Apple is updating the iPad mini for the first time in years, and this new version is the most powerful yet. The seventh-generation iPad mini comes equipped with the A17 Pro chip, the same one found in the iPhone 15 Pro. It also features a 16-core Neural Engine, designed to support Apple’s advanced AI technology.
According to Apple’s VP of Worldwide Product Marketing, Bob Borchers, the iPad mini is built with Apple Intelligence in mind, offering powerful, personal, and private features. With the A17 Pro chip, faster connectivity, and support for the Apple Pencil Pro, it brings the full iPad experience in a small, portable package.
While the iPad mini uses the A17 Pro chip, it’s important to note that it’s not as powerful as the newest iPhone chips. The iPad mini seems to use a “binned” version of the chip, which means that it has been slightly downgraded by deactivating some of the cores that aren’t working perfectly. For example, Apple’s website shows that the iPad mini has a 6-core CPU and a 5-core GPU, compared to the full A17 Pro, which has a 6-core GPU.
One of the exciting new features is support for the Apple Pencil Pro, making it the first iPad mini to offer this capability.
You can preorder the iPad mini 7 now from Apple, Walmart, Best Buy, or Amazon, with prices starting at $499 for the Wi-Fi version with 128 GB of storage. The official launch is set for October 23rd.
