Apple quietly announced the iPad mini (2024) earlier this week. As if it were all on schedule, Geekbench has published the first benchmarks for the tablet, which will be officially announced on October 23rd. The results may be mixed.
First, the good news. Benchmarks show that the new iPad mini (2024) significantly outperforms the previous generation iPad mini (2021). According to Geekbench, the new iPad mini’s single-core performance is between 2,710 and 2,840, while multi-core performance is between 6,274 and 6,982. In comparison, the iPad mini (2021) achieved an average score of 2,121 for single-core performance and 5,367 for multi-core performance.
The Apple A17 Pro chipset powers the iPad mini (2024). This is the same chip that powers the 2023 iPhone 15 Pro series. However, the iPhone achieves slightly higher benchmark scores, averaging around 2,888 for single-core performance and around 7,169 for multi-core tests.
The performance difference can be attributed to the iPad mini’s 5-core GPU, while the iPhone 15 Pro has a 6-core GPU. Does this difference matter in everyday use? Probably not, but gamers in particular may notice a slight difference.
Thanks to Geekbench, we have new details about the iPad mini (2024). Unlike its predecessor, which had 4GB of RAM, the new tablet doubles this to 8GB. The additional RAM will enable the new iPad mini to support Apple Intelligence, the company’s upcoming AI toolkit. Apple Intelligence will be rolled out gradually through software updates starting this month.
The new iPad mini features improvements such as a new chipset and compatibility with Apple Intelligence. It also comes with more storage options and an exciting new blue color. However, many features remain unchanged from the previous model. For example, both models have 8.3-inch displays and similar camera systems.
iPad mini (2024) is available for pre-order starting at $499. This is the third in a series of iPads that Apple has updated this year, following the spring releases of the iPad Air (2024) and iPad Pro (2024). Only the regular iPad is waiting for an update in 2024. The tablet was last updated in October 2022.
