I like the Pencil Pro mainly for its new “squeeze” capability that activates the tool palette. It feels more intuitive than double tapping, especially when quickly taking notes. It also has a built-in gyroscopic sensor, which allows you to change the orientation of the tools as you rotate them, giving you more precise control. You could save some money and get the Apple USB-C Pencil On the other hand, which the iPad Mini also supports, but that model omits many important features such as wireless charging, pressure sensitivity, double tap, and compression.
The Pencil Pro often drops to $95 on Amazonso the $26 difference is worth it. But it’s worth repeating: would it have killed Apple to maintain support for the second-generation Apple Pencil?
Agile and smart (sort of)
The iPad Mini is powered by the A17 Pro, almost the same processor as the iPhone 15 Pro. Close to. The iPhone 15 Pro chip has a six-core CPU and a six-core GPU, while the iPad Mini has a six-core CPU and a five-core GPU. That means a small hit to graphics performance, but in reality, you’ll probably never notice it unless you’re playing the most graphically demanding games.
Not long ago, I started repurposing the old 2021 Mini (I needed a small tablet to watch TV during a hospital stay with a family member) and honestly, I haven’t noticed a huge jump in performance with the 2024 model. At least, with the everyday tasks that most people use these tablets for. I have used the 7th generation Mini for note taking and streaming Gilmore Girls in the background throughout the workday, checking emails when I don’t feel like grabbing my laptop, reading an e-book on the Kindle app, and watching YouTube videos. You can perform all these tasks with ease.
Photography: Brenda Stolyar
