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Specs Appeal: Comparing iPad mini 7 with iPad mini 6 and iPad mini 5

iPad mini 7

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.

iPad mini 7
It now says "iPad mini" on the back instead of just "iPad."

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.
iPad mini 7

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.

The iPad mini 5
The mini 5 looks pretty old-school by modern standards.

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.

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