Hands-on video: iPad mini vs. iPhone XS Max — how the screen size differences influence usability

Conventional wisdom is maxim that sales of mini tablets convey collapsed due to smartphones adopting ever-larger displays. With that inward mind, nosotros develop out to compared the cover size differences betwixt Apple’s iPad mini in addition to iPhone XS Max.

iPad mini, currently inward its 5th iteration, sports a display standard 7.9 inches diagonally. In the other corner nosotros convey the glorious iPhone XS Max, Apple’s largest-screened smartphone amongst an edge-to-edge OLED panel standard 6.5 inches diagonally.

iPhone XS Max doesn’t expect similar it has a 6.5-inch screen, specially seen side past times side to Apple’s Plus-sized phones amongst their 5.5-inch displays. That’s because, of course, iPhones convey since adopted near-fullscreen blueprint that lets the flexible OLED panel extend all the means to the edges.

iPad mini has non yet adopted the skinnier bezels of the latest iPhones or the 201 iPad Pro models in addition to therefore that huge bezel remains present. Due to the shape constituent differences, iPad mini has a boxier 4:3 display versus a 19:9 cover ratio for the latest Apple smartphone.

Watch Harris’s hands-on video embedded correct ahead.

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Apple is even in addition to therefore wasting Home cover infinite on iPads: y'all tin displace check to a greater extent than apps on a Home cover of your iPhone XS Max (24 icons) than on your iPad mini (20 icons). Next, the Dock on all iPad mini models fits upward to fourteen apps, including the recently-used app department that tin displace hold upward turned off at will

On the other hand, the iPad mini dwelling family cover industrial plant inward portrait in addition to landscape spell the Home cover on our iPhone XS Max wouldn’t rotate when nosotros turned the device upside down, which is strange considering that previous Plus-sized iPhones did back upward the Home cover inward landscape.

Some iPhone apps proceed to back upward two-pane layouts inward landscape mode, similar Settings.

On iPad, to a greater extent than apps back upward such productivity-boosting layouts, including Mail. And of course, iPhone lacks about of the multitasking features afforded past times the bigger iPad screen, similar side-by-side multitasking in addition to split-screen tabbed browsing inward Safari.

Be certain to sentinel the video for other usability differences stemming from differently-sized screens, similar the typing experience, watching video, using Apple Pencil in addition to more.

Every shape constituent has its dissimilar develop of piece of occupation cases. In that regard, iPad mini in addition to iPhone XS Max target dissimilar kinds of users. And what are your thoughts on the advantages in addition to disadvantages of large-screened smartphones versus miniaturized tablets?

Chime inward amongst your thoughts inward the comments downwards below.

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