Apple Unveils New iPad Mini with A17 Pro Chip and Apple Intelligence
- Apple's tiniest tablet just got a massive brain upgrade—curious what's new?
- Think the iPad mini couldn't get any better? Think again.
- Ready to meet the mini that packs a pro-level punch? Read on.
Apple has officially introduced a revamped iPad mini, marking the first significant upgrade to its smallest tablet in three years. Announced quietly through a press release on Tuesday, the new iPad mini packs the powerful A17 Pro chip—the same processor found in last year's iPhone 15 Pro—and now supports Apple Intelligence, the company's suite of artificial intelligence features set to roll out this month.
Photo via Apple Inc. // Apple Pencil Pro being used with the new iPad mini 7.
"There is no other device in the world like iPad mini, beloved for its combination of powerful performance and versatility in our most ultraportable design," said Bob Borchers, Apple's vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. "With the powerful A17 Pro chip, faster connectivity, and support for Apple Pencil Pro, the new iPad mini delivers the full iPad experience in our most portable design at an incredible value."
Boosted Performance with A17 Pro
The inclusion of the A17 Pro chip delivers a substantial performance boost, offering a 30% increase in CPU speed and 25% faster GPU performance compared to the previous generation's A15 Bionic chip. This enhancement means smoother multitasking, faster photo editing, and a more immersive gaming experience, thanks to hardware-accelerated ray tracing that's four times faster than before.
Apple Intelligence Integration
One of the standout features of the new iPad mini is its support for Apple Intelligence. This AI-powered system introduces a range of new capabilities:
- Writing Tools: Refine text by rewriting, proofreading, and summarizing across apps like Mail, Notes, and Pages.
- Enhanced Siri: A more deeply integrated Siri offers natural language understanding, maintains context across multiple requests, and now features a sleek new design with an elegant glowing light around the screen's edge.
- Photos Enhancements: New features like the Clean Up tool allow users to remove distracting objects from photos without affecting the main subject.
Apple Intelligence features will begin rolling out with iPadOS 18.1 later this month and will continue to expand over the coming months.
Photo via Apple Inc. // Apple Intelligence Writing Tools on iPad mini 7.
Design and Additional Features
Retaining its beloved 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display, the new iPad mini now comes in four finishes, including two new colors: blue and purple, alongside starlight and space gray. It also supports the latest Apple Pencil Pro, introduced earlier this year with the iPad Pro models, offering users new ways to be productive and creative on the go.
Other notable upgrades include:
- Increased Base Storage: Starting storage has doubled from 64GB to 128GB.
- Faster Connectivity: Support for Wi-Fi 6e ensures faster internet speeds and more reliable connections.
- Camera Improvements: A 12MP wide back camera with Smart HDR 4 for enhanced dynamic range and machine learning capabilities for document scanning.
Photo via Apple Inc. // The new iPad mini 7 is ready for Apple Intelligence, according to Apple.
Pricing and Availability
Starting at $499 for the 128GB model, the new iPad mini offers significant value for an ultraportable tablet packed with high-end features. Pre-orders are available now, with the device hitting stores on October 23. For those needing more storage, configurations go up to $799.
As someone who's always appreciated the iPad mini's balance of portability and performance, this update feels particularly exciting. The inclusion of the A17 Pro chip and Apple Intelligence positions the mini not just as a smaller tablet but as a powerful tool capable of handling demanding tasks—whether you're editing photos, playing graphics-intensive games, or multitasking across apps.
With Apple's iPad segment showing a 24% year-over-year growth after introducing new models since 2022, it's clear the company is investing heavily in its tablet lineup. The new iPad mini seems poised to continue that momentum, appealing to users who want the full iPad experience in a compact form factor.
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