Apple’s new iPad mini is more exciting than it looks

When Apple announces a new product with a simple press release, it’s usually not one of the company’s less exciting products. In fact, the new iPad mini announced this afternoon seems like a particularly iterative update. But the specs are impressive, and for fans of the mini’s small form factor, the fact that Apple keeps this little tablet in the race is cause for celebration in itself.

Highlights of the 7th generation iPad mini include the powerful A17 Pro chip and new support for Apple Pencil Pro. The latter means the mini is on par with the newly released M4 iPad Pro and M2 iPad Air in terms of stylus support. (Not sure which model is right for you? Check out our guide to different generations of iPad.)

At first glance, internals aside, the new iPad mini looks pretty similar to the 6th generation. There are no major design changes aside from the addition of new blue and purple hues, and the infamous “jelly scroll” prone display remains the same. But with the addition of a much-improved chip that delivers a faster CPU and 2x faster Neural Engine, as well as impressive Apple Pencil Pro support, this really looks like the perfect iPad experience for creatives. .

And what’s important here is the “full iPad experience.” Apple has recently been making plans to phase out its small devices, with the iPhone mini facing doom in 2022. But by upgrading both the iPad mini’s chip and stylus support, Apple is declaring the tiny tablet a genuine iPad.

There are many iPad apps available to creatives, from the Adobe iPad suite to the full version of 3D software ZBrush, and having access to them in such a small package is great news for creatives on the go. The screen may be bigger, but the iPad mini is still a great outlier, and the fact that Apple’s timely updates show this device has at least a few more years left in its lifespan. Great news for me.