iPad mini excitement

Use the Mini as a large size phone…rather than a small size tablet

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+1 to this. I don’t find iPad Pros useful, as I’d rather have a M1 MacBook at that size.
But the mini - the mini will be useful to me in the future when I can’t read so well on the iPhone anymore due to age. The only reason I am not hopping onto a Mini now is that I still spend a lot of time on WhatsApp and until one day when I can put WhatsApp on the Mini, I am dependent on the phone. That day will come soon, as I understand WhatsApp have a beta that does not need to depend on the phone.

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All kidding aside, if the Mini could be used as a direct replacement for a phone I’d be on that. I’d have a cellular Mini and I’d just carry it around instead of my phone. :slight_smile:

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Same! I use my AirPods when talking on the phone 99% of the time anyway.

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Yup. For me it’s my PowerBeats Pro. I’ve been saying this sort of thing for over 10 years (since the first Android tablets were available), and people keep saying “you want to hold a tablet up to your ears?”

To which I always reply two things…

(a) I grew up with huge, heavy, wall-mounted phones with cords on them. Any tablet is lighter than one of those. :slight_smile:
(b) I hold my phone up to my ear maybe once a month - and almost always as I’m walking to get my PowerBeats (or 10 years ago, {$current_bluetooth_headset})

My very first Android tablet - no joke - had to fire up a phone app & make a phone call to activate it. Then the app disappeared forever, never to be seen again. It was one of the first 7" tablets, way, way back in the day - I think it was a Samsung.

But it was super-frustrating that the feature I wanted was actually even on the device, but self-destructed after activation.

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Are “Smart Cover” and “Smart Folio” different things?

Other than “Because They Can” is there any reason why the one for the Mini is $10 more than the regular one?

On the latest MPU @MacSparky mentioned that Chris Bailey is planning on trying this with the new mini.

Smart Cover just covers the front of the iPad. The Smart Folio covers front and back (iPad sandwich).

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I would definitely go with the Purple but I need the bigger screen now.

I’ll have to go listen to it, but I’m assuming this is with a non-standard (something other than the regular iPhone “Phone” app) phone service?

Using the GlocalMe Simbox can actually make that possible. Leave your (voice) SIM card at home connected to the internet and receive all calls on an App on the iPad. Add email to your iMessage and FaceTime accounts and it will all work. Even normal SMS will come in via the app.

Services like google voice in US can do same, or second line apps such as Hush can help define a solution that works. The beauty of the sim box is that it makes your default number sim card available “as local” wherever you are.

In the US iMessage is used more, but in Europe/Asia it is WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram all of which work well on iPad as well and can be used cross-platform as well.

Thanks. I did not know that was the difference.

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This just reminded me that back in 2010, I tried giving up my iPhone for a dumb-phone and an iPhone, which I wrote about for TUAW (later subsumed by Engadget):

It wasn’t just a story idea, it was something I really wanted to do to save money, but it ended up being short-lived. Will be interesting to see if it can be done now without the dumb-phone.

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I was on the fence about this but I got on MPU this morning, saw this thread, and pulled the trigger this morning and ordered one from Verizon. (I’ll blame you @tjluoma if my wife gets mad) It says it’ll arrive by October 1st. I have a vacation on Sept 30th, would love for it to arrive before then for the plane ride.

I went iPad only this past month on my 12.9" pro, so this mini will be a nice compliment to the pro to just read and consume media. My read it later list is getting long in the tooth, plus I read around 4 to 5 books at a time on my Kindle. Be nice to use the mini at times for that. Excited!

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Apple as of iOS 14 still says:

Important: Wi-Fi + Cellular models do not support cellular phone service—they support cellular data transmission only. To make phone calls on any iPad model, you need to use Wi-Fi Calling and an iPhone.

Is that your plan? The Wi-Fi Calling and an iPhone that’s just “in range”? Or do you have another idea in mind?

I don’t have anything in mind, I was referring to the previous comment about Chris Bailey’s plans (as mentioned on this week’s MPU) to go it “iPad mini-only”.

I watched the keynote a couple of days after the live event.

This was the very first thing that popped into my mind when Tim switched gears and started talking about the new iPad Mini…

I didn’t have a stopwatch to time it, but I’m pretty sure that within two minutes of the iPad Mini segment starting, I had the new mini (with cellular and the largest amount of storage), AppleCare+, a couple of iPhone accessories, and a Trade-In of an older iPad all in the iPhone Apple Store bag and ordered.

:joy:

I’ve always loved the form factor of the iPad mini and now that it’s FINALLY got the bump in specs and capability, USB-C port, and support for the Gen 2 Apple Pencil there was no reason not to get it.

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Mine arrived this morning and I’m happy with it so far - however, it’s going to take a while for the muscle memory to adapt to the new volume and TouchID locations!

New design makes it easier for holding for reading I think really. I used to be in two minds about the square sides but it seems to work well on the Mini (I’m still out as to whether I like it on the 11” Pro, even after almost two years of it!)

Well, if I can help enable you, I only had mine for a few hours last night, and I’ve already seen a bunch of ways to use it.

I set it up mostly for reading (Kindle, Apple’s Books app, Instapaper, Reeder, etc.) and watching (Netflix, Apple TV, Disney +, etc).

All of the other apps are set to go right to the App Library rather than the home screen), to help keep the focus on those apps that I have decided to have on the home screen.

I turned off almost all notifications. Almost all of Apple’s default apps have notifications turned on by default. It took a few minutes to go through and turn them all off, but it will make the iPad easier to use in the ways that I want to use it.

Once you do that, new apps can have their notifications enabled or disabled when they ask for permission. My default answer is ‘no’.

Your usage might be completely different than mine. My point here isn’t to convince you to use yours like I’m using mine, but to think about how you want to use it. To me this goes back to the introduction of the iPad, where Steve Jobs talked about “Where does the iPad fit between a computer and a phone?”

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Calling that a “luxury problem” to have…

a few more use cases to @tjluoma’s excellent ones to consider:

  • pocketable device to use during commute (watch live TV/news)
  • iPad mini is ideal for use as a Waze/ABRP device in the car (just find the right mount)
  • ideal for mobile Teams/Zoom calls
  • great to read latest magazines in Pressreader (connected to your public library account)
  • Use as a portable radio (especially with the new stereo speakers)
  • Connect to an AppleTV, share screen to your big TV using Airplay and use the new front camera to have a family FaceTime hub in the living room
  • universal remote control using the Logitech Harmony Hub
  • Remote control for a Plex or Roon mediaserver

to name a few…

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