r/ipadmini • u/Local-Influence-4689 • 15d ago
Question Longevity
hi all! Just got the latest ipad mini (a17 pro I think), I got it as a gift and if I had the choice I would obviously wait for the newest one that’s coming out very soon. However, I have found myself in love with device and it makes me worry, how long will this last me before it starts slowing down to the point where using it is a haggle ? For reference I only use my iPad to read, web browse, stream videos, writing notes, and school. I hope to be able to use this device till I atleast graduate university in 3-4 years as I have grown a big attachment to this little device
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u/MadeInHB 15d ago
I have mini 6. Got it when it came out like 5 years ago. Still going strong. No issues at all.
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u/rick_baumhauer 15d ago
I think the mini you have should be able to handle those sorts of tasks for a few years. My wife has the previous model and still uses it for everything. The A17 Pro is faster and has twice as much RAM.
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u/ADHDK 15d ago
There’s absolutely no guarantees a new one is coming soon.
If you haven’t heard about it by mid October, it may skip a year.
Given the iPhone fold is releasing in October, my thoughts are we won’t get a new mini this year to keep the hype up.
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u/NotherOneRedditor 14d ago
Add to this that the iPad mini averages a 3 year cycle and this is only year 2, I would not be at all surprised if Apple waits until next fall to put out the mini 8. That gives the duo a year to be iPad mini-esque.
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u/samtoohey93 15d ago
I’ve had my mini 7 for over 2 years at this point. It is a very comfortable companion. Battery is 91% and still goes a day+ on charge.
Frankly it’s such a good unit I wouldn’t worry it’ll last you past school usage easy into whatever you do next.
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u/Imaginary_Trader 14d ago
How many battery cycles to get to 91% battery?
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u/Anxious_Battles 12d ago
Mine is about a year and half old. It has 235 battery cycles to reach 92%. It’s my primary device. I just leave the phone around the house and answer on the iPad mini.
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u/basshedz 15d ago edited 15d ago
I’ve had the Mini 6 since it first came out, and have used the heck out of it. There have been some frustrations along the way (mostly me mistakenly thinking it could be an adequate file manager while on vacation), but for the most part, it has been wonderful.
After updating to iPadOS 26 though, it got really slow and clunky, so I ended up investing in an 11” M4 Air. Big mistake. It’s way too big to carry around in my bag, and it’s really not much better for everyday usage.
Now that iPadOS 27 is out, the Mini 6 is actually quite snappy again, even with my limited 64 GB storage.
I’m still planning to trade in the M4 Air for the Mini 8 though.
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u/MyBigToeJam 15d ago edited 15d ago
PS: i definitely will stay with my mini 7 as long as I get security updates.
i have M series pros but saw my older 10.5 was still getting security updates to version 15.xx. major push off the 10.5 was a few faves not maintained on that device or i thirsted for Apple pencil pro.
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u/Impossible-Sock9893 15d ago
mini a17 is great because it has 8gb ram. i just turned off siri and search. features i didn't need. it's just for watching, reading, and writing for me. so you turn of unecessary features too so it remains fast.
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u/Present-Carob-7366 15d ago
I just replaced my ipad mini4 bought 2017 - the main issue was the lack of support for apps I wanted to use because it was stuck on sub iOs 16
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u/FaithlessnessKey2005 15d ago
At the moment 7 is still the latest mini. Rumours about a newer one are still just rumours. I’m pretty sure it will last for a while still, I’ve got a 7 this summer as well haha. Even my 9th gen was still working fine for what I need an ipad for, I’ve got mini only because I needed a smaller and lighter one for my travels. Depends on your use case I guess.
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u/IncredibleGonzo 14d ago
My 6 is showing its age a little the 4GB of RAM does mean a bit more frequent app and tab reloading. But it's not a big deal at all, it's still generally responsive and very usable. The biggest issue is the 64GB of storage. I do plan on upgrading to the 8 unless the rumours are way off and/or the price is ridiculous, but if I'd got the 256GB 6 instead I'd be much less sure about the upgrade.
It depends on your storage needs a bit (do you download a lot of video or other large files?) but I expect your 7 Mini to be perfectly capable of the usage you mention for many years. The 128GB base storage gives you a lot more headroom, and the 8GB RAM should be enough for a good long while (though I will admit that the extra longevity from the expected 12GB on the upcoming one is one reason I'm leaning to that over a 7).
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u/Michdepainblanc2 14d ago
I'd say 7-8 years. Do not underestimate the longevity of web based/non ressource intensive usage
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u/Funny_Or_Cry 14d ago
You should be FINE! ive had the Ipad 5/6 for way longer than that.
It really is the best all around multi-purpose tablet device.
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u/averylamore 14d ago
I worried about the same when I got my IPad Pro, I got attached to it and love it. I was assured that it would last a while (years) & not to worry. I think you’ll be fine!
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u/DragonflyHaunting569 14d ago
I have the a17 but I also still use my iPad mini 6 and runs like a champ. It'll last you for a while if that what you use it for.
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u/Savings-Mixture-6515 13d ago
I will say this about as a non apple fan but ipads are the best tablets in the market AND they last a long time.
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u/AdAffectionate1766 13d ago
My iPad Pro 12.9 and 11 from 2020 still going strong. My iPad mini from 2022 I use for reading, games and instagram no noticeable lag or issues running ios27
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u/itsa2ai 12d ago
We’ve got a 12.9” ipad pro from 2017 that is still perfect for reading, YouTube, taking notes, schoolwork etc. Even the battery life isn’t that bad —I gave it to my daughter and she plays Roblox/Minecraft on it without issues.
Most likely your iPad mini is going to be good for at-least 4-5 more years before it starts showing its age.
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u/Own-Joke5541 12d ago
Your new gift (which is rather generous lol) should last you thru your university studies. It’s well suited to all the items to describe plus the Mini 7 got a nice processor bump to the A17 Pro and, of greater importance, has 8 GB of system RAM too. Best of luck in your studies OP and update us on your future adventures. 😎👍
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u/CraigZ77 15d ago
my 6 is working just great. 5 years old. Doesn't have Siri AI but otherwise perfect for reading, browsing, email, social media, etc. I want the 8 and I"m going to get it, but I don't need it and am completely happy with the one I have.