Honestly, the iPad mini 6 2021 is a weird little machine. It shouldn't work as well as it does, considering it sits in that awkward middle ground between a giant smartphone and a "real" tablet.
Apple dropped this thing back in September 2021, and people lost their minds because it finally looked like the iPad Pro. Gone were the massive chin and forehead bezels. Gone was the prehistoric Home button. We got the A15 Bionic chip, USB-C, and that magnetic edge for the second-gen Apple Pencil. But here is the thing: three years later, in a world of M4 chips and OLED displays, this tiny slab of glass is still the only tablet that actually makes sense for a lot of us.
It's portable. Like, truly portable. You can shove it in a jacket pocket or a small sling bag and forget it’s there until you’re stuck on a subway or waiting for a flight.
That jelly scrolling drama and the screen reality
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room first. If you spent any time on tech Twitter or Reddit in late 2021, you heard about "jelly scrolling." Basically, because of how the display controller is mounted, one side of the screen refreshes a split second faster than the other when you're in portrait mode. It creates a sort of wobble.
Does it exist? Yeah. Does it matter? Not really for 95% of people.
I’ve spent hundreds of hours reading Kindle books and scrolling through RSS feeds on my iPad mini 6 2021, and my brain just tuned it out after day two. If you are a professional video editor who needs frame-perfect vertical scrolling, okay, maybe buy an iPad Pro. But for everyone else? It’s a non-issue. The 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display is actually pretty great. It hits 500 nits of brightness, which is plenty for reading by a window, though you’ll struggle a bit in direct mid-day sunlight at the beach.
The color accuracy is solid thanks to P3 wide color support. It makes photos pop. It makes Netflix look crisp. But it is a 60Hz panel. If you’re coming from an iPhone 15 Pro or a high-end gaming monitor, the lack of ProMotion (120Hz) will feel a bit "draggy" at first. You get used to it.
The A15 Bionic is a quiet powerhouse
Don't let the "2021" tag fool you into thinking this thing is slow. The A15 Bionic inside the iPad mini 6 2021 is the same architecture that powered the iPhone 13 Pro. It’s a six-core CPU and a five-core GPU. In real-world terms? It still flies.
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I use mine for some pretty heavy lifting. I’m talking about editing 4K video in LumaFusion and playing Genshin Impact on medium-to-high settings. It gets warm, sure. The back gets a little toasty near the Apple logo after thirty minutes of gaming. But it doesn't stutter. Apple’s silicon has such a massive lead over the competition that a three-year-old chip still feels faster than most mid-range Android tablets released this morning.
RAM is the only spot where you might feel a pinch. It has 4GB. That’s enough for most things, but if you’re a heavy multitasker using Stage Manager (well, the version allowed here) or jumping between twenty Chrome tabs, you will see some apps refreshing. It’s a device designed for focus, not for running a literal corporation from your lap.
Why the size is actually a superpower
The iPad mini 6 2021 is the ultimate "in-between" device.
Think about it.
An iPad Pro 12.9 is a laptop replacement. It’s heavy. You need a keyboard case. An iPhone is for quick hits. The mini is for the "lean back" moments.
- Note-taking: It’s almost exactly the size of a physical Moleskine notebook. Writing on it with the Apple Pencil 2 feels more natural than writing on a giant 11-inch or 13-inch slab. Your hand doesn't have to travel as far.
- Gaming: It’s the best handheld gaming console that isn't a Steam Deck. It fits perfectly in your hands for on-screen controls. Your thumbs can actually reach the middle of the screen without a struggle.
- Reading: This is the killer app. Whether it's the Kindle app, Marvel Unlimited, or Libby, the mini is the perfect weight. You can hold it one-handed for an hour without your wrist screaming at you.
USB-C changed everything for the mini
Moving away from Lightning was the best thing Apple ever did for this lineup. Because it has a standard USB-C port, the iPad mini 6 2021 acts like a "real" computer when it needs to. I’ve plugged mine directly into a Sony A7IV camera to offload photos in the field. I’ve hooked it up to a USB-C hub to move files to a thumb drive. I’ve even plugged it into a 4K monitor.
It’s not a great desktop experience—iPadOS still scales weirdly on big screens—but the fact that you can do it is huge. It means one less cable in your travel bag. You can use the same brick and cable for your MacBook, your iPad, and your modern iPhone.
The battery life is... fine
If there’s a weakness, it’s the endurance. Apple claims "all-day battery life," which they define as 10 hours of web surfing or video. In reality? If you’re pushing the brightness and using 5G (if you have the cellular model), you’re looking at closer to 6 or 7 hours of active use.
It’s a small device. Small devices have small batteries. Laws of physics and all that. If you’re using it as a secondary device—checking emails, reading some news, a bit of YouTube—it’ll last you two or three days on a single charge. But if you’re planning a cross-country flight and you want to watch movies the whole time? Bring a power bank. You’ll probably need it by the time you’re over the Rockies.
Real-world quirks you should know about
The volume buttons are on the top now. Well, the "top" when you hold it in portrait mode. It’s weird at first. But Apple did something clever: the buttons are software-mapped. The "up" volume button is always the one that is physically higher or further to the right, depending on how you’re holding the tablet. It’s a small touch that saves a lot of frustration.
Then there's Touch ID. There’s no Face ID here. The fingerprint sensor is baked into the power button. It’s fast. It’s reliable. But if you’re used to your iPad just unlocking the moment you look at it, you’ll have to retrain your muscle memory to actually rest your finger on the edge.
Also, let's talk about the cameras. The rear camera is a 12MP sensor that can actually shoot 4K video. It has a flash, too. Most people look ridiculous taking photos with a tablet, but the iPad mini 6 2021 is small enough that you don't look that crazy. It’s actually a great document scanner. The front camera is a 12MP Ultra Wide with Center Stage. This is awesome for FaceTime. The camera follows you around as you move, which is perfect if you’re cooking or pacing while talking to your parents.
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Is it worth buying in 2024 or 2025?
This is the big question. Apple hasn't updated the mini in a while. There are rumors of a mini 7 eventually, but Apple moves slowly with this specific product line.
If you find a good deal on a iPad mini 6 2021, take it. It’s still a beast. The 64GB base storage is the biggest headache. If you plan on downloading movies or a bunch of games, you really should look for the 256GB model. 64GB fills up almost instantly once you install Call of Duty and a few high-res apps.
What to do next
If you just picked one up or you're thinking about it, here is how to actually get the most out of it without overspending on accessories.
- Skip the Apple Folio: It’s overpriced. Get a cheap magnetic third-party case from ESR or Spigen. They do the exact same thing for a third of the price.
- The Pencil is a must: Even if you aren't an artist, the Apple Pencil 2 makes the mini feel like a digital clipboard. It’s great for marking up PDFs or just navigating the UI when your fingers are messy.
- Check the used market: Since this model has been out for a while, you can often find "refurbished" or "open-box" units at places like Back Market or Amazon for way under the original $499 MSRP.
- Optimize your Home Screen: Use the Large App Icons setting. Because the screen is smaller, the default icon size can feel a bit cramped. Making them bigger makes the whole experience feel more tactile and "mini-esque."
The iPad mini 6 2021 remains the king of niche tablets. It isn't trying to be a laptop. It isn't trying to be a phone. It’s just a perfect little window into the internet that you can take anywhere. For most of us, that's exactly what a tablet should be.