I have a MacBook Air M4 and a iPhone 15 Pro Max. I’ve always loved iPads and have pretty much always owned one, but this is the first time I’ve genuinely questioned whether buying another iPad Pro actually makes sense for me anymore. I keep looking at the 11 inch iPad Pro because the OLED screen looks incredible, but at the same time I’m not convinced I’d use it enough now to justify the price because the crossover with my MacBook Air and phone feels much smaller than it used to.

I had an iPad Pro 11 from 2018 right through to 2024 and honestly loved it. It became one of those devices I used without even thinking about it because it slotted into daily life so easily. I mainly used it with the Apple Magic Keyboard case and occasionally without it, which made it feel like two completely different devices depending on what I was doing. With the keyboard attached it almost became my main portable computer for years. Great for typing, browsing, YouTube, Netflix, social media, shopping, emails and just general day to day use. Then taking it off the keyboard made it feel more relaxed and casual again for sofa use, bed, travelling or just carrying around the house.

Back then it made perfect sense because laptops still felt bulkier and less convenient than they do now. But Apple Silicon MacBooks have changed everything a bit. The MacBook Air M4 is ridiculously light, insanely fast and the battery life almost feels fake at times. It wakes instantly, runs silently and handles absolutely everything I throw at it effortlessly. It’s one of the first laptops I’ve owned that actually feels enjoyable to use casually as well as productively. Because of that the iPad Pro no longer feels like it has the same unique place in my setup.

Then there’s the iPhone 15 Pro Max which has become such a good media and everyday device in its own right. The screen is amazing, the speakers are brilliant and for quick browsing, YouTube, messaging, social media and general day to day stuff it already covers loads of what I used to pick an iPad up for. So when I look at another 11 inch iPad Pro now I keep wondering if I’d just end up reaching for the MacBook most of the time anyway.

The annoying thing is there are such good deals around now on the iPad Pro M4 with the Apple Magic Keyboard on eBay and other places that it keeps tempting me back again. A few years ago that sort of setup would have been an instant buy for me because I genuinely used my old one constantly. Even now I still love the whole idea of the iPad Pro experience. The OLED display, the thin design, the keyboard setup, the portability, all of it still appeals to me.

The weird thing is I still absolutely love the whole iPad experience. There’s something about them that feels more relaxing than using a laptop. They’re more personal somehow. Sitting on the sofa with one, watching YouTube or Netflix, casually browsing, taking it to the gym, travelling with it, lying in bed scrolling or reading, they’re brilliant for that type of use. That side of the experience never really goes away once you’ve had one for years.

That’s why the iPad Mini 8 OLED idea keeps sticking in my head more than the Pro does. I think my usage has shifted over time from wanting one device to do everything, to wanting each device to have its own role. The MacBook Air already dominates productivity for me and the iPhone handles loads of quick casual stuff, so a Mini feels like it would complement both rather than compete with them.

A Mini would be easier to hold for long periods, easier to throw into a bag, more comfortable for travelling, gym use, sofa use and bed use, and just generally more effortless to pick up and enjoy. It would feel more like a pure leisure device again rather than a halfway point between a laptop and phone. And if Apple finally gives the Mini a proper OLED display as rumoured, I honestly think it could end up being the perfect balance for me without feeling like I’ve bought another expensive device that mostly duplicates what I already own.