If you've been itching for a small tablet that doesn't skimp on performance, the iPad mini doesn't have much competition. More important, you can feel comfortable buying this mini and not having to upgrade for a couple of years. That's a good thing, especially considering Apple's last mini went three years without a refresh.

All my fiddling with the mini has really put its battery through the wringer, but as usual, Apple says its smallest tablet is rated for around 10 hours of use off a single charge. Also, as usual, the company has seemingly lowballed those estimates. While flying out to Cupertino for Apple's star-studded streaming event, I killed time midair with about five straight hours of old Star Trek episodes. After deplaning and getting to my hotel, I continued to use the mini for web browsing, doodling and some light gaming for another five to six hours. This wasn't a one-off situation, either: Since I received the mini, I've routinely been able to squeeze out around 11 hours of use.

While the battery provides more than enough power to get through most times, you'll definitely notice a difference in standby time if you're used to larger iPads. I'm pretty bad at remembering to charge some of my gadgets, but I've always been able to leave the standard iPad or iPad Pro models sitting around for several days, and there's always been at least a bit of charge left over. If you use the mini pretty sparingly, it'll usually last for three — maybe four — days before requiring a trip to a power outlet. With heavier use, though, I frequently found myself charging the mini every other day.

Oh, and in case you needed them, the iPad mini has some cameras. I don't mean to make them sound like an afterthought, but honestly, they just might be the least thrilling things about this new mini. The 8-megapixel, f/2.4 camera around back shoots perfectly adequate photos, and it'll capture some serviceable 1080p footage in a pinch. There's a good chance that the camera bolted into the smartphone in your pocket will take better photos than the iPad mini does, but hey — it's 2019, shoot pictures with your tablet if you want to. We support you. The 7-megapixel front camera is similarly unexciting, and if nothing else, having a bigger screen is helpful for framing up your selfies. That's about it, though: The lack of a depth sensor here means you'll have to look elsewhere for your Animoji fix.