So, the return of the Amazon Certified Refurbished iPad was completed successfully.
Looking at it calmly, it probably would have been the easiest solution to just reset my plan and keep using my current iPad Mini 5 for a while. But by this point, I was already in “upgrade mode.”
The mistake this time was buying online from a shop I’d never used before, almost on impulse and without doing proper research. During the return process, I was able to check market prices, and it became clear that buying in person from a physical store—inspecting the device before purchase—would have prevented me from ending up with something like what happened before. Plus, if I sell my current iPad at the time of purchase, the effective cost is just the difference in price.
So, over the weekend, I went to “Janpara” in Shibuya and picked up a new (well, used) iPad Mini. I got the latest iPad Mini 6, with 256GB storage. It’s the Wi-Fi-only model, without cellular functionality. The iPad I had returned was a generation older, the Mini 5, but considering battery life and other factors, it made sense to go for the newer generation for longer-term use.
I didn’t get the SIM-capable model because it didn’t seem worth buying a new data SIM and paying a monthly fee just for the iPad. I realized again that I could simply use one of my two smartphones (I usually carry a work and a personal phone) for tethering, which works perfectly fine.
The purchase price came to 74,000 yen, which is not insignificant. However, I was able to sell my old iPad Mini for 31,000 yen and my Apple Pencil for around 4,000 yen, so the net cost was just under 40,000 yen. Considering a brand-new iPad Mini would cost around 100,000 yen, it felt like a good deal. (Of course, the warranty is only one month, so if it fails naturally within a year, it could be a loss…)
Looking back, the real highlight was how well I got rid of my iPad Mini 5. I bought it online in 2021 for just under 52,000 yen and used it heavily for three years until the battery started wearing out. Selling it for 31,000 yen means the effective cost over three years was only about 21,000 yen—amazing value.
For the first two years, it was used exclusively for remote meetings at work and mostly stayed in a desk drawer. After my office transfer, it mainly served as a device for streaming services and browsing Kindle, sitting beside my bed most of the time. I rarely carried it around. I’d used a cover and had a screen protector, so the body was still pristine when I sold it. I’d also kept the original box and accessories, which surely helped.
On the other hand, I can’t help but think I was a bit too careful—I might have expanded its use if I had carried it around more. That’s why, with the new iPad Mini 6, I plan to use it freely, toss it in my backpack, and not worry too much about scratches.