The newly announced iPad mini 7 appears to be sticking with 20W charging like previous models, and the list of upgrades is even slimmer.
Under normal circumstances, you wouldn’t know this until you actually review the device. However, 91mobiles has discovered an online certification entry from the CCC, the Chinese regulator for electronic products, for the iPad mini 7. And according to the information in this listing, the tablet will charge at up to 9V/2.22A voltage/amperage, giving it a 20W cap. .
Although the listing also mentions an Apple-made 45W adapter, it appears that this is all bundled with this product sourced from a specific factory, with no specific link to the new iPad mini. .
As mentioned earlier, 20W is the same charging speed offered by the iPad mini 6, which this new pint-sized iPad is meant to replace. And assuming the battery itself stays the same, the new iPad mini will likely only charge about 36% after 30 minutes of connection, as we saw in our iPad mini 6 lab tests.
Upgrades required for every iPad
Larger Android tablets like the OnePlus Pad 2 and Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra are much faster, boasting 67W and 45W charging respectively. Sure, the iPad mini fills a different niche with its unique smallness, but it shows how little Apple cares about tablet charging speed. Even the iPad Pro only supports charging at a maximum of 30W.
This low charging speed for the iPad mini 7 makes me question whether Apple’s apparent assumption that iPad buyers aren’t interested in fast charging actually matches the typical charging patterns of tablet users. . As an aside, the majority of smartphone owners charge overnight regardless of the battery percentage, but it’s different for tablets. In my own experience and the experience of people I know, tablets are usually only charged when they are nearing the end of their lifespan. So the quick charging on the iPad would be beneficial here in a way that you don’t get on the iPhone.
The main upgrades to the iPad mini 7 are support for Apple Intelligence and Apple Pencil Pro, as well as improved performance with a new chip, even if it’s a less powerful version than the one found in the iPhone 15 Pro. Faster charging speeds might have been a nice bonus on top of these, but Apple did just about enough to make these changes to bring the smallest iPad up to date.
Those interested in purchasing the new iPad mini can pre-order now and general sales will begin on October 23rd.
