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Why You Should Buy the iPad Mini 2

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Apple released the new iPad mini 4 earlier this week during its iPhone 6s event, but here’s why you should buy the iPad mini 2 instead.

Apple introduced a handful of new products during its keynote, including the iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, the iPad Pro, the new Apple TV, watchOS 2 for the Apple Watch, and even provided users with a release date for iOS 9, which is set for September 16.

However, while Apple announced and released the iPad mini 4, the company didn’t spend a lot of time discussing the new package, only saying that the smaller tablet now as the guts of the iPad Air 2 at the same price as what the iPad mini 3 was priced at. The iPad mini 3 is now discontinued (that was quick), and it’s just the iPad mini 2 and the iPad mini 4 that round out Apple’s iPad mini lineup.

We can’t say this is too surprising, as Apple hasn’t been putting a lot of focus on its smaller tablets lately, probably because it wants to focus more on the iPad Air series and the new iPad Pro, which is even bigger than the iPad Air.

iPad-mini-Retina

If you’re thinking about buying an iPad mini, though, here’s why you should buy the iPad mini 2.

The iPad mini 2 isn’t the new tablet that it used to be, and even when the iPad mini 3 was available, the iPad mini 2 was still an enticing purchase. However, now that the iPad mini 4 is available with better performance all around, the iPad mini 2 is starting to show its age.

However, that doesn’t mean it isn’t a great deal anymore. If anything, it’s better deal this time around. Like a fine wine, the iPad mini 2 gets better with age.

The iPad mini 2 is still a good device for casual use, and it can still play most newer games just fine. The A7 processor that’s inside of the tablet is still relevant today, and while the iPad mini 4’s A8 chip is technically faster all around, the iPad mini 2’s performance is something that shouldn’t be ignored.

iPad-mini

Of course, where there’s a big difference between the iPad mini 2 and the new iPad mini 4 is the camera. The iPad mini 4’s camera has an 8-megapixel sensor, while the iPad mini 2 only has a 5-megapixel sensor, but it can still do 1080p HD video, with the only capability that’s left out is burst mode when taking photos and recording slo-mo video.

The good news is that you don’t really need to take photos with an iPad, since your iPhone or other smartphone probably has a better camera anyway and it’s more wieldy than a tablet. The only reason you’d want to use your tablet to take a photo or record a video is if your iPhone’s battery died and you have nothing else to take a picture with. If you don’t take a lot of photos with your iPad, then do yourself a favor and just ignore the camera specs when you buy an iPad, as there’s no reason to spend more money to get a better camera.

Speaking of money, one of the biggest why you should buy the iPad mini 2 instead of the iPad mini 4 is purely the price difference.

iPad-Mini

The iPad mini 4 starts at $399 for the 16GB version, with the 64GB model costing $499. The iPad mini 2 starts at $269 for the 16GB version and goes up to 32GB for $319.

Between the 16GB models of each device, there’s a big $130 difference in price. Of course, we’d never recommend buying a 16GB iPad because that’s just not enough space to store everything that you’ll want on your tablet. Instead, we’d recommend opting for the 32GB iPad mini 2 for $319, which is still $80 cheaper than the 16GB iPad mini 4 and $180 cheaper than the next storage tier up.

Just by getting the iPad mini 2, you’ll be saving yourself a lot of cash that can be used to get accessories or other products instead.

Of course, not everyone should buy the iPad mini 2. For instance, if you have the money to spend on a new iPad without any worry, then by all means, the iPad mini 4 is probably the tablet for you if you’re wanting a smaller model. However, if you’re wanting to save money, but still want a decent iPad and iOS experience, the iPad mini 2 is perhaps the best device for this.

5 Comments

5 Comments

  1. Pauline Roberts

    09/12/2015 at 12:11 pm

    Persuasive! Makes a good case for the Mini 2. Still, for those with the 1 or those of us who really like taking photos on the Mini 2–that camera upgrade of the 4, along with hthe A9 chip, are quite appealing!

  2. Kattz

    09/12/2015 at 1:42 pm

    I have never been an Apple person, but I love my iPad mini 2. I bought it shortly after launch and it is still an awesome device. My cell provider was clearing out the Galaxy Note 8 about 8 months after I got the iPad and I took one. It was a good deal. The iPad has aged much better. It is still getting updates and is still like new. The Samsung hasn’t seen an update for a very long time and will never see another one. It’s in rough shape too, even though it was never abused. Sometimes it takes 24 hrs to fully charge and it frequently overheats.

    I hate to say it, but Apple’s iPad sales may be down because they last so long. Mine will probably be around for at least another 2-3 years. The Samsung will be lucky if it lives another few months.

    If you are thinking about getting the Mini 2, go for it. It still works very well. Just don’t update the second the new versions of iOS come out. Wait to see if there are any problems. It isn’t a bad thing to get stuck on an older version of iOS. You don’t have the security issues that you have with Android.

  3. HED4

    12/04/2015 at 9:49 pm

    I bought an iPad mini 4 64gb today, it’s going back. I loaded everything onto it ok but then I put it on charge and after 15minutes it was very hot. I am going to keep my existing iPad mini with retina screen, it has never overheated.

  4. Dom

    02/21/2016 at 4:55 pm

    Your buying philosophy makes no sense to me. Your willing to pay over $300 on product that 2 generations old just for more storage? Hello, iCloud, dropbox, etc.

    My advice would be to buy Ipad Mini 2 16gb and setup up your free storage accounts (mentioned above) and stream your videos on netflix, amazon prime, etc.

  5. Roy Eastham

    10/02/2016 at 6:36 pm

    I heard about the heating issues with the mini iPad 4 and am now thankful that I stayed with the iPad mini 2…aka mini with Retina display. It stomps most Androids into the ground because most Android tablets have overheating issues as well. Windows Surface tablets are not as productive as iPad in many areas and fans break causing the issues with overheating. I am bummed out mini 4 does because I wanted one but again, thankfully staying with the mini 2.
    Tim Cook, shape up your tech department or ship them out for jobs they’re better qualified for…janitorial, maybe?

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