The latest iPad Mini was a long time coming. It was rumoured to launch alongside the OLED iPad Pro and latest iPad Air in May 2024, then at Apple's September 2024 iPhone 16 event. It finally premiered in October 2024 – and it didn't disappoint.
With a new processor geared up for AI smarts, new finishes and a boatload of new features, it looks like the small tablet to beat.
Here's everything you need to know.
iPad Mini 7: price
The previous iPad Mini launched in 2021, so it's unsurprising that the seventh-gen model costs a bit more. It starts at £499 / $499 / AU$799 for the 128GB Wi-Fi model, or £649 / $649 / AU$1049 for the 5G variant.
That's £20 / AU$50 more expensive than the wi-fi-only iPad Mini 6 (the US price remains the same). Not bad, considering how rampant inflation has been in recent years.
iPad Mini 7: specs
As with most of its recent products, Apple is bigging up artificial intelligence (AI) as a big selling point of the iPad Mini 7.
How useful that ends up being depends on what you use your iPad for. Apple has had some issues with its AI smarts (it was making up facts when summarising news reports from trusted sources, for example), but hopefully these bugs will be ironed out soon.
The iPad Mini 7 is powered by the same A17 Pro chip as 2023's iPhone 15 Pro Max. The cynical among you will note that it has a lesser processor than the entry-level iPhone 16e, but is still a big improvement over the A15 Bionic found in the iPad Mini 6.
Apple says it's 30 per cent faster in terms of CPU speed and a 25 per cent more powerful in terms of graphics – good news for gamers and creative types (though both will be better served by the bigger, pricier iPad Pro).
Wi-Fi 6E gives you faster wireless connectivity, and it comes with iPadOS 18.
Other than that, it's business as usual. The iPad Mini 7 has the same 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display as its predecessor, complete with Dolby Vision certification, while the stereo speakers have Dolby Atmos support.
The front-facing camera has been moved to the right-hand edge in landscape mode, in keeping with Apple's other iPads. And TouchID returns for fingerprint recognition.
The iPad Mini 7 comes in four finishes (blue, purple, starlight, space grey), and works with the latest Apple Pencil Pro and Apple Pencil (USB-C) accessories, as well as Apple's new range of smart folio cases.
iPad Mini 7: early verdict
We haven't reviewed the iPad Mini 7 yet, but all signs point to it being another winner for Apple.
It has more power, more features and more style than its five-star predecessor. The iPad Mini 6 was one of the best tablets money can buy – if you want a small model, and your budget can stretch to it, the Mini has been your best bet for years now. We can't see that changing any time soon.
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