After nearly three years of neglect, Apple has dropped a surprise update to the iPad Mini today, with the announcement of the seventh-generation model. While the new iPad Mini doesn't make any adjustments to the adorable form factor first featured on the sixth generation model from 2021, there are some under-the-hood upgrades that make it an even more powerful pocket-sized tablet (depending on how large your pockets are, of course).
The biggest enhancement comes in the form of the A17 Pro chip, which was also featured on last year's iPhone 15 Pro Max. Confusingly, Apple decided not to option the new Mini with this year's A18 Pro chipset as featured on the new iPhone 16 Pro; which is a shame. Ideally, we would like to see the newest processor on this updated model, though Apple's track record for keeping its devices up to date for roughly five years minimum means we shouldn't be worried about this scaled-down iPad having a short lifespan.
The A17 Pro chip is still set to deliver a major step up over the A15 Bionic found in the iPad Mini 6th Generation. Apple quotes a 30 per cent boost in CPU speeds and a 25 per cent jump in graphical performance, which should provide a major performance increase in gaming and creativity apps. Wi-Fi 6E is also on board for faster wireless connectivity, or you can specify the iPad Mini with 5G support for cellular data if required. It also ships with iPadOS 18, and Apple claims that the new iPad Mini is "built for Apple Intelligence".
Yes, the headlining feature of the iPhone 16 Pro, which is still absent on the public release of iOS 18, is making its way to the iPad series. Apple's recent iPad Air 6th Generation and iPad Pro M4 models will also gain access to Apple Intelligence when it launches, as well as previous models sporting the M1 processor such as the fifth-generation iPad Air (2022) and sixth-generation iPad Pro (2022).
Back to the new iPad Mini, and there really isn't much more to say. The same 8.3-inch Liquid Retina featured on the previous model returns complete with Dolby Vision certification, as do the stereo loudspeakers with Dolby Atmos support. Interestingly, Apple has opted not to move the front-facing camera to the right-hand edge for use in landscape mode, as seen on all of the other currently available models, and Touch ID remains the only option for biometric authentication.
There are some new colours to choose from, including blue and a slightly lighter purple shade, alongside the existing space grey and starlight colours. It is also compatible with the latest Apple Pencil Pro and Apple Pencil (USB-C) accessories, as well as Apple's new range of smart folio cases.
The seventh generation iPad Mini starts at £499 / $499 / AU$799 for the 128GB Wi-Fi model, or the 5G variant starts at £649 / $649 / AU$1049 – making it slightly more expensive than the previous model in the UK and US. It is available to pre-order now, with orders expected to ship on the 23rd of October.
MORE:
Check out our picks for the best iPads
As well as our full iPad Pro M4 review
And our iPad (2022) review
