Look, I am not even mad.
Apple’s new iPad mini, now in its seventh technology, seems the identical because the final one, and whereas it brings a lot of small upgrades throughout the board, none of them will knock you off your toes.
It is laborious responsible Apple for not doing extra, although. Although it launched three years in the past, the sixth technology iPad mini was a large improve that introduced a very new design, with a bigger show, new Contact ID, and a brand new digicam, amongst different enhancements. The seventh technology iPad mini merely builds on that very same design, however brings a brand new chip, extra beginning storage, and compatibility with Apple’s (but unreleased) Apple Intelligence options.
Apple iPad mini 7 value
The worth for the Apple iPad mini 7 is identical as earlier than, beginning at $499 for the Wi-Fi model with 128GB of RAM, and $649 for the Wi-Fi + Mobile variant.
If you’d like 256GB of storage, you may have so as to add $100 to the beginning value, and if you wish to max it out at 512GB of storage, that’ll value you one other $200 in comparison with the beginning value. You may as well add the Apple Pencil Professional to the combination for $129, and Apple’s Good Folio cowl will value you an extra $59.
Apple iPad mini 7 design
You will want a eager eye to note the variations between the iPad mini 7 and the earlier one, however they do exist. The selection of colours is now Area Grey, Blue, Purple (lighter than earlier than), and Starlight. The Pink variant is now not accessible. Apple despatched me a Starlight-colored unit, so I am unable to say how the brand new colours look in individual. I did get the Good Folio in Sage, which to my eyes appeared extra like lime, and I preferred the colour loads.
The iPad mini 7 I reviewed was in Apple’s outdated Starlight coloration, however I actually digged the Good Folio’s Sage coloration.
Credit score: Stan Schroeder / Mashable
There’s one other minor distinction right here: The earlier model had an “iPad” inscription on the again, whereas the one on the brand new one says “iPad mini.” Good in case you, like me, are a fan of the iPad mini.
Aside from these particulars, nobody will be capable to inform that you’ve got the model new iPad mini. Sorry.
Apple iPad mini 7 specs
The brand new iPad mini is powered by Apple’s A17 Professional chip (the identical one which powers the iPhone 15 Professional), which provides it some gaming-related options like hardware-accelerated ray tracing, and allows (upcoming) AI options. Beginning storage is 128GB, and now you can get the iPad mini with 512GB of storage, which wasn’t accessible till now. There are additionally indications that the brand new iPad mini has 8GB of RAM, which doubles the earlier mannequin’s 4GB of RAM.
Different tidbits embody sooner USB-C information switch, Bluetooth 5.3 help, and Wi-FI 6E connectivity — all significant upgrades, although most customers most likely will not discover a lot of a distinction. The cameras — a 12-megapixel shooter on the again, and a 12-megapixel ultra-wide digicam on the entrance — are largely the identical as earlier than, with probably the most notable upgrades being Good HDR 4 help.
The digicam is usually the identical, however Apple Pencil Professional help is new.
Credit score: Stan Schroeder / Mashable
The large takeaways listed below are the large RAM improve and 128GB of beginning storage, which is a large improve as 64GB (the beginning storage on the earlier technology) was simply reducing it approach too shut for consolation when you have a few video games put in.
The brand new chip is an enormous enchancment over the earlier model’s A15 Bionic, but it surely’s a pity that the brand new iPad mini does not have Apple’s newest cellular processor, the A18 Professional which is discovered within the new iPhone 16 Professional. The corporate most likely determined to chop prices on this one, but it surely does make the brand new iPad mini just a bit much less future-proof.
I examined my unit with a mixture of stories apps, Chrome, Books, X, and Blizzard’s Hearthstone. Every part felt sufficiently quick however do not count on iPad Professional efficiency; that is nonetheless a telephone chip operating issues, and even a reasonably easy sport comparable to Hearthstone will push it fairly laborious on excessive settings.
Apple iPad mini 7 battery life
I did not have the iPad mini 7 lengthy sufficient to correctly take a look at battery life, however Apple charges it the identical as earlier than (19.3 Wh battery, as much as 10 hours of browsing on Wi-Fi, and as much as 9 hours of browsing on mobile), and I did not discover a lot of a distinction in comparison with the earlier model.
For a day, I used the iPad mini as a secondary show, subsequent to my 16-inch M1 MacBook Professional, and it did wrestle to maintain up. However in additional typical utilization — which for me is mild studying and a little bit of gaming, largely at residence — battery life was by no means a problem.
Apple iPad mini AI help
Apple made its life extremely sophisticated with the belated launch of Apple Intelligence. The corporate’s most essential product, the brand new iPhone 16, launched with out it. As for the iPad mini, it would launch concurrently iOS 18.1 which brings some AI options, but it surely wasn’t accessible at testing time.
5 most helpful options of iOS 18 public beta — and how one can use them
To complicate issues additional, Apple Intelligence is not presently accessible in Europe and China, and it will not be arriving there till 2025 (the UK is the exception right here; Apple says AI is arriving there in December). Being in Europe, I’ve no entry to it (until I’m going by a lot of convoluted steps to allow it), and it could be unfair to check a brand new machine operating beta software program.
Because of this all I can say about AI is that that is the primary and presently solely iPad mini that helps it, and that it’s coming quickly (within the U.S.). Options will embody Writing Instruments, which may rewrite, proofread, and summarize your texts, a wiser Siri, Clear Up instrument for photographs, Genmoji, and built-in ChatGPT, amongst different options.
When AI launches, the iPad mini will get some cool writing enhancements.
Credit score: Stan Schroeder / Mashable
Apple iPad mini Pencil Professional help
The iPad mini 7 helps Apple Pencil Professional, with all of the bells and whistles comparable to hover and squeeze. I haven’t got a necessity for Apple Pencil, and it appears to me {that a} heavy consumer would additionally desire a bigger canvas to attract on, so an iPad Professional could be a greater choice. Moreover, the asking value of $129 for the Pencil Professional is a bit steep when in comparison with the $499 value of the entry-level iPad mini.
Nonetheless, there’s completely nothing improper with this characteristic. I examined the Pencil Professional with the brand new mini, and it labored as marketed, and it is good to have the choice to make use of the corporate’s greatest Pencil along with its smallest pill.
Is the iPad mini 7 price getting?
It says “iPad mini” on the again now. Good.
Credit score: Stan Schroeder / Mashable
Completely.
If you happen to’re new to the iPad, and also you need probably the most compact one round (or any compact pill), the brand new iPad mini 7 is your best option. If you happen to already rock the iPad mini fifth technology or earlier, it is also a no brainer; the brand new one seems higher and is much more highly effective. And in case you personal the earlier, sixth technology iPad mini, it may be price upgrading, but when it is nonetheless quick sufficient for you and you do not care a lot concerning the AI options, you may be OK in case you sit this one out.
