Earlier this week, Apple introduced the seventh-generation iPad mini, which, unsurprisingly, packs very few changes when compared to its predecessor. In this Specs Appeal article, we put Apple"s latest pocket-sized iPad side-by-side with the iPad mini 6 from 2021 and the iPad mini 5 from 2019.
In a nutshell, the iPad mini 7 is the same iPad from three years ago with three main upgrades: it now has a much faster A17 Pro processor straight from the iPhone 15 Pro, it now supports Apple Pencil 2 Pro with its fancy new gestures and hover, and it has 128GB of storage in the base configuration with the new 512GB configuration.
Updating the processor from the A15 to the A17 Pro enables the upcoming Apple Intelligence features that Apple plans to release later this month with iPadOS 18.1.
Here are the key changes summed up in a list:
- A new processor with Apple Intelligence support.
- Apple Pencil 2 Pro support.
- Faster USB-C port: 10Gbps over 5Gbps in the mini 6.
- More storage in the base configuration: 128GB vs 64GB.
- Smart HDR 4 support for the rear and front cameras.
- Faster Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity.
- No physical SIM.
- One new color.
Of course, if you want to update from the iPad mini 5 or even older models with the Home button and thick bezels, the list of upgrades will be much more significant and impressive.
Here is a spec-by-spec comparison of the last three generations of iPad mini:
| iPad mini 7 | iPad mini 6 | iPad mini 5 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 195.4 x 134.8 x 6.3 mm, 293 g 7.69 x 5.3 x 0.25", 0.65 lbs | 203.2 x 134.8 x 6.1 mm. 300 g 8.0 x 5.3 x 0.24". 0.66 lbs | |
| Display | 8.3" Liquid Retina IPS, 60Hz 2,266 x 1,488, 326 ppi 500 nits max brightness True Tone, P3 | 7.9" Retina IPS, 60Hz 2,048 x 1,536, 326 ppi 500 nits max brightness True Tone, P3 | |
| Apple Pencil | Apple Pencil 2 Pro Apple Pencil 2 Apple Pencil USB-C | Apple Pencil 2 Apple Pencil USB-C | Apple Pencil |
| Processor | 6-core A17 Pro 5-core GPU 16-core NPU | 6-core A15 Bionic 5-core GPU 16-core NPU | 6-core A12 Bionic 4-core GPU 8-core NPU |
| Apple Intelligence | Supported | Not supported | |
| Storage | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB | 64GB, 256GB | |
| Rear Camera | 12MP f/1.8 camera True Tone Flash Smart HDR 4 | 12MP f/1.8 camera True Tone Flash Smart HDR 3 | 8MP f/2.4 camera Auto HDR |
| Front Camera | 12MP f/2.4 ultra-wide camera Center Stage Smart HDR 4 | 12MP f/2.4 ultra-wide camera Center Stage Smart HDR 3 | 7MP f/2.2 camera Auto HDR |
| Sound | Landscape stereo speakers | Bottom-firing stereo speakers | |
| Security | Touch ID in the top button | Touch ID in the Home button | |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3 5G sub-6 GHz GPS | Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0 5G sub-6 GHz GPS | Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.0 4G LTE GPS |
| SIM | eSIM-only | Nano-SIM eSIM | |
| Port | USB-C 10Gbps | USB-C 5Gbps | Lightning |
| Battery | TBA Wh Up to 10 hours of video playback | 19.3 Wh Up to 10 hours of video playback | 19.1 Wh Up to 10 hours of video playback |
| Colors | Space Gray, Blue, Purple, Starlight | Space Gray, Pink, Purple, Starlight | Space Gray, Silver, Gold |
| Price | $499 | $499 | $399 |
The iPad mini 7 is now available for preorder, with sales starting on October 23, 2024, in 29 countries.