Looking For A High-End Gaming Device? 7 Reasons Why You Should Pick New iPad Mini

The new iPad mini’s display, sound and processor muscle at its price put it well ahead of most premium smartphones.

Seven Reasons why a new iPad mini beats a high-end phone in gaming!

By Akriti Rana and Nimish Dubey

Thinking of investing in a premium phone to get your gaming fix? The idea is certainly a good one, especially if you take your gaming very seriously, and are the kind who wants no compromises whatsoever on performance, whether it is gameplay, graphics or sound. 

There are plenty of high end phones that deliver a terrific gaming experience — ranging from the iQoo Legend to the Mi 11X Pro to the OnePlus 12 Pro to the Galaxy S21 Ultra to the latest range of iPhones, or even the Asus ROG Phone 5, which has been designed for gaming. 

Our advice would however be to ignore phones altogether if you want a high-end mobile gaming experience, and go for the latest iPad mini. 

This is the new iPad mini, 6th generation. The iPad mini has been around for a while but this is the first one we would recommend ahead of a high-end mobile phone for gaming.

This may sound hard to believe, but consider the following facts:

Much More Display!

The new iPad mini comes with an 8.3 inch liquid retina display, with a resolution of 2266 x 1488 and a pixel density of 326 ppi, which is extremely good for a display of this size. 

The display also comes with Apple's True Tone technology, which lets it adjust as per the brightness of the conditions. This is bigger and wider than the display you would get on any gaming phone. As a result, you get a larger and more clear image on the iPad mini as compared to a phone — the image might be exactly the same but because it is spread over a larger area, you are able to spot more details very easily. And this becomes incredibly important whether you are figuring out maps on Call of Duty, scanning the area for loot in PUBG 2: New State, or just wanting to melt into the scenery of Alto's Odyssey. 

That bigger display simply gives you a way more immersive experience. And even though the refresh rate of the iPad mini's display is a very normal 60 Hz, we do not think it really makes a difference in gaming terms (most of the iPhones have 60 Hz refresh rates and they handle gaming superbly). 

Super Portable 

You can get a bigger display than a phone on any tablet or notebook, but those are not really alternatives to a gaming phone for they are simply too big. So what makes the new iPad mini a great option for mobile gaming? The answer is its size. 

The new iPad mini is actually smaller than previous iPad mini models as it has removed the round home button below the display, and narrowed the bezels around the display. 

The new iPad mini also has the flat, straight sides that are now seen on the iPhone 13 series and the iPad Air and iPad Pro. In previous editions of the iPad mini, using the device in landscape mode while gaming was a little problematic because one's fingers often brushed the home button (which was also a fingerprint scanner) just below the display. But that is no longer as much of a concern now!

The smaller size and flat sides as well as a relatively light weight for its size (293 grams), make the new iPad mini easy to carry, and also to use. Unlike the other iPads and tablets, you can actually use the iPad mini while standing, and thanks to its size, you can actually reach across and access most controls on the display just using your thumbs. It is almost like using a slightly heavier and wider phone. 

We have played a number of sessions of Call of Duty and Asphalt and playing both games was so much easier because not only were the controls easier to spot on the big screen, but we also never felt that our hands were covering a lot of the display! 

Processor Muscle

The new iPad mini comes with the latest A15 Bionic processor, similar to the ones seen on the iPhone 13 series. That basically means that the tablet will be able to handle any game that you throw at it and at high settings. 

What's more, given Apple's track record in the processor department (even the iPhone XS plays PUBG 2: New State very smoothly), the processor will continue to handle games well for a while. Game updates will also be well-optimised to run on your device, thanks to Apple’s stringent App Store rules. 

Also, you do not have to worry about RAM on iPads and iPhones. It just works. 

High On Sound 

With the big display of the iPad mini comes big sound. The tablet has dual stereo speakers with audio landscape mode, which deliver sound that literally surrounds you and places you in the middle of the game. 

In terms of sheer volume and detail, these speakers beat those found on any phone. You can hear the sound of the skis on the sand in Alto's Odyssey and footsteps around you in Call of Duty, much clearer than you would on the speakers of any phone. 

However, there is no 3.5 mm audio jack on the iPad mini so if you are going to use earphones, you would need to use either Bluetooth ones or get a Type C to 3.5 mm jack.

Long Battery Life

Most high-end phones are notorious for gobbling up a lot of battery during gaming sessions and getting uncomfortably warm. We can confidently say none of those circumstances is likely to arise with an iPad mini. It will not only get through a day of hefty use but will also almost never heat up. Of course, as you are unlikely to use the iPad mini for making too many calls, the battery ends up lasting even more. 

Do More Apart From Gaming 

Gaming might be one of the main reasons for going for a high-end phone, but it is a fair chance that you will do more on a phone than just gaming. The same applies to the iPad mini. When not gaming, you can actually use it to compose and edit not just documents and presentations, but even videos, images and sound. Apple has improved iPadOS, and it is a proper powerhouse in our book, even when it is not gaming. 

A Lot Of Gaming Value For Money

The new iPad mini starts at Rs 46,900, which places it below the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S21 series, the Vivo X70 Pro, the Asus ROG Phone 5, the iPhone 13 series and even the OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro. It does not come with 5G at that price point but it delivers everything that a mobile gaming fanatic would like — good display, great sound, top of the line processor, and long battery life. And this being an Apple device, you would also get the brand's security and privacy controls, and also regular software updates for at least another four or five years.  

So should you be going for the iPad mini as a mobile gaming device? We definitely think so, if your budget is in the vicinity of Rs 50,000. The display, sound and processor muscle it provides at its price put it well ahead of most premium smartphones. The only place where it loses out to the phones actually is in terms of the convenience of making calls — phones are much easier to handle.