New iPad Mini found to be less breakable than new iPad Pro

Following a long-drawn-out wait of 4 years, the iPad Mini line has a new generation in 2019. This small tablet - known as the iPad Mini 5 - has a 7.9-inch FHD LED screen, optional cellular connectivity and Touch ID (but not Face ID). It also has more traditional Apple tablet dimensions, and not the fragile, ultra-slim form-factor that turned into a crucial liability for the iPad Pro 2018.

This aspect of the tablet was the main focus of a test conducted on it by Zach Nelson of the YouTube channel JerryRigEverything. The iPad Mini 5 (in its Gold color option) was subjected to a battery of routine procedures to check its build quality and resilience. The tablet handled most of these in accordance with what would be expected of the average mobile device with a metal unibody, on which Nelson drew a picture of Thanos with a razor blade in a sequence not for the sensitive of teeth.

However, the crux of this procedure was the 'bend test' that comes at the end of every such JerryRigEverything video. It drew comparisons with the iPad Pro 2018, which has become notorious for weak points at which this tablet can suffer fatal deformations. The iPad Mini 5, on the other hand, did exhibit the ability to be warped into a nearly 90-degree angle at its approximate mid-point. However, in this case, the tablet remained functional.

Unfortunately, Nelson could not completely restore it to a level state through bending it in the other direction. Nevertheless, it could now be said that the new iPad Mini - which starts at US$399 - is more durable that the $700+ iPad Pro.