# iPad mini Hacker Approved page: https://hackerapproved.com/p/ipad-mini/ 39 people recommended iPad mini in Hacker News comments, 13 had mixed feelings and 74 criticized it, November 2025 to October 2026. It was recommended in 9 of 12 months, in 23 threads. It does not meet the Hacker Approved badge rule. **Verdict:** More people criticize it than recommend it. Small, light tablet people carry everywhere for reading and sketching, often for years. Critics most often cite the price and its aging software support. Summary written by Claude from the comments below. ## What people warn about - Price is high for what it offers (7 comments in the sample): "the price is a bit high, that's the history of Apple though" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50244138)) "Value/$ in iPad basically has not changed since 2022. Inflation (general and AI/antitrust-driven component shortages) has cancelled out technical gains." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50244091)) "A 40% price increase compared to pre June pricing, a 60Hz display (that’s likely just software locked), and still starting at 128GB of storage." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50243558)) - Old models limit software and upgrades (3 comments in the sample): "I'm probably set for a while, but it would be nice to have an upgrade path in the future" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50268417)) "I have a wonderful old ipad mini that's useless…" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46977384)) "I can barely install or use any software though because it's not supported on such an old OS." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46587895)) - Stutters and scrolls poorly (2 comments in the sample): "Jelly scrolling on the iPad mini was a noticeable issue that should never have shipped" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46206841)) "it simply couldn’t run the home screen without stuttering and visible frame rate drops" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45855471)) ## Why people recommend it - Small enough to carry everywhere (5 comments in the sample): "Less than half the price and less fragile, for people who often carry a bag or purse with them." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50254013)) "completely silent and disconnected device that packs lighter than books and art supplies" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45860480)) "just small enough to fit on my pocket but big enough to read a whole page of code" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49282004)) - Good for reading books (3 comments in the sample): "iPad mini is awesome for reading however, it took forever until Apple powered it up." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48462015)) "was a really enjoyable device for consuming content, reading stuff, etc." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49639277)) "With OLED, this is going to be the best e-book reader in dark mode" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50247039)) - Lasts many years (3 comments in the sample): "Durable, yes. Given how many hours each of my iPads has spend in my kids' hands I can't really complain on that front." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50265287)) "It's one of those devices that just quietly do their job forever." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47219385)) "plus its guts served in the also-long-lived first gen iPad mini" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47543803)) - Works as second screen (3 comments in the sample): "It’s also a surprisingly good workhorse by itself, or as a second screen for a MacBook." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50238995)) "Taxi/uber drivers who use them as bigger displays for their maps and apps." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50244965)) "a mobile backup device that can double as 2nd monitor for laptop" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46097741)) ## Other tablets people recommend - [Apple iPad](https://hackerapproved.com/p/apple-ipad/): 176 recommend, 71 mixed, 277 criticize - [iPad Pro](https://hackerapproved.com/p/ipad-pro/): 66 recommend, 24 mixed, 72 criticize - [Apple iPad Air](https://hackerapproved.com/p/ipad-air/): 48 recommend, 13 mixed, 58 criticize - [Apple iPad with Magic Keyboard](https://hackerapproved.com/p/ipad-with-magic-keyboard/): 8 recommend, 5 mixed, 5 criticize ## Where to get it - [Visit the official site](https://www.apple.com/ipad-mini/) ## The badge A product earns the Hacker Approved badge when at least 10 people recommend it, recommenders outnumber critics at least 2 to 1 (mixed feelings count toward neither side), it was recommended in at least 4 of the 12 months and in at least 5 different threads, and no single thread supplies more than half of the people who recommend it. Health and money products are never badged. ## Cite as Hacker Approved, "iPad mini", https://hackerapproved.com/p/ipad-mini/ (39 recommend, 13 mixed, 74 criticize; Hacker News comments, November 2025 to October 2026). Counts updated 2 Nov 2026, with data through October 31, 2026.