iPad Mini 5 or Mini 6?

SkySpy

SkySpy

Pre-Flight
Joined
Dec 23, 2006
Messages
70
Location
Palm Beach, Florida
Display Name
Display name:
Jerry
I use Foreflight and my Mini 5 with Cellular just died. Do you recommend getting another Mini 5 or upgrading to the Mini 6? It must be Cellular.
 
Last edited:
Apple website, go for a refurb Mini 6. Same warranty, too.
 
murphey said:
Apple website, go for a refurb Mini 6. Same warranty, too.
Click to expand...

This is what I typically do. Wait until the latest has some refurbs direct from Apple and then pull the trigger. They've been indistinguishable from brand new in my experience.
 
I recommend the mini 6 even though I miss the button on the mini 5.
More screen real estate, same footprint. I had a mini 4 and had occasional app freezing up and crashing. Thought the mini 5 would remedy that. Nope. Haven't had enough long cross-country flights with the mini 6 to compare. Good luck
 
farangutan said:
I recommend the mini 6 even though I miss the button on the mini 5.
More screen real estate, same footprint. I had a mini 4 and had occasional app freezing up and crashing. Thought the mini 5 would remedy that. Nope. Haven't had enough long cross-country flights with the mini 6 to compare. Good luck
Click to expand...
Thank you.... I also find the Mini 4 freezes up occasionally. Did not find that with the 5 but if the loss of the button is workable, maybe that 6 is the way to go.
 
I just bought a 'refurbished' (used) Mini 5 with 256 gb memory and cellular - to get internal GPS backup. About $400. I'd rather preserve charging charging connector commonality with my other devices in the cockpit, want to keep my existing fan cooled mount and for a given amount of money would rather have memory than anything else.
 
Last edited:
Mini 6 all the way. I upgraded from a mini 4 & the performance difference on an EFB is night & day. Have never missed the home button.
 
SkySpy said:
Thanks, I looked but no Cellular 64Gb models.
Click to expand...
Do you need cellular? I had it on my first iPad in 2010 but each model since then I've tethered with my iPhone or used a stratus for GPS (and Adsb in).

I'm on my iPad mini 6 and definitely recommend it over the 5.
 
The mini 6 was a no-brainer for me because I have a 2nd gen Apple Pencil that I also use with an iPad Pro. The Touch ID button on the edge works well so far and seems to be more convenient in the cockpit than the old Touch ID home buttons.
 
6 mini with cellular. Apple is being forced into usb-c and the mini6 is already there. a 5 with a lightning cord is going to be a relic in a few years. :D

The mini5 is just one "hot feature" away from choking on foreflight or garmin pilot and being a nuisance. The 6 is two or more features away from that.

...maybe not that bad, but the mini5 is the GNS530 and the mini6 is the 750Txi and both do the job fine. The mini7 will make them both look like steamed garbage soon enough.

$0.02
 
The whims of fashion, acting on the addicted...

My Mini 3 still actually still works fine on FF for my purposes, despite it being 'obsolete' to both Apple and FF. The reason I replaced it now was battery life. I buy one generation behind at purchase and continue though a couple of model changes before I again update... to one generation behind.

A friend who works as a technical manager for Apple tells me the Lightning connector is better and my iPhone 11 is also working fine. As is my wife's obsolete iPhone 11, bought new in the box last week. We're good for another three or four years.
 
Last edited:
What happened to the Mini 5 that killed it?

M2C - go with the Mini 6, because it is a significant upgrade from the 5. Take a look at Gazelle. I see a price of a little over $500 for a 256 GB Cellular model. (New is about $800). I might have a scratch on the case, it might be pink, but that's why you buy a case and put on a screen protector. IF you were completely dedicating this to ForeFlight and nothing much else, they do have in stock a 64 GB model now for $450. (New would be $650). But that could get dicey if you synced your phone and I Pad, etc.

BTW- with Gazelle, you won't get a broken or stolen phone. E Bay, you will.
 
I use an android phone, not really a power user of any gadget. So the 64gb iPad with aviation and weather apps almost never goes beyond 1/2 full on the storage even with all the apps necessary to keep my toddler happy when not flying.
 
Pinecone said:
Yes. Not that you need cellular, but the cellular models have a built in GPS, the non-cellular do not.
Click to expand...
Agreed, but if you have something like a stratus, you don't need the internal GPS, and you get ads-b in traffic and weather.
 
6 all the way. I just updated mine for the plane too.
 
farangutan said:
I recommend the mini 6 even though I miss the button on the mini 5.
More screen real estate, same footprint. I had a mini 4 and had occasional app freezing up and crashing. Thought the mini 5 would remedy that. Nope. Haven't had enough long cross-country flights with the mini 6 to compare. Good luck
Click to expand...
Thank you !
 
WDD said:
What happened to the Mini 5 that killed it?

M2C - go with the Mini 6, because it is a significant upgrade from the 5. Take a look at Gazelle. I see a price of a little over $500 for a 256 GB Cellular model. (New is about $800). I might have a scratch on the case, it might be pink, but that's why you buy a case and put on a screen protector. IF you were completely dedicating this to ForeFlight and nothing much else, they do have in stock a 64 GB model now for $450. (New would be $650). But that could get dicey if you synced your phone and I Pad, etc.

BTW- with Gazelle, you won't get a broken or stolen phone. E Bay, you will.
Click to expand...
Apple tech said something in the motherboard fried and the connection broke... they said it does happen occasionally. No way to fix it unless I guess I knew how to totally take apart the entire unit. They won't even try a repair. I don't think it is worth sinking a couple of hundred into a maybe repair elsewhere... they gave me a choice of exchanging it for a refurb at $350 or a new Mini6 at regular price..... Thanks for your advice ! Now I am thinking about the 256 Gb but that is a big bite
 
Newer is better, but I still use a five and it’s still plenty of power for ForeFlight.

So if you are cheap…otherwise get the six.
 
Had a Mini5, lost it, and got another one as all my mounts and power cables were for that model. Running FF have never had an issue.

Next Mini failure will move to a 7 I guess. The Xnaut cooled cradle will have to be switched along with some RAM form fitting yoke mounts.
 
If F flight ran in Android then yeah you’d have more options
 
FF + iPad seems to be the best solution for IFR. Plus Apple's hardware is just top notch. Have had exactly one hardware failure with their products since 1984. That one instance they made good with an entirely new computer for free. Something to consider when bouncing through the clag.
 
Bonchie said:
Newer is better, but I still use a five and it’s still plenty of power for ForeFlight.

So if you are cheap…otherwise get the six.
Click to expand...
Not cheapo :) but now I am thinking about just taking the exchange for $300-$350 to a refurb Mini 5 from Apple.... it does come with some kind of warranty and it did run FF OK. BUT if the mini 6 is that much better, I would just go for it and use it traveling etc. I know it has double the RAM onboard,,, Haha then I'd probably over use it ...
 
DesertNomad said:
I like the aspect ratio of the 5 better. The 6 feels tall and narrow.
Click to expand...
That is interesting... I started using the Air 1 but generally felt it was too large on the yoke in a 172 / 161. Then I went to the Mini 4 an then 5 and they are a great size. Your comment about the 6 has me thinking. Anyone else find that true?
 
Last edited:
Steamflyer said:
Had a Mini5, lost it, and got another one as all my mounts and power cables were for that model. Running FF have never had an issue.

Next Mini failure will move to a 7 I guess. The Xnaut cooled cradle will have to be switched along with some RAM form fitting yoke mounts.
Click to expand...
I think there is a long time to go for a Mini 7 but what do I know....
 
$300 for a basically new (refurbished) I pad mini 5 with a warranty (and I would guess a new battery) is not a bad deal.
 
SkySpy said:
That is interesting... I started using the Air 1 but generally felt it was too large on the yolk in a 172 / 161. Then I went to the Mini 4 an then 5 and they are a great size. Your comment about the 6 has me thinking. Anyone else find that true?
Click to expand...

I do prefer the more squared up aspect ratio like on the 5 too, however, not as much as I like the extra screen real estate on the 6 (remember same external dimensions.) And the aspect ratio isn't as narrow as most phones. Now the split screen feature is more useful on the 6 than with the 5.
 
farangutan said:
I do prefer the more squared up aspect ratio like on the 5 too, however, not as much as I like the extra screen real estate on the 6 (remember same external dimensions.) And the aspect ratio isn't as narrow as most phones. Now the split screen feature is more useful on the 6 than with the 5.
Click to expand...
That is an aspect I hadn't considered... Using Synthetic Vision more often on approaches would be more viable in Landscape,,, which is doable in a 172 or 161 type. Thanks for that tip !! You just tipped it back towards a mini 6. Can anyone else weigh in on that?
 
I got a 6 specifically for the retina display. Polarized glasses work fine now.
 
SkySpy said:
That is interesting... I started using the Air 1 but generally felt it was too large on the yolk in a 172 / 161. Then I went to the Mini 4 a then 5 and they are a great size. Your comment about the 6 has me thinking. Anyone else find that true?
Click to expand...
I haven’t flown with a 6 but I’ve compared my 5 to a 6 at a store and the feeling I get is I wouldn’t like the 6. But I’d need to see Foreflight on the 6 to know for sure.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top