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Apple announced the refresh of the three-year-old iPad mini lineup on Oct 15th, 2024. This formfactor felt a little like a cult classic in the Apple lineup – those who knew, knew. But because it felt a little more niche, there was concern it would get left behind (RIP iPhone Mini models), but clearly this won't be the case.
There's lots of reasons to be pumped about this new model, so let's breakdown the news!
When does the new iPad Mini come out?
Pre-orders for iPad mini are live right now through the Apple website and it will be released October 23, 2024.
What's new with the 2024 iPad Mini?
This will be the 7th generation iPad Mini. It keeps the same size display or 8.3 inches and is nearly identical thickness (shaves off one millimeter to be 6.3 inches deep), so while at first glance it may seem the same as the last gen, there's some nice improvements with the 2024 model:
iPad Mini with A17 Pro Chip
The iPad Mini is sporting the same chip that was used to power 2023s iPhone 15 Pro. This will lead to a performance boost of about a 30 percent faster CPU and a 25 percent boost to graphics performance compared to the previous 6th generation model.
The processor might improve battery life (it's very efficient with the iPhone 15 Pro models) however, we have a much larger screen than the iPhone model, so this will definitely be something I'll want to test out firsthand when I can pick up one of these iPads.
Gaming on iPad Mini
This is where things get the MOST exciting in my opinion. iPad Mini 6th gen was already an AWESOME cloud gaming device. Using it with PlayStation Remote Play makes me question the purpose and existence of the PlayStation Portal (sorry, PlayStation, I love you, but I just don't understand why that handheld exists). Streaming Xbox Game Pass titles on iPad Mini's last gen was also nice (though a few extra hoops to jump through compared to getting PlayStation and compatible Steam titles to stream).
With iPad Mini 7th all those same things will be true, but with the A17 Pro chip it won't JUST be about great streaming games. AAA titles like Resident Evil Village, Death Stranding or Assassin's Creed Mirage will run perfectly right on iPad Mini (this was NOT possible on the 6th gen).
This is going to open up huge development opportunities for console-quality gaming on iPad Mini. Pairing this with a great large-screen mobile control will instantly turn iPad mini into a gaming powerhouse!
Apple Pencil Pro support
This was a pleasant surprise! Apple Pencil Pro was introduced in spring 2024 alongside the M2 iPad Air and the M4 iPad Pro. It makes using a stylus with iPad feel even more intuitive by being able to pull up additional menus and control more actions right from the pencil with some twists and taps.
The new iPad Mini works with Apple Pencil Pro (or the entry-level USB-C Pencil). If you have a regular Apple Pencil from a previous iPad; however, it won't work with this model.
Are you interested in an upgrade?
Aside from the above, a few other things will differentiate iPad Mini from previous generations. You still have four colour options, but two of which are different colours (I like the new Blue and while the 6th gen had a purple shade, the 7th gen version seems to be a different hue).
The biggest change will be Apple Intelligence integration thanks to that A17 Pro chip, but it's still not known when all of the exciting AI features of Apple Intelligence will be available in their entirety, so I'm just gonna focus on the stuff that's going to be cool and easy to enjoy from day one.
Personally I love the size of iPad Mini as a secondary tablet. I MC a lot of events and it's PERFECT for notes for public speaking (small enough to easily carry inside of a suit jacket pocket but large enough to work comfortably on and read from).
I primarily see myself using this for gaming on the go (I have a Steam Deck for portable gaming, but the battery life is atrocious) so I'm very excited to get hands-on with the new iPad Mini.
iPad Mini
The 2024 edition of iPad Mini brings some nice upgrades which will be most notable when using your iPad for gaming, creativity with Apple Pencil Pro and Apple Intelligence.
What do you think about Apple's refresh of this tablet line? Have you ever used a smaller screen tablet, and if so, what for? Feel free to leave a comment in this article or reach out on Instagram to share your thoughts about the new iPad Mini!
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