As an avid user of technology and devices, the iPad Mini 6th generation (Wifi, 64 GB) is a device to fulfill a niche from a variety of needs.

As a student, this device has served as a great e-reader. Its size serves itself as convenient as it can fit in many tiny bags for ease of access. While I will try not to put any biases for or against this device, I will try to be as fair while being subject is addressing the many great features of this device while also addressing its drawbacks. I will make my ratings out of a scale of 5

Display (3.5/5):
The iPad mini, with its 8.3-inch liquid retina display, is fantastic for its size. If you are looking for a tablet sized device that is not too heavy but not too small, this device will be a choice for you. My only criticism for the device is the liquid retina display. In comparison to other iPad models, as well as other devices, in pales in comparison to many devices offering OLED or AMOLED screens. The blacks of this screen are not rich, and they pop out more as a gray rather than being a true black. In all other aspects besides screen type, the iPad is competent with its 500 nits brightness, 2266x1488 resolution at 328 ppi, and its antireflective coating. One thing I will mention are that in my personal opinion, the bezels of this device are huge and I would wish that they would be shrunk in the next generation of iPad

Processor/Chipset/speed (4/5):

The device utilizes the A15 chip from the iPhone series. The chip is amazing at its upkeep and while I do not notice lag, processing speed is slow in comparison to other devices that I have used. I understand that the iPad mini is not supposed to be Apple's top tier line, but considering it is a line of its own and for the price point, I would hope that the iPad mini would have improved speeds. For many apps, the apps work great. For some apps, I notice that certain apps would crash for heavy processing in comparison to my iPhone processing.

Storage (2/5):
The iPad mini lacks strength with its offline storage. There is little freedom to pick and choose for the iPad models as, in my opinion, Apple offers two options for storage and there is no in between. The iPad mini with lower storage only offers 64 GB in storage versus other identical models offering 256 GB but at a higher price point. While iCloud storage is a solution to this, it is unfortunate that the price gap is big.

Camera: (3.5/5)

The iPad mini utilizes a 12 MP wide camera with a f/1.8 aperture. The camera is decent for basic tasks and in my general opinion, it is to the same level as other competitors in its price point from my opinions of the naked eye. I ranked the score a 3.5/5 because of the front camera which is excellent for use with FaceTime, especially since center stage (the automation of the front camera to pan to your face if you are within general range) is offered.

Software (4/5)
The iPad mini has excellent software. iPadOS on a tablet this size is excellent for multitasking. While other devices may offer much better multitasking software, due to this device's size and chip constraints, I believe that iPad OS has maximized its potential to its best ability. This device is excellent for note takers who would like presentation slides on one side and would like to take notes on another.

Speakers: (4)
Speakers sound as good as other speakers, I do not think they are the best speakers in the world, but the loudness and quality do not interfere with one another. As someone who personally enjoys playing music loud, quality does not shrink if you raise the volume to max. I think the speakers are a very balanced piece of hardware on this device.

Security (4/5):

Touch ID serves the main lock and unlock of security on this device. My only critique is that I was not used to using my fingers on the lock button to unlock the device. This was more of a personal issue on my end and have so far gotten used to it. But it does its purpose, I'm just picky for the convenience factors!

Battery (5/5):

Battery on this device is amazing! I applaud apple for making such efficient chipset. I know I critiqued the chip for speed earlier, but the iPad mini is not a device prone to heating and it does its job to effectively manage tasks as to be smart about power and battery consumption. I am able to use this device throughout the day with no issues.

Best Buy sent me a smashed iPad Mini refurb, which according to their guidelines, should look pretty much new when it arrives. When I say smashed, I mean the glass was completely broken and unusable. I made the mistake of thinking they would refund me. After all, I explained the situation and they approved the return, and I sent it back immediately.

After a couple of weeks waiting for the refund, I reached out a few times to their support people in chat who said the refund was approved and that it had already been refunded or would be refunded (different stories from each). They kept telling me to contact my financial institution (why do think that would help?).

Finally, after about a month, the iPad arrived back in my mailbox unannounced, in the same low quality box they sent in the first place. They included a little note saying they only accept returns that appear to be in new condition. Isn't that convenient for them?

Apple makes great products, including the iPad mini, but this will be the last time I buy anything from Best Buy.

Up-traded as CEX prices were keen to do so. Over the mini 5 the screen is noticeably and larger which is welcome and makes use of the whole area now. A faster CPU comes in handy where the mini 5 may have stuttered. Having 5G meant it's now usable for me in locations where there wasn't 4G. Also supports e-SIM. USB type C so easy charging these days from many sources, easier to use memory cards, pen drives, ethernet adaptors, HDMI, keyboards and mice. TouchID is now on a thinner side wake button but works well. Volume buttons on short side feel a bit cramped and more awkward than before. Supports pencil but not my ball game. Squared off side, many cases around. Wish I had upgraded sooner. Other than that extremely easy migration from the 5 thanks to the apple migration ecosystem.

Purchased an iPad Mini as a gift for my wife. It was in nearly pristine condition, there are a couple of small scratches on the rear of it's body but otherwise it's perfect. She has been using it for a little more than a week and have identified no issues with how it functions. I am very pleased with the purchase and will use Gazelle again when looking for devices. I have also purchased other items through Gazelle's web site in the past and have always received the item well within the time frame that they state on their site. I would rate them 41/2 stars if possible. I'm one of those folks that never rates anything a 5 because there's always room for improvement. That said, keep up the good work Gazelle!