iPad mini 6 or 7 (A17 pro) screen recommendation?

Cogito

Cogito

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Cogito
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My ipad mini 4 (mounted on panel when doing multiple approaches for currency, and as backup to iPad Pro) has now been obsoleted by foreflight. If the new iPad mini had pro-motion I’d get it (staggering it only has 60Hz in 2025.)

I know there have been a few iPad mini threads but I have a specific question for mini 6/7 owners: Is there a discernible difference between the displays of iPad mini 6 and mini 7 as far as displaying/manipulating ForeFlight in flight? I know some reviewers have said the “jelly scrolling” issue has been mitigated to some degree, but can you tell in ForeFlight?

I also know there are other difference between picking up a used mini 6 and buying a new 7 (battery life: + for 7, physical sim: + for 6) but looking in this thread for screen difference. Thanks for your help.
 
FYI. Amazon has the IPad mini 7 , 256GB, Wi-Fi + cell for $649 in spice grey only. That is $100 less than Verizon or the Apple Store.
 
Mini 6 running ForeFlight has no screen issues that I have ever noticed. A friend’s Mini 7 looks the same to me and is happy with it. Unless you find a great price deal on a Mini 6 (mine runs ForeFlight without issue), I’d go with a Mini 7 though.
 
They are almost identical. I have both and cannot tell the difference.
 
@Cogito, I use the iPad mini 6 with ForeFlight and it works great for me.

Here's a link to the spec differences in an article I found helpful when I was looking at the differences between the 6 and 7: https://www.tomsguide.com/tablets/i...ni-6#section-ipad-mini-7-vs-ipad-mini-6-specs

Hint: The article shows that the displays on the 6 and 7 are the same.

If I were upgrading from an iPad mini 4, I would likely go with the 7 because it may be supported by Apple longer than the 6. But I don't think you can go wrong saving some money and going with a 6 if the price is right. FWIW, I have no desire to upgrade from the 6 to the 7.

-- Jim
 
For foreflight I don’t think refresh rate is a factor and I’m flying north of 500kts

You know even if you can’t update to the latest FF the important nav and chart updates still work just fine right?
 
I've had several versions of the mini, I am currently using the 7. I've read about the "jelly scrolling" thing too and I've never noticed it on any of them. If you're not having any issues on the 4 I don't think you'd notice it on any of the newer ones either.
My general advice with these devices is to just buy the newest version unless you find a particularly amazing deal on the old one. Eventually either by slow performance or dropped support they'll become useless and that will take longer if you start with a newer one.
 
Mini 7. Faster better battery life with the AI feature set. Runs Foreflight better than the 6 and has more storage by default. If you have FF adsb device you don’t need the cell version as the mini with use that for gps.
 
cowman said:
My general advice with these devices is to just buy the newest version unless you find a particularly amazing deal on the old one. Eventually either by slow performance or dropped support they'll become useless and that will take longer if you start with a newer one.
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This is especially true of the Mini, which is not updated every year like the others. Mini 6 is already 3.5 years old. Get the 7.
 
Roller said:
For foreflight I don’t think refresh rate is a factor and I’m flying north of 500kts

You know even if you can’t update to the latest FF the important nav and chart updates still work just fine right?
Click to expand...
THIS.
If you are satisfied with your mini-4 now, I"d skip the latest FF upgrade at least until the next mini upgrade, unless some new FF feature comes out that you can't live without and you can't get without a new mini.
 
JOhnH said:
THIS.
If you are satisfied with your mini-4 now, I"d skip the latest FF upgrade at least until the next mini upgrade, unless some new FF feature comes out that you can't live without and you can't get without a new mini.
Click to expand...
This is not good advice at the present time. As I previously noted, the upgrade schedule of the mini is irregular at best. The current Mini was just released at the end of October, so this is a very good time to get the latest Mini, especially since the Mini 4 is very long in the tooth (2015!!!) and is no longer supported by security updates.
 
You can just keep rocking the mini-4 if only being used as you described, as back up to the ipad pro and used to display approach plates. Like Roller said above, the plates and charts will remain current. But if you're like me, I would upgrade to the mini-7, I know it's only recently been released, but you might find one pop up on a refurb/used website like backmarket, gazelle, swappa, etc. If only to get the GPS version for the price of the wifi only version.
While you're looking, think about getting an apple pencil too if you don't already have it. Great for marking up the plates with notes, highlights. Nowadays, I even copy my clearances to the ipad.
 
Possum said:
FYI. Amazon has the IPad mini 7 , 256GB, Wi-Fi + cell for $649 in spice grey only. That is $100 less than Verizon or the Apple Store.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the tip. Best Buy also has the $100 off deal, but at the apple store the salesperson said apple can match prices up to 10% off (I’d never heard of apple price matching.) So I bought the 7 (I always get the cellular version.) I then went to ATT to find out how much adding a second ipad onto my wireless plan would cost. Turns out by switching my plan (still have unlimited data) I was able to add the iPad mini and an apple watch and my monthly bill became $20 *less* than it was before. On one hand I’m grateful to be getting a better deal, on the other a little ****ed I’d been overpaying.

Thanks everyone for their help on this thread, I’ll write again after flying a few approaches to say if the screen is better or worse than expected.
 
Cogito said:
(I always get the cellular version.
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if you want GPS you have to. Apple is a craptasic company. With all the 'walled garden... ney prison' apple pulls they still have problems like everyone else.

Flying with an iPad is playing overheat Russian roulette.
 
pfarber said:
Flying with an iPad is playing overheat Russian roulette.
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That's a bit overdramatic.

If you're using ForeFlight, ForeFlight will warn you BEFORE the iPad overheats so that you can get it out of the sun or whatever else you need to do to cool it down. And they don't overheat nearly as much as they used to.
 
I like the Mini 7 for all the reasons above plus the Apple Pencil Pro support. I like using the pencil to scribble instrument clearances and make map notations. I hated having to always worry about making sure my pencil was charged. I actually prefer the full-sized iPad, but the new iPad A16 announced this week still does not have Pencil Pro support.
 
You don’t need GPS if you are connecting to your panel and for WiFi you can use your iPhone as a hotspot.
 
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