Important points
- The new iPad mini, powered by the A17 Pro chip, will be shipping soon, with other minor updates.
- Apple is coaxing mini buyers into paying $100 more for the iPad Air for better specs.
- Niche users like travelers and artists may find value in the mini, but overall it lacks the features found in the Air/Pro.
The new iPad mini will finally be available later this month, but it’s been a long time coming. It was last released back in September 2021. In fact, the mini has been on a slow update cycle for some time. Versions prior to 2021 were shipped in 2019. Even today’s new hardware is only a minor update, with the only meaningful enhancements being the A17 Pro chip (the same one used in the iPhone 15 Pro) and support for Apple Pencil Pro. Apple brags about Apple Intelligence, but it’s software and probably won’t even be on the mini (or any other iPad) until the end of October.
So what is Apple trying to accomplish with the new mini? Who is it for? While there are some niche cases to buy, it seems to me that Apple is otherwise stuck with the device in the middle ground. It seems like it’s just there to drive people to the iPad Air or iPad Pro, but more on that later.
iPad mini (7th generation)
Apple’s 7th generation miniature iPad. Powered by A17 Pro chip for full-fledged Apple Intelligence support.
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Medium specs, medium value
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Don’t get me wrong. If you’ve never owned an iPad before, or are upgrading from a much older model, the new mini has a lot to offer. The A17 Pro is still very capable when it comes to media and gaming, and we’re talking about an 8.3-inch tablet that has access to most apps available on the App Store.
But let’s focus on “almost.” Again, the mini is powered by A-series iPhone processors, rather than the M-series chips used in Macs and more expensive iPads. Some iPad apps currently require (or effectively require) M-series chips. So while you might be able to play detailed 3D games like Resident Evil 8 on the Mini, don’t expect much from the pros. Audio or video editing. You can also forget about using the mini to stick to your desktop settings, since you can’t push the Stage Manager window to an external display without an M-series iPad.
Apple upgraded the mini just enough to keep it relevant, but strategically crippled it so that people would naturally gravitate towards spending the extra $100 on the iPad Air.
What’s especially crazy is how Apple decided to go with the A17 Pro instead of the A18. The base iPhone 16 also uses the A18 chip, suggesting that the company doesn’t value the mini, or that compromises were needed to keep the mini’s starting price at $499. This is due to the use of Touch ID instead of Face ID and the use of 60Hz LCD panels, even though Android and Windows tablets typically offer smoother refresh rates and OLED. It doesn’t address all of the complaints about Apple’s non-Pro iPads, including the fact that they have Samsung’s low-cost Galaxy Tab A9+ offers 90Hz.
In effect, Apple upgraded the mini just enough to keep it relevant, but strategically crippled it so that people would naturally gravitate towards spending an extra $100 on the iPad Air. I set it. The Air has an M2 chip and a much larger 11-inch display. This is a tablet that can run professional apps and has enough screen space to multitask.
In most cases, your Mini will only allow you to use one app at a time.
iPad mini (7th generation)
- storage
- 128GB, 256GB, 512GB
- operating system
- iPadOS 18
- port
- USB-C (10Gbps)
- Display type
- 8.3 inch 2266 x 1488 LCD
- price
- $500, $600, $800
- connectivity
- Wi-Fi 6E, optional cellular 5G
- color
- Space gray, starlight, purple, blue
- weight
- 0.65 lbs (293g) Wi-Fi, 0.66 lbs (297g) Cellular
- SoC
- apple a17 pro
- front camera
- 12 megapixel ultrawide
- rear camera
- 12 megapixel width
- size
- 7.69 x 5.3 x 0.25 inches (195.4 x 134.8 x 6.3mm)
So who should actually buy the iPad mini 7?
It’s the most niche iPad
Pocket Lint / Apple
The best customers for the new Mini are those with casual needs and who value portability above all else. Mini is a great travel device. It’s a good size for reading books, watching movies, and playing games, but it’s also less of a problem than other iPads when packing your bags and getting through security. The 13-inch iPad Pro can be difficult to fit into the seat tray, but you don’t have to worry about trying to get it out of your carry-on bag when there are 50 people behind you in the TSA line. .
We can see that the new mini is gaining traction among artists and fans of handwritten notes.
Speaking of flying, we know the Mini is popular among pilots. Because it’s much easier to use the mini in the cockpit when viewing maps and other technical data. They also tend to show up in other wandering workplaces, such as hospitals. But of course these are niche situations. Those buyers have very specific requirements, and they’re not the ones Apple caters to with marketing or the Apple Store.
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We can see that the new mini is gaining traction among artists and fans of handwritten notes. The mini size is great for sketching on the go, as you don’t have to constantly have a flat surface to rest on, and you can just pack it in a sling or backpack and draw.
However, getting the most out of it depends on whether you buy the Apple Pencil Pro, and those with serious illustration and note-taking needs will want the Air even if not the Pro. The Mini’s 8.3 inches doesn’t have much canvas, and there’s no Smart Connector for docking the keyboard. That means you’ll need to use something with Bluetooth or USB-C, neither of which are very convenient.
If you want a do-it-all tablet for college, I wouldn’t choose the mini.
Mini definitely needs to be reconsidered
Apple needs to stop treating small devices like afterthoughts.
Apple/Pocketlint
It’s easy to imagine the new Mini version being a force of nature. matte oled screen Its value as an art and note-taking tool is undeniable, and its value as an e-reader and travel companion increases dramatically. You’ll be able to read under direct sunlight without worrying about battery life on long flights.
I think the next two years will be important in determining whether the iPad mini survives.
Given the amount of money Apple is charging for OLED technology in the iPad Pro, this probably isn’t realistic, but the Mini’s seventh generation was effectively supposed to feature an M-series chip and smart connector. How do you explain to newbies that Apple’s latest mini can’t do everything in the App Store or in iPadOS? Or is there no Magic Keyboard for it? As a technology journalist, I wish I had something that I could take with me anywhere and do some actual work.
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Maybe we’re lucky that we still have an iPad mini. iPad sales haven’t exploded in recent quarters because people keep using iPads for years at a time, and there are few compelling reasons to buy an iPad over a Mac. Buyers also seem to prefer larger screens. The last mini iPhone was the iPhone 13 mini in 2021. Sales were sluggish. Since then, Apple has actually gone in the opposite direction, replacing the mini option with an extra-large Plus version.
