How does Apple’s new iPad mini 7 stack up in opposition to its predecessor?

• iPad mini (seventh era)

  Apple’s seventh era miniature-sized iPad, full with an A17 Professional chip for full-fledged Apple Intelligence assist.

• 

  iPad Mini (sixth era)

  Apple’s sixth era iPad mini brings the iPad Professional-inspired redesign we have lengthy been ready for, alongside the A15 Bionic chip.

Apple’s iPad mini lineup has lengthy been a fan favourite, ever because it’s preliminary launch all the best way again in 2012. Regardless of Steve Jobs’ preliminary resistance in the direction of miniature-sized tablets, the tech big ultimately invested in the form factor.

Again in 2021, Apple gave the iPad mini it is first main redesign within the type of a 6th generation product, with the pill adopting iPad Professional-inspired design components together with slim and uniform bezels, swipe-based gesture navigation, and a flatter, extra industrial design language.

After three lengthy years of ready, the all-new iPad mini 7th generation has lastly landed, with Apple bestowing the pill with a reasonably main under-the-hood spec increase. Here is how the brand new iPad mini 7 compares with the outgoing sixth era mannequin.

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Value, availability, and launch date

• 	iPad mini (seventh era)	Apple iPad Mini (2021)
  Model	Apple	Apple
  Storage	128GB, 256GB, 512GB	64GB, 256GB
  Working System	iPadOS 18	iPadOS 18
  Ports	USB-C (10Gbps)	USB-C (5Gbps)
  Show kind	8.3-inch 2266 x 1488 LCD	8.3-inch 2266 x 1488 LCD
  Colours	Area grey, starlight, purple, blue	Area gray, pink, purple, starlight
  Rear Digital camera	12-megapixel extensive	12-megapixel extensive
  Connectivity	Wi-Fi 6E, non-obligatory mobile 5G	Wi-fi 6, non-obligatory 5G
  Weight	0.65lbs (293g) Wi-Fi, 0.66lbs (297g) Mobile	0.65lbs (293g) Wi-Fi, 0.66lbs (297g) Mobile
  SoC	Apple A17 Professional	A15 Bionic
  Entrance Digital camera	12-megapixel ultra-wide	12-megapixel ultra-wide
  Dimensions	7.69 x 5.3 x 0.25-inches (195.4 x 134.8 x 6.3mm)	7.69 x 5.3 x 0.25-inches (195.4 x 134.8 x 6.3mm)

The iPad mini sixth era was first launched in 2021, representing a serious overhaul of the mini-sized kind issue. It launched in starlight, area gray, purple, and pink colorways, with a beginning value of $500. This base mannequin shipped with 64GB of inner storage and a Wi-Fi antenna. A dearer 256GB storage configuration, in addition to a mobile radio SKU, had been additionally out there.

Compared, the brand new iPad mini seventh era begins on the similar $500 value level, however comes with 128GB of storage in its primary Wi-Fi-only configuration. Shade choices embrace starlight, area gray, purple, and blue, and the gadget may be configured with 256GB or 512GB of storage, alongside a dearer mobile variant.

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The iPad mini seventh era is accessible now for pre-order, and is anticipated to land in prospects’ fingers on October 23. As for the outgoing iPad mini — it seems that Apple has delisted it from its official storefront, fairly than opting to maintain it within the lineup at a lowered value level. That being stated, the corporate’s Certified Refurbished storefront continues to list iPad 6 fashions at lowered costs.

How do the 2 mini-sized tablets stack up?

The brand new mannequin may look the identical, but it surely’s packing a a lot stronger punch on the within

Pocket-lint / Apple

Apple took three years to ship a generational replace to the iPad mini sequence, and know-how has moved on quickly on this quick time frame. The outgoing mannequin shipped with the A15 Bionic chip, which first debuted within the iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max handsets. Against this, the brand new iPad mini 7 ships with the A17 Professional chip first seen in final yr’s iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max telephones.

This can be a pretty substantial bounce up in computing energy, even when Apple hasn’t christened the mini with certainly one of its M series chipsets. The efficiency increase, notably in the case of {hardware} accelerated neural processing, is what offers the brand new mini the flexibility to faucet into the upcoming AI function set often called Apple Intelligence.

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Whereas Apple does not immediately point out RAM amount, which means I am going to have to attend to independently confirm this specification when the gadget arrives, I reckon that the brand new mini 7 will ship with 8GB of the stuff — which might be double the RAM of the outgoing mannequin. On-device AI is notoriously RAM hungry, and we have seen newer tech merchandise up the ante in current months.

There are a number of further upgrades to be discovered within the iPad mini seventh era. These embrace assist for Wi-Fi 6E, 10Gbps USB-C, a brand new Good HDR 4 processing algorithm for the cameras, and assist for the Apple Pencil Pro and its numerous squeeze gestures. Against this, the iPad mini seventh era got here with Wi-Fi 6, 5Gbps USB-C, Good HDR 3, and Apple Pencil 2 assist.

Which iPad mini do you have to purchase?

I would spring for the newest and biggest, except you will discover an excellent deal on a sixth era mini

Apple

If you happen to merely need the latest-and-greatest iPad in its mini kind issue variant, then the iPad mini seventh era is the best way to go. It ships with a base storage configuration of 128GB, which is much extra palatable than the outgoing mannequin’s measly 64GB of beginning storage. Different perks embrace the newfound means to spec the gadget as much as 512GB, assist for the corporate’s newest Pencil Pro, and a processor that’ll be able to Apple Intelligence options upon arrival.

High Decide

iPad mini (seventh era)

Apple’s seventh era miniature-sized iPad, full with an A17 Professional chip for full-fledged Apple Intelligence assist.

If, alternatively, you wish to avoid wasting cash, and you are not solely offered on Apple Intelligence, then it is exhausting to go mistaken with the iPad mini sixth era. I would suggest springing for the 256GB mannequin, because the 64GB base unit merely is not passable nowadays. Simply make sure you test throughout numerous retailers along with Apple’s personal Licensed Refurbished web site, to discover a itemizing that is decently effectively discounted.

iPad Mini (sixth era)

Apple’s sixth era iPad mini brings the iPad Professional-inspired redesign we have lengthy been ready for, alongside the A15 Bionic chip.

For these on the lookout for an iPad that is in a position to serve extra as a pc or PC substitute gadget, then you definitely’ll wish to look elsewhere — neither of the fashions are ‘Professional’ in any sense of the phrase, regardless of the upcoming addition of Apple Intelligence. In an effort to benefit from Stage Manager — iPadOS’s window administration interface — you may as a substitute have to buy both an iPad Air or an iPad Pro.

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