Look, I’m not angry.
Apple’s new iPad mini, now in its seventh generation, looks the same as its predecessor, with a number of small upgrades throughout, none of which will wow you.
But it’s hard to blame Apple for not doing more. The 6th generation iPad mini was launched three years ago and was a major upgrade, bringing an all-new design and improvements such as a larger display, new Touch ID, and a new camera. The 7th generation iPad mini is just built on the same design, but with a new chip, more initial storage, and compatibility with Apple’s (yet-unreleased) Apple Intelligence feature.
Apple iPad mini 7 price
Apple iPad mini 7 prices remain the same as before, starting at $499 for the Wi-Fi version with 128GB of RAM and $649 for the Wi-Fi + Cellular version.
If you want 256 GB of storage, you’ll need to add $100 to the starting price. If you want the maximum storage of 512 GB, it will cost you an additional $200 compared to the starting price. You can also add an Apple Pencil Pro for $129, and Apple’s Smart Folio cover costs an additional $59.
Apple iPad mini 7 design
It takes a keen eye to notice the differences between the iPad mini 7 and the previous iPad mini 7, but the differences exist. Color choices are now Space Grey, Blue, Purple (brighter than before), and Starlight. The pink version is no longer available. Apple sent me a unit in the Starlight color, so I can’t say what the new color will actually look like. I bought Sage’s Smart Folio and I love the color, it looks like lime to my eyes.
The iPad mini 7 I reviewed came in Apple’s old Starlight color, but I really liked the Smart Folio’s Sage color.
Credit: Stan Schroeder / Mashable
There is another small difference here. The previous version had the word “iPad” on the back, but the new version says “iPad mini.” If you’re a fan of the iPad mini like I am, you’ll be happy.
Other than these details, no one will know you have a brand new iPad mini. sorry.
Apple iPad mini 7 specs
The new iPad mini is powered by Apple’s A17 Pro chip (the same one found in the iPhone 15 Pro) and comes with (upcoming) gaming-related features such as hardware-accelerated ray tracing. AI features will also be enabled. Initial storage is 128 GB, but you’ll now be able to get iPad mini with 512 GB of storage, which was previously unavailable. There are also indications that the new iPad mini will have 8GB of RAM, which is double the 4GB of RAM in the previous model.
Other highlights include faster USB-C data transfer, Bluetooth 5.3 support, and Wi-FI 6E connectivity. These are all meaningful upgrades, but most users probably won’t notice much of a difference. The cameras (a 12-megapixel shooter on the back and a 12-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera on the front) are pretty much the same as before, but the most notable upgrade is support for Smart HDR 4.
The camera is mostly the same, but there’s new support for Apple Pencil Pro.
Credit: Stan Schroeder / Mashable
The big advantage here is the significant increase in RAM and 128GB of boot storage. This is a significant upgrade, as 64GB (the previous generation’s boot storage) was too close to the limit for comfort if you had a few games installed.
While the new chip is a significant improvement over the previous version, the A15 Bionic, the new iPad mini doesn’t come with Apple’s latest mobile processor, the A18 Pro found in the new iPhone 16 Pro. It’s a shame. The company probably decided to cut costs with this, but it also makes the new iPad mini’s prospects a little less promising.
We tested the unit with a combination of News apps, Chrome, Books, X, and Blizzard hearthstone. Everything felt fast enough, but don’t expect the performance of the iPad Pro. It still runs on phone chips, and even very simple games like: hearthstone High settings push it pretty hard.
Apple iPad mini 7 battery life
I didn’t use the iPad mini 7 long enough to properly test its battery life, but Apple gives it the same ratings as before (19.3 Wh battery, up to 10 hours of surfing on Wi-Fi, and 10 hours of surfing on cellular). Up to 9 hours of surfing) ), I didn’t notice any major differences compared to the previous version.
I used an iPad mini as a secondary display next to my 16-inch M1 MacBook Pro for a day, and it struggled to keep up. But for more general usage (for me, mostly light reading and a little gaming at home), battery life was never an issue.
Apple iPad mini AI support
Apple has made its job incredibly complex with the belated launch of Apple Intelligence. The company’s most important product, the new iPhone 16, was launched without it. As for the iPad mini, it’s scheduled to be released alongside iOS 18.1, which brings some AI features, but they weren’t available at the time of testing.
5 Most Useful Features of iOS 18 Public Beta and How to Use Them
Further complicating matters, Apple Intelligence is currently not available in Europe and China, and is not expected to arrive there until 2025 (with the exception of the UK; Apple announces AI will arrive in December ). Being in Europe, I don’t have access to it (without going through a lot of complicated steps to enable it) and it’s unfair to test new devices running beta software.
That said, all I can say about AI is that this is the first and currently only iPad mini to support AI, and it’s coming soon (in the US). Features include writing tools that let you rewrite, proofread, and summarize text, smarter Siri, photo cleanup tools, Genmoji, integrated ChatGPT, and more.
Once AI is activated, iPad mini gets some great writing enhancements.
Credit: Stan Schroeder / Mashable
Apple iPad mini Pencil Pro support
iPad mini 7 supports Apple Pencil Pro and has all the features like hover and squeeze. I don’t need an Apple Pencil, and if you’re a heavy user, you’ll probably want a larger canvas to draw on, so I think the iPad Pro is better. Additionally, the Pencil Pro’s asking price of $129 is a bit pricey compared to the entry-level iPad mini’s $499 price.
Still, there’s nothing wrong with this feature. I tested the Pencil Pro on the new mini and it worked as advertised. It’s great to have the option to use the company’s best Pencil with its smallest tablet.
Is iPad mini 7 worth buying?
“iPad mini” is written on the back. Nice.
Credit: Stan Schroeder / Mashable
absolutely.
If you’re new to iPad and want the most compact iPad (or any compact tablet), the new iPad mini 7 is your best choice. If you’re already using an iPad mini 5th generation or earlier, it’s easy too. The new one looks better and is much more powerful. It might also be worth upgrading if you own the previous 6th generation iPad mini, but if it’s still fast enough and you don’t care too much about AI features, leave this model alone. There is no problem if you leave it there. .
