iPad Mini 7 - PIREPs, Please

SoCal 182 Driver

SoCal 182 Driver

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SoCal 182 Driver
I'm considering the purchase of an iPad Mini 7. I've previously resisted getting an iPad Mini due to the small size, but the Mini 7 has a slightly larger screen, and might be suitable for me. I run Foreflight in the cockpit.

I'd appreciate PIREPs from people using the Mini 7. If you've bumped up from a previous Mini (with the smaller screen), I'm interested to hear you thoughts on whether the Mini 7's larger screen makes a noticeable difference.

Thanks, everyone!
 
SoCal 182 Driver said:
I'm considering the purchase of an iPad Mini 7. I've previously resisted getting an iPad Mini due to the small size, but the Mini 7 has a slightly larger screen, and might be suitable for me. I run Foreflight in the cockpit.

I'd appreciate PIREPs from people using the Mini 7. If you've bumped up from a previous Mini (with the smaller screen), I'm interested to hear you thoughts on whether the Mini 7's larger screen makes a noticeable difference.

Thanks, everyone!
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FWIW, it's currently expected that the iPad Mini 8 will be released by the end of October. Might want to hold off a bit.

I can't help with your screen question, I'm still on a 6.
 
flyingcheesehead said:
FWIW, it's currently expected that the iPad Mini 8 will be released by the end of October. Might want to hold off a bit.

I can't help with your screen question, I'm still on a 6.
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Good to know. Thanks. I'm not in a hurry.

I'm still interested to hear what people think of the Mini 7, however.
 
It fits perfectly within the cherokee yoke with a RAM X mount.
 
SoCal 182 Driver said:
the 6 and 7 have the same size screen -- 8.3".
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Ah. Well then, I guess it's fine! I guess I remember now that they increased the usable screen without changing the size of the device significantly between the 5 and 6. Went from maybe 5/8" bezel to 5/16" or something like that. Definitely nicer to have more screen, but it wasn't a huge difference, especially in a pinch-to-zoom world. Obviously, since I had to be reminded that it happened. ;) That was like 5 years ago though.
 
I have the Mini 7. Perfect size in my 182. I wouldn't really want anything larger.

As far as the Mini 7 vs 8, you could wait until the 8 comes out and then buy a nice used mini 7 on Gazelle and save some money. There will be "I must have the latest" folk who will sell off their perfectly good mini 7's after they buy the 8.

This thread isn't contentious enough IMHO. So I strongly suggest getting the cellular version with the built in GPS........
 
i'd wait on the 8, mini 6 and 7 are awesome, but their battery life is horrid, esp with foreflight and gp. I hear rumors they may be goign to an oled screen which COULD increase brightness and battery life
 
MackMooney said:
i'd wait on the 8, mini 6 and 7 are awesome, but their battery life is horrid, esp with foreflight and gp. I hear rumors they may be goign to an oled screen which COULD increase brightness and battery life
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I must be a bit conservative. I always fly with my tablet connected to external power anyway so I don't worry about the battery running out while I'm making the turn to intercept the approach in IMC, etc.

IMHO for ForeFlight use a nicer screen isn't going to be worth the new Mini 8 vs used Mini 7 cost difference. The screen for the I Pad 7 is nice as it is. From my viewpoint, the only worthwhile difference would be if they created the "professional version" (as suggested by someone else in this forum) that offers a true day light readable 2000 nit screen. Short of that, save the money.
 
WDD said:
As far as the Mini 7 vs 8, you could wait until the 8 comes out and then buy a nice used mini 7 on Gazelle and save some money.
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On the other hand, doing that saves you about a half a tank of gas on something you could be using for the next half decade or more. If that's a significant amount, then you're not flying enough.
 
You could buy my 6 after the 8 comes out, since I'll likely be rushing to get one. I haven't noticed battery life issues, but it does love to drain when it's not in use. I think that's more about me and my inability to charge my doodads than the ipad though.

Cellular and GPS is the only way :D Also max storage. :stirpot:

I expect Apple to muck with the dimensions juuuuuuust enough that I need a new RAM EZ Roller mount for the thing.
 
WDD said:
As far as the Mini 7 vs 8, you could wait until the 8 comes out and then buy a nice used mini 7 on Gazelle and save some money. There will be "I must have the latest" folk who will sell off their perfectly good mini 7's after they buy the 8.
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I don't see this as a savings in the long run. The 7 is already 2 years old, with 2 year old technology. On average, they are supported through 6 major OS updates and the 7 will get its third here next month - Its tech life is already half over! In the long run, the cost per year of usability is pretty similar, and if you get the latest/greatest it'll be faster and more usable for a longer period of time.

WDD said:
This thread isn't contentious enough IMHO. So I strongly suggest getting the cellular version with the built in GPS........
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On that, we can agree. Sorry, not too contentious. ;)

schmookeeg said:
I haven't noticed battery life issues, but it does love to drain when it's not in use. I think that's more about me and my inability to charge my doodads than the ipad though.
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I dunno. Mine does the same, and I haven't figured out why. A full charge will be completely gone in 48 hours if I just leave it sitting there dormant.

It's not ForeFlight. My work iPad that also has ForeFlight on it, only seems to lose a couple of percent per day. It's not a Mini, it's an "iPad Nothing" that's the same age as my Mini and running the same OS.

schmookeeg said:
Cellular and GPS is the only way :D Also max storage. :stirpot:
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This is usually what I do, just for maximum usability for the longest time frame.

schmookeeg said:
I expect Apple to muck with the dimensions juuuuuuust enough that I need a new RAM EZ Roller mount for the thing.
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Of course! I have had one EZ Roller work for two generations, but they do love to muck with the dimensions.
 
got real experience with both sizes in a c172 use.....I initially used the mini for efis screen ((connected to exp efis gps adsb box). I upgraded to a bigger size iPad mostly cause my airline upgraded and I bought it cheap , but the size allowed me to have efis on left and Foreflight map on right .... in this config the mini worked well but if not external power the battery drained quickly....I get this is not your application but point being the mini bat life was about an hour with gps and Foreflight and cell data. the full size is significantly better by 2-3x. also mini runs hotter and shuts down to cool quicker....when mounted on panel there was a fan on back and never had issue.... except one time I flew to lunch on hot sunny day and it would not turn on until I cooled it after baking in the cabin ...this also happened when used as a knee mount and left in hot plane...no big deal. but suggest taking it to lunch, either size.

a buddy uses a suction cup mount on side window with mini and it works well and reliable but says it can get real hot and gives it a break on sunny days. someone I'm sure makes thin mounts with small fan that may likely percent this, but I never had issue while on lap out of direct sun.

be sure to get a mini with cellular as I think they are only ones with internal gps, but this may be the older units in familiar with.

I also don't think you need the latest iPad models to run the typical apps, and they are relatively cheap as refurbs online. ..I have a back up mini I paid $100 for spare. I put all the aircraft logs and manuals on it and keep it in the plane. ..my earlier mini storage of something like 32 or 64gb got maxed out with all this so consider more storage ..128gb will be more than enough with all the apps. the older mini works just as good as the newer.

the mini works great with just these pet peeves ....
 
schmookeeg said:
You could buy my 6 after the 8 comes out, since I'll likely be rushing to get one. I haven't noticed battery life issues, but it does love to drain when it's not in use. I think that's more about me and my inability to charge my doodads than the ipad though.

Cellular and GPS is the only way :D Also max storage. :stirpot:

I expect Apple to muck with the dimensions juuuuuuust enough that I need a new RAM EZ Roller mount for the thing.
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mine does exactly this, it's the most annoying thing. Also agree with getting the cell version, just makes the thing feel complete
 
AlphaPilotFlyer said:
got real experience with both sizes in a c172 use.....I initially used the mini for efis screen ((connected to exp efis gps adsb box). I upgraded to a bigger size iPad mostly cause my airline upgraded and I bought it cheap , but the size allowed me to have efis on left and Foreflight map on right .... in this config the mini worked well but if not external power the battery drained quickly....I get this is not your application but point being the mini bat life was about an hour with gps and Foreflight and cell data.
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I use my Mini 6 plugged in in the Mooney, but at work we don't have anything to plug into so I use it unplugged and I get easily 4-5 hours from it, and yes that's with cellular.

Now, I do not have it up with the screen on 100% of the time - Probably more like 50 - but I am running track logs/bread crumbs and GPS the whole time, just letting the screen rest from time to time.

AlphaPilotFlyer said:
be sure to get a mini with cellular as I think they are only ones with internal gps, but this may be the older units in familiar with.
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Not just older units, this is still true.
 
Check the Apple Refurbished Store. I get all my iThings there. Same warranty and cheaper.
 
X3 Skier said:
Check the Apple Refurbished Store. I get all my iThings there. Same warranty and cheaper.
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I've already done that. They have the Mini 7 available. With the 8 coming out, I'm going to wait a bit and see if that drops the refurbished 7's price. I'm in no hurry.
 
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SoCal 182 Driver said:
With the 8 coming out, I'm going to wait a bit and see if that drops the refurbished 7's price.
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I've tried that before. The refurbs dropped like a feather, not like a rock. And even so, there seemed to be no correlation between the new device's release date to the old one's price stepping down date.

But then again, I suppose it costs you nothing to witness this phenomena for yourself.
 
If you get an older unit, factor in that you'll have to buy a new battery for it. A replacement battery at one of those Fix-It locations...
 
I recently bought an Apple iPad Mini 7 with maxed out memory and 5G connectivity, which also means it has an internal GPS. It's works fabulously with my Stratus 3 and Foreflight. My only complaint, which is common to most tablets used in planes, is the screen brightness. I hear tell some Android tablets have better brightness, as perhaps does the Gramin Aera - not sure. Foreflight will not run on an Android however. I use this setup for VFR flight, since my plane has mostly what I would call "legacy avionics" (for now at least!). I prefer using a Mini mounted on the control yoke as I find larger tablets (e.g. regular 13" iPad) add an annoying amount of inertia to a normal well-balanced yoke feel of my aircraft (a Cherokee 140). One issue with a particularly capable Mini like mine though is that they are pricey.

Amusing note: The guy at the Apple store where I picked up the Mini told me that most of his 5G iPad purchasers are pilots!
 
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I bought a mini on eBay as refurbished and could pay extra for a new battery, forget how much. I would insist on a good brand or original battery as I had a new battery installed on the cheap while on a layover in china and it showed it within a year with less life. I had a oe battery (at least they claimed it was oe and showed the markings, but I learned to be skeptical there) installed there on a iPhone which worked great, especially for the $30 ish I paid (he started out at $60 but I haggled being a cheap pilot and even got a screen protector included . So if buying a used one ask if they can install new quality battery if reasonable cost, or at least stress test it within the return window.
 
I like my 11" Air... But what I like is irrelevant. You have to decide if the Mini is right, or at leas acceptable for you. (But don't compromise and go with it because you've heard how the Mini being smaller fits in the cockpit.

As for the pending new release... Maybe don't buy it on day one, but I will always opt for the newer vs the older. There's a good chance it won't become obsolete as ForeFlight moves forward and doesn't work on older iPadOS. Same with the device itself and being able to continually upgrade on the iPadOS itself. (I think it is currently about an 8 year cycle.)
 
I've had two I pads in my life, both worked for many years. The first was a 2018 I Pad Pro. Then a couple of years back I got the Mini 7. The older worked fine with FFlight, and I expect the newer Mini 7 to do so as well for several years to come. Funny that the old full sized I Pad Pro was just about the same dimensions as the Mini 7 I now have.

Your "older model" today has a longer shelf life than older models before it. A decade or more ago the performance upgrade of a new model were quite substantial. Not true in the present day, thus IMHO your previous generation model should have years of life left on it.
 
Hey, Really like my Mini 7, and the rumors are the new 8 will be OLED, which might help appearance, BUT COULD be severely HEAT limited....I already have heat challenges with my mini 7 and it's expected to be worse on the Mini 8 if you have direct sunlight. I'm going to wait on PIREPS or if you want a safe bet,get a 7 once the new 8 is released...the 7 should drop $100-150 immediately.
 
I have an iPad mini 6 with cellular, and I have been very happy with it. Keep in mind that you don't need to get cell service for the iPad mini unless you want cellular data--the internal GPS works just fine without paying for cell service.

It would be great to have a brighter screen for times when I'm wearing sunglasses, but it's acceptable as it is. Like others have mentioned, I too will get an iPad mini 8 if its screen is brighter than the iPad mini 6's screen.

My only gripe is that if the mini gets too much direct sunlight on a warm day it will overheat unless you have some coolish air circulating around it. I have my mini mounted on my yoke (Piper Dakota). You might be able to prevent overheating if you can point an air vent at it; or you can do what I did and get an expensive(!) MyGoFlight Cool Case that has a built-in fan (www.mygoflight.com). There are other iPad cases that have fans, but I have only used the MyGoFlight unit. I keep the cool case and the iPad plugged into USB on my panel when flying on warm days, and I have had no issues with overheating when doing so.

Definitely wait for the iPad mini 8 before you make a decision.
 
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