The Apple iPad Mini 7th Gen is packed with new features, including the A17 Pro chip, 5G connectivity, and a brilliant Liquid Retina display.
Apple iPad Mini 7th Gen
After a 3-year wait, a new mini has been released without any fanfare or big Apple event, which usually indicates ‘not much to shout about’. The Apple iPad Mini 7th Gen or A17 Pro, as Apple has labelled it, is a story of two halves.
Those holding off on upgrading until its release might feel a bit cheated, as Apple’s new smallest tablet is identical on the outside to the 2021 model, albeit with one of the four colour choices, Pink, replaced by a new pastel Blue hue.
However, on the inside, the iPad Mini 7 has had a power boost and supports the latest Apple Pencil Pro. As it is 2024, and every new product must have AI, Apple Intelligence will be supported.
Features Apple iPad Mini 7th Gen
The Apple iPad Mini 7th Gen introduces a significant performance upgrade with the inclusion of the A17 Pro chip. The 6-core CPU, including two performance and four efficiency cores, will boost the Mini processing power by 30% compared to the previous model.
Its 5-core GPU will improve graphics performance by 25%, ideal for graphic-intensive apps like design software and AAA games. The Neural Engine has doubled in speed.
How much of an impact the improved graphics performance will have is still to be seen, as the iPad Mini 7th Gen comes with the same 8.3″ Liquid Retina display as the 2021 model, missing the upgraded Ultra Retina XDR display being used on the current Pro iPads.
Connectivity has had a minor update to Wi-Fi 6E, which will reduce latency and offer faster downloads and streaming. The USB-C port has doubled its speed, now capable of 10Gbps data transfers.
The good news for creatives is that iPad Mini 7th Gen now supports Apple Pencil Pro. This stylus brings a range of enhancements, including haptic feedback and smart shape recognition. The iPad Mini also remains compatible with the Apple Pencil (USB-C).
Unusually for a new device, the same 12MP rear camera from the previous model is included, but now with Smart HDR 4. On the front, the 12MP Ultra-Wide camera with Center Stage keeps users perfectly framed during FaceTime calls.
Apple says, “Apple Intelligence will be available as a free software update for iPad with A17 Pro or M1 and later with device and Siri language set to U.S. English. The first set of features will be available in beta this month, with iPadOS 18.1 and more features rolling out in the months to come. Later this year, Apple Intelligence will add support for localized English in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, and the U.K. In the coming year, Apple Intelligence will expand to more languages, like Chinese, English (India), English (Singapore), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Vietnamese, and others”.
This new Mini iPad has four finishes—blue, purple, starlight, and space grey.
Specifications Apple iPad Mini 7th Gen
| Specifications | Apple iPad Mini 7th Gen |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 195 x 135 x 6 mm |
| Weight | 293 g (Wi-Fi) 297 g (Wi-Fi + Cellular) |
| Colour Options | Blue Purple Starlight Space Grey |
| Storage | 128GB 256GB 512GB |
| Display | 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display 2266 x 1488 resolution 500 nits brightness |
| Main Camera | 12MP wide camera Smart HDR 4 |
| Front Camera | 12MP Ultra-Wide Center Stage |
| Chip | A17 Pro chip |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 6E 5G (Cellular models) USB-C (10Gbps) |
| In the Box | iPad Mini USB-C Charge Cable (1m) 20W USB-C Power Adapter |
| Website | apple.com |
Price & Availability Apple iPad Mini 7th Gen
The Apple iPad Mini 7th Gen starts at $499/£499 for the Wi-Fi model and $649/£649 for the Wi-Fi + Cellular version at apple.com.
It has 128GB of storage, double the capacity of its predecessor base model, and is available in 256GB and 512GB variants. You can pre-order now; it will be available starting October 23, 2024.