Skilled’s Score
Professionals
- Quick CPU and graphics
- Assist for Apple Intelligence
Cons
- Not a lot completely different from the Sixth-gen iPad mini it replaces from 2021
Our Verdict
The iPad mini continues to be an important pill, maybe the perfect at its dimension and higher than bigger, non-Apple tablets. However for those who personal a Sixth-generation iPad mini, you don’t must rush to improve to it except you need Apple Intelligence.
Value When Reviewed
This worth will present the geolocated pricing textual content for product undefined
Finest Pricing In the present day
Value When Reviewed
$499 (128GB; Wi-Fi solely) | $599 (256GB; Wi-Fi solely) | $799 (512GB; Wi-Fi solely)
Finest Costs In the present day: Apple iPad mini (A17 Professional)
$478
$499
$499
$499
$499
$499.99
On October 15, Apple introduced an improve to the iPad mini. Keep in mind the iPad mini? Did you overlook about it? Can’t blame you for those who did–in spite of everything, it appeared like Apple did, as a result of the final iPad mini was launched over three years in the past.
After ready all this time, the upgrades Apple made to the iPad mini (A17 Professional)–Apple ditched the generational naming in favor of chip identification, like the opposite iPads–really feel like they don’t quantity to a lot, at the very least on the floor. What you’ll find is that the brand new iPad mini has been modernized with inner upgrades, which ought to maintain it related for, say, one other three years till the subsequent refresh or redesign.
The iPad mini continues to be an important pill, maybe the perfect at its dimension and higher than bigger, non-Apple tablets. However for those who personal a Sixth-generation iPad mini, you don’t must rush to improve to it, apart from one factor: Apple Intelligence.
iPad mini: Efficiency increase from the A17 Professional
The iPad mini’s main improve is with its chip. The A15 Bionic that was within the earlier iPad mini has been changed by the A17 Professional, which was used within the discontinued iPhone 15 Professional. It’s not precisely the identical chip, nonetheless. It nonetheless has six CPU cores (two efficiency cores and 4 effectivity cores), nevertheless it has 5 GPU cores as an alternative of the six that had been within the iPhone 15 Professional.
Geekbench 6.2 CPU benchmarks
Geekbench outcomes are acknowledged as scores. Increased scores/longer bars are sooner.
We used Geekbench 6 to gauge efficiency and noticed a 23 p.c enhance within the multi-core efficiency of the brand new iPad mini over the outdated one. In single-core testing, the brand new iPad mini was 26 p.c sooner. These are good numbers, however the increase is marginal. You received’t discover it in on a regular basis, easy duties however for those who do longer, extra advanced computations, they are going to be faster.
Geekbench 6.2 GPU Compute
Geekbench outcomes are acknowledged as scores. Increased scores/longer bars are sooner.
The graphics enchancment is a little more spectacular. Utilizing the Geekbench Compute benchmark, the check confirmed a 31 p.c enchancment over the outdated iPad mini. If you happen to wish to play video games, you’ll be capable to discover a distinction.
iPad mini: Now with Apple Intelligence!
Maybe extra necessary than the efficiency enchancment that the A17 Professional supplies is its assist for Apple Intelligence, Apple’s much-hyped set of AI-based options. Apple Intelligence requires Apple silicon with at the very least 8GB of unified reminiscence and the A17 Professional and M1 chips are the cutoff level–chips older than the A17 Professional have lower than 8GB. The Sixth-generation iPad mini’s A15 Professional has 4GB of unified reminiscence, so it will possibly’t run Apple Intelligence.
The primary set of Apple Intelligence options is now accessible with the just lately launched iPadOS 18.1 replace, which incorporates writing instruments that may revise your textual content, summaries for Mail, Notifications, and Safari, and a background cleanup software in Photographs. If that doesn’t sound all that thrilling, then maybe the options coming to iPadOS 18.2 will get your consideration: picture era, ChatGPT integration, automated Mail categorization, and extra. The iPadOS 18.2 beta is obtainable now, with a possible official launch by the top of the yr. Study extra concerning the Apple Intelligence characteristic rollout.
The principle cause Apple up to date the iPad mini is assist for the brand new Apple Intelligence options, such because the writing instruments in apps like Pages.
Foundry
iPad mini: What else is new
Apple upgraded a number of different options of the iPad mini (A17 Professional), however none of them are the varieties of upgrades that can make you chuck the Sixth-generation iPad mini apart and mock it for being such an outdated machine. Right here’s what else is new.
128GB baseline storage: Apple elevated the start line of the quantity of storage, which was beforehand 64GB. The $499/£499 iPad mini features a 128GB SSD (which nonetheless feels too small); the $599/£599 mannequin has 256GB; the $799/£799 mannequin has 512GB.
Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3: Wi-fi connectivity enhancements are at all times good. Nevertheless it’s not the Wi-Fi 7 that Apple has within the iPhone 16 lineup–looks as if Apple goes with Wi-Fi 6E for price concerns, however you seemingly wouldn’t discover a distinction anyway.
USB 3.1 Gen 2: Apple dropped the Lightning port with the earlier iPad mini. However now the iPad mini’s port can assist information switch speeds as much as 10Gbps.
Apple upgraded the iPad mini with
USB 3.1 Gen 2, so it has sooner information switch pace.
Foundry
Good HDR 4: The newest model of Apple’s digital camera know-how that mixes pictures taken at completely different exposures to create a photograph with the perfect mixture of spotlight and shadow element. That’s good, however the iPad mini isn’t getting used for its digital camera like an iPhone, so the pill has solely a single-lens 12MP huge digital camera with 5x digital zoom. Video recording is able to 4K at 60 fps. (Appears to me that if the iPad mini had a greater digital camera, it may work effectively with Last Reduce Digital camera.)
eSim solely: If you need a mobile connection, you will need to use eSIM. The nano-SIM slot is gone.
Apple Pencil Professional assist: Launched this previous spring with the M4 iPad Professional, the Apple Pencil Professional is bought individually for $129. If you have already got a USB-C or a 2nd-generation Apple Pencil that labored with the earlier iPad mini, you possibly can’t use these with this new one. Sorry.
Shade change: Apple has selected a muted colour palette, so the house grey, starlight, and purple colour decisions aren’t as deep as with the earlier iPad mini. Additionally, pink has been dropped, changed by blue.
Apple is utilizing the identical show that was within the Sixth era iPad mini.
Foundry
iPad mini: What hasn’t modified
At a look, the iPad mini (A17 Professional) seems to be precisely just like the Sixth-generation iPad mini. The design hasn’t modified; the one bodily distinction you would possibly discover (moreover the colour) is that the brand new iPad mini doesn’t have the nano SIM slot on the facet. Listed here are the most important options that haven’t modified within the iPad mini (A17 Professional) that might affect your shopping for determination.
8.3-inch Liquid Retina show: It’s a handsome show, however because it’s not a Professional mannequin, the iPad mini doesn’t assist ProMotion, Apple’s know-how that dynamically adjusts the display refresh charge between 10Hz and 120Hz. The show has a 60Hz refresh charge, which works high-quality for on a regular basis use, however for those who’ve used Apple’s Professional gadgets with ProMotion, you’ll discover the distinction and should not prefer it. The iPad mini may use a greater show to make it a greater e-reader competitor to Amazon Kindles or Kobo gadgets. However nothing modified right here. Additionally, iPhone Professional customers ought to know that the iPad mini doesn’t have an always-on show–not one of the iPads do.
Cameras: Nothing has modified concerning the specs for the back and front cameras, besides the improve to Good HDR 4, which is software-based. The digital camera {hardware} doesn’t seem to have modified from the Sixth-generation iPad mini. That’s most likely not such an enormous deal to iPad customers.
Battery life: Nothing has modified concerning the 19.3-watt-hour battery, which nonetheless provides, “As much as 10 hours of surfing the online on Wi‑Fi or watching video,” in response to Apple. I ran a video that was saved to the iPad mini’s SSD on a loop, with the show set to 200 nits, and the battery finally ran out after 9 hours and 57 minutes, matching Apple’s declare. When utilizing the iPad mini as I usually would–examine e mail, internet entry, edit pictures, and skim books–I by no means needed to fear concerning the battery life.
USB-C charging solely: The iPad mini doesn’t have MagSafe (not one of the iPads do). It prices by way of its USB-C port. MagSafe would been good, nevertheless it’ll seemingly debut on the iPad Professional lengthy earlier than it involves the mini.
The iPad mini (A17 Professional) is a good pill, however for those who had been hoping for Apple to do one thing contemporary and dramatic with it, you received’t discover it right here.
Foundry
Do you have to purchase the iPad mini (A17 Professional)?
Apple truly included a good quantity of upgrades within the iPad mini–however for those who had been hoping for Apple to unveil a brand new method with the iPad mini, you’ll must maintain hope alive for presumably a couple of extra years. Principally, the brand new iPad mini is a chip improve to assist Apple Intelligence and never far more than that.
If in case you have the Sixth-generation iPad mini that works effectively, and also you’re questioning about upgrading, the query to ask your self is how a lot you wish to use Apple Intelligence. Strive it on one other machine for those who can and gauge how a lot you utilize it, then you possibly can work out for those who want a brand new iPad mini. If you happen to don’t care about Apple Intelligence (even after attempting it), likelihood is you received’t care concerning the new iPad mini, both, except your Sixth-generation iPad mini wants repairs and also you’ve been placing them off.
If in case you have an iPad mini with a Lightning port, you’ve got extra of an incentive to improve. You’ll get a much bigger and higher show and improved efficiency that may be very noticeable. If you happen to haven’t had an iPad mini earlier than and don’t take care of Apple Intelligence, you would possibly examine purchasing for a Sixth-generation iPad mini; its value might be marked down to filter remaining inventory, so it can save you some cash.
If you happen to don’t have an iPad and also you need one to make use of Apple Intelligence, the iPad mini (A17 Professional) is the most cost effective pill that’s suitable and an important lower-priced different to Apple’s higher-priced choices. Nonetheless, the 128GB 11-inch iPad Air with its M2 chip is simply $100 extra and is a greater price-per-performance deal. However for those who prioritize the smaller profile, choose the iPad mini.
Check out our iPad shopping for information to seek out out which iPad is greatest for you. We additionally examine the 2024 iPad mini with the outdated mannequin right here: New iPad mini vs outdated iPad mini: What’s completely different?
