A Designers Review of the iPad Mini OLED
iPad Mini 2026 Review: Can a Designer Actually Work on It?
I’ve spent 4 days using the all new iPad Mini 2026 as a brand designer, coming from the 12.9" iPad Pro. Is it too small for real creative work, or is it the perfect sketchbook to carry everywhere?
In this designer review I put the iPad Mini through lettering, logo design, calligraphy, vector work and animation using Procreate, Affinity, Procreate Dreams, Shapr3D and Nomad Sculpt. I cover the Apple Pencil Pro support (hover, squeeze and barrel roll), the OLED display, how the A20 chip handles big vector files and multiple pro apps at once, and the one drawback that really bugged me: the 60Hz screen.
If you’re a graphic designer, illustrator or creative wondering whether the iPad Mini is worth it, or whether you should get an iPad Pro instead, this one’s for you.
If there's anything you would like me to cover in a video, then let me know by commenting down below!
🔗 Links
Will Paterson: https://linktr.ee/willpaterson
Take a look at our store for awesome design resources! https://assets4d.com
Join the Reddit crew: https://www.reddit.com/r/WillPatersonDesign/
Become a member: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIp9sEZiv36cDG7cEnrVU7Q/join
If you would like me to design your logo and company branding, please check out my website for more information! https://www.willpaterson.design
0:00 Introduction
0:48 First impressions
2:06 Professional workflow
4:10 Apple Pencil Pro features
4:42 Display capabilities
5:30 Performance and 60Hz limit
6:27 Chip power and multitasking
7:19 Real-world use cases
9:07 Final recommendation
I’ve spent 4 days using the all new iPad Mini 2026 as a brand designer, coming from the 12.9" iPad Pro. Is it too small for real creative work, or is it the perfect sketchbook to carry everywhere?
In this designer review I put the iPad Mini through lettering, logo design, calligraphy, vector work and animation using Procreate, Affinity, Procreate Dreams, Shapr3D and Nomad Sculpt. I cover the Apple Pencil Pro support (hover, squeeze and barrel roll), the OLED display, how the A20 chip handles big vector files and multiple pro apps at once, and the one drawback that really bugged me: the 60Hz screen.
If you’re a graphic designer, illustrator or creative wondering whether the iPad Mini is worth it, or whether you should get an iPad Pro instead, this one’s for you.
If there's anything you would like me to cover in a video, then let me know by commenting down below!
🔗 Links
Will Paterson: https://linktr.ee/willpaterson
Take a look at our store for awesome design resources! https://assets4d.com
Join the Reddit crew: https://www.reddit.com/r/WillPatersonDesign/
Become a member: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIp9sEZiv36cDG7cEnrVU7Q/join
If you would like me to design your logo and company branding, please check out my website for more information! https://www.willpaterson.design
0:00 Introduction
0:48 First impressions
2:06 Professional workflow
4:10 Apple Pencil Pro features
4:42 Display capabilities
5:30 Performance and 60Hz limit
6:27 Chip power and multitasking
7:19 Real-world use cases
9:07 Final recommendation