s a kind of magic to the iPad mini that’s hard to define—light enough to hold in one hand, powerful enough to do nearly everything a larger iPad can, and just the right size to toss in a bag without thinking. It’s the Goldilocks of iPads—except Apple (and its customers) rarely remembers it exists.
Despite its loyal fanbase, the iPad mini remains Apple’s most neglected iPad. In 2025, it’s still a brilliant device, but it’s also a cautionary tale in how software and hardware don’t always evolve in harmony.
Apple updates it at a glacial pace. When updates do come, they’re usually limited to a chip bump—like moving from the iPad mini 6 to the A17 Pro version. No redesign. No display enhancements (except fixing the jelly scrolling issue). No UI tweaks tailored to its smaller screen.
Meanwhile, iPadOS has become increasingly modular and customizable. That should be good news—but Apple’s one-size-fits-all approach to iPadOS means the iPad mini inherits the same UI logic as its 11- and 13-inch siblings, with little effort made to optimize the experience for its smaller display.
The worst example: Galaxy Fold
Samsung’s Galaxy Fold is a perfect example of how screen size alone doesn’t guarantee better usability. Bigger doesn’t mean better—especially without proper software optimization.
Take these two threads:
Both were posted within the last year. And yet, the Galaxy Fold is now in its 7th iteration—still suffering from basic layout issues that undermine the premium experience. Such a disaster for people who're paying thousands of bucks for a premium device.
Testing the iPad Mini Against Its Peers
To evaluate whether the iPad mini suffers a similar fate, I compared it with the 11” iPad Pro and 6.1” iPhone.
Disclaimer:
All devices were updated to iOS 18.5 and iPadOS 18.5. I plan to update the mini to iPadOS 26 soon, featuring the new “Liquid Glass” design.
Because iOS and iPadOS now offer display scaling and font size adjustments, I’ve tried to keep settings at default for a fair comparison.
Screenshots below have been scaled to reflect approximate real-life size differences between devices.
A Smaller iPad, But (Possibly) Not a Sharper One
Let’s start with the Home Screen—something every user interacts with, regardless of apps.
Apple now allows plenty of customization: icon sizes, widget types, colors, and more. But even with all this flexibility, the iPad mini doesn’t benefit from a UI tailored to its screen. Instead, it inherits the iPadOS layout logic meant for larger screens.
App Layout
iPhone fits 24 icons per screen. The iPad and iPad mini both fit 30.
Widget Layout
On iPhone, the smallest widget equals the size of 4 icons. On iPad, the same widget takes about 1.25 icon spaces—but less efficiently. So it’s up to 6 widgets on iPhone while up to 24 widgets on iPads.
That sounds good on paper, but in practice, it feels cramped. The iPad mini squeezes the same number of icons and widgets into a smaller space than the 11" iPad, leading to smaller tap targets and harder-to-read text.
You’d expect Apple to scale key UI elements to improve readability on the mini. But it rarely does, likely to preserve visual consistency across iPads.
Change the system font size? Some widgets—like Clock or Reminders—don’t fully adapt. You might see the city name get larger, while the rest shrinks to make room. The Reminders widget remains smaller than its iPhone counterpart.
It creates an odd paradox: the iPad mini, ostensibly a larger device than an iPhone, is sometimes harder to read.
When small becomes a liability
Take the Clock widget. On iPhone, it’s nearly twice the visual size as on the iPad mini.
Even worse: cranking font size settings to the maximum on the mini often yields inconsistent results. Some widgets ignore the change; others scale awkwardly. The stock widget, for instance, barely changes.
On iPad mini, this is likely a readability disaster if you are holding it too far from your eyes. These are corner cases, sure—but they highlight a broader issue. The iPad mini didn’t get much UI love. Most users can live with the quirks, but if you want the most readable iPad experience, you’re probably better off with an 11" or 13" model.
A Compromised Experience?
The big-screen assumption is simple: larger screen = more content and better readability.
But the Samsung Fold, and the iPad mini’s own Home Screen quirks, prove otherwise. Bigger displays don’t automatically translate to better experiences—especially without thoughtful UI scaling.
Info Density vs Screen Real Estate
Now let’s go deeper. How does the iPad mini handle real content inside real apps?
With a screen size between the iPhone 6.1” and iPad 11”, I expected the mini to offer a balance of density and usability. And in most cases, much to my surprise—it actually does. In most apps, it delivers a usable middle ground.
Now let’s review some other examples:
Apple 1st party apps:
These adapt layouts smartly. You get more content than on iPhone, even if not as expansive as an 11″ iPad.
Stock
More tickers and headlines on bigger screens, as expected.
App Store
The iPad mini gets a scaled version, showing the same amount of content as the full-size iPad (and more than iPhone).
Clock
Minimal info regardless of device, but more compact on mini than iPad Pro.
Books
Slightly fewer words than iPad Pro, but clearly more than iPhone.
Apple TV
A shrunken UI layout, but more info than the iPhone version.
Apple News
Parity with the full iPad in content, albeit more densely packed.
Books (reading mode):
Font and margin controls make a massive difference. Properly configured, the iPad mini reads beautifully—offering a near “tablet-grade” experience in a pocket-friendly package.
So, even among Apple’s first-party apps, each one handles the smaller screen a bit differently. Some simply offer a shrunken version, like the Clock app, while others use more dynamic layouts that minimize blank space.
3rd party apps:
X (Twitter)
Slightly less info than on the 11", but not dramatically different. Usable.
Still no native iPad app. The iPhone version stretched on the iPad mini looks worse and shows less/shortened content than on iPhone due to different aspect ratio.
This is partially on Meta—but Apple’s iPad compatibility mode deserves blame too. It hasn’t scaled gracefully in years.
When Smaller Isn’t Simpler
So here’s the contradiction: the iPad mini excels at being a lightweight, portable, no-fuss device—but only when the software behaves. And sometimes, it doesn’t go far enough to account for the device’s unique dimensions.
Yes, it can display 30 apps per screen. Yes, it supports multitasking, widgets, and even Stage Manager. But if those elements are harder to see or interact with, what’s the benefit?
Final Thought: Is the iPad mini Still Worth It?
Surprisingly, yes.
Despite the neglect, the iPad mini is still a joy to use—especially for travelers, readers, and multi-device users. Most apps have adapted reasonably well, and iPadOS is more customizable than ever. As a secondary device, it works amazingly well for the specific user scenarios.
I expected to write this piece as a critique. But after comparing the mini side by side with its bigger and smaller siblings, I walked away more impressed than frustrated. There’s room for improvement, yes—but there’s also plenty to love.
Now, if only Apple would treat it like the hero product it could be. (Maybe in the form of an “iPad mini Pro”?)