Same-yet-different, Apple’s surprise return to the iPad mini adds an A17 Pro chipset, Apple Pencil Pro compatibility, and more.
In a surprise press release, Apple announced that it is bringing back the iPad mini. compact iPadWidely expected to be dead, the baby is now available for pre-order from today and will begin arriving to customers on Wednesday, October 23rd.
Priced from £499 for the Wi-Fi model and £649 for the cellular tablet, the tablet will be compatible with Apple’s upcoming AI feature, Apple Intelligence, when it arrives in the UK in December this year. Apple’s small tablet will be powered by the Apple A17 Pro chipset, making it as powerful as Apple iPhone15 pro telephone series.
Apple iPad mini (2024) preview: specifications, price, release date
- 8.3-inch 60Hz 1,488 x 2,266 Liquid Retina IPS display, P3 color, True Tone, 500 nits
- 6-core Apple A17 Pro processor (5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine)
- 128GB, 256GB, or 512GB storage
- Apple Pencil Pro support
- Apple intelligence support
- USB-C 3.0 port for data (up to 10 Gbit/s) and charging
- 19.3Wh lithium polymer battery provides up to 10 hours of video playback
- camera: Main, 12MP f/1.8; Front, 12MP f/2.4
- size: 135×6.3×195mm(WDH)
- Weight: 293g (Wi-Fi); 297g (cellular)
- iPadOS 18
- price: From £499 (Wi-Fi). £699 (mobile phone)
- availability: Pre-order now on Apple.com, Apple Store and other retailers starting October 23, 2024.
Apple iPad mini (2024) preview: new features and first impressions
However, there don’t seem to be any major changes other than a new chipset and support for upcoming Apple Intelligence features. last time Apple updates its smallest iPadwe’ve moved to a modern design with an 8.3-inch Liquid Retina IPS display with 1,488 x 2,266 resolution and True Tone technology, but the core specs haven’t changed one bit.
In fact, a quick perusal of Apple’s website reveals that the camera specs are identical (12MP f/1.6 main rear camera and 12MP f/2.4 selfie camera). They also have exactly the same weight and dimensions: 293g. Wi-Fi and cellular models are 297g. During this time, prices have risen from £369 for 64GB to £499 for 128GB of storage, but they’re not outrageous.
To be fair, Apple has updated the Mini to support the Apple Pencil Pro (£129), which has a squeeze sensor and haptic feedback, but there’s also a cheaper USB-C Apple Pencil for those who want to save money. (79 pounds) will also continue to support you. A few pounds.
The new iPad mini’s biggest appeal could prove to be its faster A17 Pro chipset and the ability to unlock access to Apple Intelligence. The cheapest iPhone with AI costs £799 (i.e. iPhone16), the iPad mini (7th generation) may be the cheapest way to get Apple’s rival to Google’s Gemini.
As a reminder, Apple Intelligence will offer a variety of AI-powered features, from writing assistance to AI home movie and image generation to a smarter Siri digital assistant and ChatGPT integration. is. However, Apple Intelligence isn’t finished yet. It will be available first to customers in the United States, followed by support to other regions. All is well for us Brits and we are due to receive it in December.
The new tablet also comes with iPadOS 18 and all the new features it includes, including exciting new Math Notes features, the new official Calculator app for iPad, and the Notes app with Turbo features. The latter comes with Smart Scripts, a feature that helps you sort out messy handwriting, and adds much-needed audio functionality with recording and transcription capabilities.
Apple iPad mini (2024) preview: early verdict
It’s good to see the iPad mini return to Apple’s tablet lineup, albeit in a much less adventurous form. It’s a device that provides an affordable entry point to Apple’s iPad series, and I’ve always liked its compact and well-appointed dimensions.
It remains to be seen how popular it will be, especially among people already fully entrenched in the Apple ecosystem, given how big the biggest company is. iPhone But for those who prefer a larger screen for media but don’t want to go down the flip phone route, there’s certainly room for that.
In any case, we’ll be reviewing the latest iPad mini as soon as a review sample becomes available. Watch this space.
