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New iPad Mini 6 announced

None of my mobile devices run hot, except while playing video games using OpenGL.

Programs like Skydemon haven’t become any more CPU intensive (and even on an iPad 2, running Skydemon, an iPad is barely above idle), so heat from processing is unlikely the root of the problems with tablets especially as you get more MIPS per watt with each generation. It’s more likely sunlight shining on them, and causing the metal cases to heat up (an iPad will get red hot in a cockpit even when turned off). Even in Texas, I never had an iPad shut down due to heat while running Skydemon or Foreflight, but I kept it in a place where the sun wouldn’t shine on it constantly. Over here, I have an Android phone I mount to a clip on the top of my instrument panel to run Skydemon – the sun shines on that, but it has never overheated.

My iPhone 12 has about twice the battery life as the iPhone 6 when new. It’s also a lot more robust, I doubt my iPhone 6 would have survived going in the sea (I capsized a dinghy with my iPhone 12 in the shoulder pocket of my drysuit, where it got completely submerged!)

Last Edited by alioth at 16 Sep 13:40
Andreas IOM

I fly mostly in the US southeast where summer temperatures regularly reach 25 to 35 C. Can’t leave an iPad in direct sunlight or it will quickly overheat. When I flew with an iPad Air 2, I always covered it with a white cloth when I wasn’t using it, that kept it from overheating. Now that I use a iPad mini 5 mounted vertically on the yoke, it does not overheat. I have three ipads (iPad Air 2 -2014, iPad Pro -2015, iPad Mini 5 -2019 and an iPhone 8+ – 2018). I only use the iPad Mini 5 in the cockpit with my iPhone as backup. The other devices are just used for testing with ForeFlight. I had an old iPad 3 from 2013, but it could not be updated to the current iOS and cellular was not reliable, so I never used it and gave it to my grandson. So all my devices can still be used with the latest iOS and ForeFlight. The iPad 3 could still be used with ForeFlight, but at a point several years ago, when it could no longer be updated to iOS 10, all it could do was to get database updates, but no new function. My iPad Air 2 is 7 years old and I can run everything on it.

KUZA, United States

So I got the new mini, and using it instead of the Pro 11”.
So far I am really happy with the size in the cockpit, especially in the Diamond, as it doesn’t get in the way and it’s very light. I was worried about the screen size and readability, coming from the bigger screen, but I can happily say the mini is very good and not too small to properly read charts or whatever else, also when on my knee.
Performance is good, no difference than the Pro with ForeFlight, the pencil works as good.
The weather hasn’t been warm enough to see how it behaves with overheating, and I cannot assess yet what the battery performance is. My initial feeling, based on few flights, is that it discharges faster than the pro.

Last Edited by NicoKM at 10 Oct 17:38
EHLE LIMB, Netherlands

I find battery usage is high with the 6 unless I lower the screen brightness to about 65%. I don’t much care for the new home button and it does not fit my RAM holder for the 5. Works well with SkyDemon and have yet to try the pencil.

EHLE / Lelystad, Netherlands, Netherlands

battery usage is high with the 6 unless I lower the screen brightness to about 65%. I don’t much care for the new home button and it does not fit my RAM holder for the 5.

Thanks for that info Peter_Mundy. I was looking into replacing my 4 with a 6, but now ordered (already difficult to find around here) new 2019 mini 5.
Apple pros or cons, I have been a very early user of the iPads, and the minis since they came out. It still is a fantastic little piece of equipment, and I carry mine around most of the time.

My cockpit has been paperless for more than 5 years now, and it works perfect. The AFM, AMM, all maintenance docs, nav docs, and of course the SkyDemon gem, all contained in this little device, amazing! Sitting at home, dream the destination, draw the route, check the weather, check the Notams and other restrictions, file the FPL, go fly. Airborne navigate, look outside, recheck the weather if still in 3 or 4G (5 anybody?) coverage, look outside, replan route if necessary, maybe use the screen for projecting Powerflarm data, look outside, take notes on the SD scratchpad, look outside, set the power settings according the excellent free AircraftPower app, look outside, study/display the approach plate, look outside and grease it on. Go home or book in the hotel once the aircraft is secure. Later fill out the aircraft logs and your logbook…
Well, I started flying (too long ago) in 1981 on a Piper J3C, no electrical system, no charts, armstrong power to swing the prop and off we went flying
Times have changed for sure

This shot, about 2 years old, shows the positioning for the iPad mini in my ship. It rides in an x-naut cooling cradle, fans (batteries could be used also) and iPad USB powered on a RAM mount. This set-up suits my needs pretty good.

Last Edited by Dan at 11 Oct 08:48
Dan
ain't the Destination, but the Journey
LSZF, Switzerland

Peter_Mundy wrote:

I find battery usage is high with the 6 unless I lower the screen brightness to about 65%.

Can you elaborate “high” more? Is it 4 hours in flight or less? My iPad Mini 4 could work 8 hours in the cockpit when it was new (airplane mode and not active all the time in moving map applications like ForeFlight).

Last Edited by Emir at 11 Oct 12:56
LDZA LDVA, Croatia

After 3 flights totalling about 2:45 it was down to somewhere around 60% at full brightness – I used to get better than that with the Mini5

EHLE / Lelystad, Netherlands, Netherlands

As a data point, my Mini 5 was down to about 60-65% after a recent 3.5 hour x-country, continuously running ForeFlight. I have a power bank with me, but rarely have to use it in flight. Right now, I cannot really see a good reason to upgrade to the Mini 6. If I do, I’ll probably do a ‘leapfrog’ by replacing my old Mini 4 that currently serves as backup with a 6 and relegating the 5 to the backup function.

One thing – has anyone on here tried to fit the 6 into a cradle made for the 5? Their form factor is slightly different (don’t you hate Apple for that?), but the difference is so small that I think it should work. I’m using a RAM-Mount cradle.

The 6 will not fit the 4/5 RAM EZ-Roll’r holder

EHLE / Lelystad, Netherlands, Netherlands

Peter_Mundy wrote:

The 6 will not fit the 4/5 RAM EZ-Roll’r holder

Thanks, interesting, as it’s only 0.2 mm higher and same width. Which of course is highly annoying, as it means the backup (older) model wouldn’t fit the new cradle. I think I may just trundle down to one of my local Apple stores with my cradle and try this out (not doubting you, @Peter_Mundy!).

Edit to add: just checked the RAM Mount website, and for the model 6 they only recommend the X-Grip. Well, AFAICT, this would at least also work with the older models.

Last Edited by 172driver at 11 Oct 23:03
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