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 help.

• 

  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 way in which again in 2012. Regardless of Steve Jobs’ preliminary resistance in direction of miniature-sized tablets, the tech large finally 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. This is how the brand new iPad mini 7 compares with the outgoing sixth era mannequin.

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Worth, availability, and launch date

The outgoing mannequin is being discontinued by Apple

The iPad mini sixth era first launched in 2021, representing a serious overhaul of the mini-sized type 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 costlier 256GB storage configuration, in addition to a mobile radio SKU, had been additionally accessible.

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

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 decreased value level. That being stated, the corporate’s Certified Refurbished storefront continues to list iPad 6 fashions at decreased costs.

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How do the 2 mini-sized tablets stack up?

The brand new mannequin would possibly look the identical, nevertheless it’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. In contrast, 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.

It is a pretty substantial soar up in compute energy, even when Apple hasn’t christened the mini with one in all its M series chipsets. The efficiency increase, notably in relation to {hardware} accelerated neural processing, is what offers the brand new mini the flexibility to faucet into the upcoming AI characteristic set generally known as Apple Intelligence.

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Whereas Apple would not instantly point out RAM amount, which means we’ll have to attend to independently confirm this specification when the machine arrives, we 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 extra upgrades to be discovered within the iPad mini seventh era. These embrace help for Wi-Fi 6E, 10Gbps USB-C, a brand new Sensible HDR 4 processing algorithm for the cameras, and help for the Apple Pencil Pro and its numerous squeeze gestures. In contrast, the iPad mini seventh era got here with Wi-Fi 6, 5Gbps USB-C, Sensible HDR 3, and Apple Pencil 2 help.

• 	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 sort	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 Digicam	12-megapixel large	12-megapixel large
  Connectivity	Wi-Fi 6E, non-compulsory mobile 5G	Wi-fi 6, non-compulsory 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 Digicam	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)

Which iPad mini is best for you?

I would spring for the most recent and best, except yow will discover an awesome deal on a sixth era mini

Apple

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

iPad mini (seventh era)

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

If, alternatively, you wish to avoid wasting cash, and you are not completely bought on Apple Intelligence, then it is laborious to go flawed with the iPad mini sixth era. I would advocate springing for the 256GB mannequin, because the 64GB base unit merely is not passable at the present time. Simply make sure to verify throughout numerous retailers along with Apple’s personal Licensed Refurbished web site, to discover a itemizing that is decently nicely 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 searching for an iPad that is capable of serve extra as a pc or PC alternative machine, you then’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. As a way to reap the benefits of Stage Manager — iPadOS’s window administration interface — you may as an alternative must buy both an iPad Air or an iPad Pro.

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