It has been three years since Apple last refreshed its iPad Mini line. The earlier sixth-generation iPad Mini, or iPad Mini 6, was released on 24 September 2021, and it featured cosmetic uplifts and newer hardware specifications. The seventh-generation iPad Mini, or iPad Mini 7, still looks like its predecessor, but it now packs a more powerful system-on-a-chip and is specifically built to take full advantage of the latest version of iPadOS and Apple Intelligence. This article reviews and highlights the pros and cons of the iPad Mini 7.
What is New and What is Bad with the iPad Mini 7: Advantages and Disadvantages Highlight
Pros of iPad Mini 7: Notable Features and Advantages
1. Better and More Powerful Chip
The biggest upgrade to the iPad Mini line is the system-on-a-chip. The iPad Mini 7 is powered by the Apple A17 Pro. This same chip powers the 2023-2024 flagship iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. It is built on the 3nm process of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company and features a six-core CPU and a five-core GPU with hardware-accelerated ray tracing.
Hence, with a newer chip, one key advantage of the iPad Mini 7 is that it is 16 percent faster than its predecessor in overall CPU performance based on benchmark testing scores using AnTuTu 10. It is also 31.56 percent faster in single-core performance and 29.27 percent in multi-core performance than the iPad Mini 6 based on benchmark scores from Geekbench 6.
The integrated GPU is also faster and better. The A17 Pro scored 21.65 percent higher at 537003 than the 432105 score of the iPad Mini 6 in AnTuTu 10. 3DMark Wildlife Performance score is about 6.96 percent higher. The hardware-based ray tracing also makes this smaller iPad a more powerful mobile gaming device than can rival gaming-oriented smartphones.
2. Same Apple Liquid Retina Display
Note that the iPad Mini 7 uses a display panel with the same technical specifications as its predecessor. It sports an 8.3-inch in-plane switching or IPS LCD panel at 326 PPI pixel density. Apple has branded the LCDs it features on its devices as Liquid Retina. It has a maximum brightness of 500 nits and supports P3 color gamut and Apple True Tone.
The Liquid Retina display used in this device is also laminated. This means that there is no air gap between the top glass and the LCD panel. The benefit of this is that it reduces reflection, improves brightness, enhances overall display quality, and prevents the accumulation of dust and moisture. A laminated display also improved touch-based and stylus-based inputs.
Nevertheless, while it is true that the aforementioned specifications are the same as the previous iPad Mini 6, and although there are better and new display technologies out there, the Liquid Retina display has some advantages. These include lower production costs without sacrificing quality. It also has a longer lifespan due to lesser susceptibility to burn-ins and moisture damage.
3. Designed For Artificial Intelligence
Another notable selling point of the iPad Mini 7 is that it is built for the much-hyped on-device and end-use artificial intelligence applications called Apple Intelligence. This represents a suite of practical AI-related features. Its introduction marks the adherence of Apple to the ongoing AI revolution as part of its general AI strategy across all of its products and services.
Personal assistance is the central focus of Apple Intelligence through specific assistive and smart features. It also introduces a new Siri that is based on a generative AI chatbot and makes it better at understanding user requests and taking actions on behalf of apps. The generative AI features are built on-device and assist in writing, mathematical equations, and image editing.
Apple Intelligence is made possible through the 16-core Neural Engine of the A17 Pro. This dedicated AI accelerator can perform about 35 trillion operations per second. This enables on-device AI inferencing on iPad Mini 7. Furthermore, for processing larger AI models or integration with third-party models, the device has access to Apple Private Cloud Compute.
4. Other Notable Features and Upgrades
The iPad Mini 7 supports both the Apple Pencil Pro and Apple Pencil USB-C. The previous iPad Mini only has support for Apple Pencil 2 and Apple Pencil USB-C while the entry-level iPad only has support for Apple Pencil 1. Nevertheless, with a stylus-based input, this device is capable of different productivity use cases ranging from note-taking to graphics design.
Apple has also improved the connectivity features of the iPad Mini 7. The USB-C port supports data transfer rates of up to 10Gbps. Note that the previous generation only has support for up to 5Gbps. Wi-Fi is based on Wi-Fi 6E and there is Bluetooth 5.3. The cellular model of this device still has 5G connectivity based on the specific sub-6 GHz 5G specification and standard.
Storage starts at 128GB. There are variants with 256GB and 512GB storage. RAM is at 8GB. These are welcome improvements. Take note that one of the criticisms of the older iPad Mini 6 is that it is only available at 64GB and 256GB and 4GB of RAM. The newer iPad now comes with a higher base storage space and better memory at the same introductory price.
Cons of iPad Mini 6: Main Issues and Disadvantages
1. Inherits Previous Design Principles
There is no drastic design difference between the iPad Mini 7 and the iPad Mini 6 except for an “iPad Mini” inscription on the back. Both look the same and have the same dimensions. The two feature the same slimmer and equally-sized bezels that characterized the 11-inch second-generation iPad Pro and have now become universal across all models of the entire iPad line.
Some would say that the absence of cosmetic change does not warrant an upgrade from the older generation. It is important to note that it takes Apple at least three to four generations to implement drastic changes in the design principles of a particular product line. The bezels are thinner but they are not as thin as the iPad Pro. The chassis is not as slim as the iPad Air.
There are also no provisions for an external keyboard. Apple does not have any plan to develop a trackpad-bearing Magic Keyboard or at least the Magic Keyboard Folio for the iPad Mini line and users have to depend on third-party Bluetooth-enabled keyboard accessories. This limits the use cases of the device and makes it a true tablet in the traditional sense.
2. Snags of the Liquid Retina Display
The Liquid Retina display based on IPS LCD technology has several advantages over the more popular OLED display panels or Super Retina display. However, considering its price point, some target consumers might feel that the device should sport newer display technology. Companies like Samsung and Xiaomi have been using OLEDs in their mid-range tablets.
It is important to note that OLED displays are preferred by a sizeable number of consumers and tech enthusiasts because of their higher contrast ratio from producing deeper and natural blacks. They also have wider viewing angles. The closer alternative to this display technology is the MicroLED display technology or a Mini-LED-backlit IPS LCD scheme.
Another disadvantage of the iPad Mini 7, especially when it comes to its display screen, is the lack of a higher or faster screen refresh rate. The Liquid Retina display still has the standard 60 Hz refresh rate similar to its predecessor, the entry-level iPad, and the iPad Air. Apple reserves the better adaptive screen display for the iPad Pro with a 120 Hz refresh rate.
3. Concerns Over the Apple A17 Pro Chip
It is important to underscore the fact that the Apple A17 Pro system-on-a-chip remains powerful even when compared to the range of flagship-level Android tablets launched in late 2023 and 2024. However, for other observers and enthusiasts, this chip is old. Apple earlier announced the A18 Pro chip. This newer chip powers the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max.
The newer A18 Pro chip is 30 percent faster than the A17 Pro chip. The CPU scores of this chip for single-core and multi-core performance in Geekbench are greater than the Apple M1 and the GPU scores are comparable. It is also more energy efficient. Efficiency is the biggest selling point of the A18 Pro and this is a critical specification that a smaller tablet should take advantage.
Another issue with the iPad Mini 7 is that the A17 Pro used in this device is not similar to the ones used in the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. It is a downgraded version. The official spec sheet for this device shows that it only has a 5-core GPU compared to the original 6-core GPU. Note that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 outperforms the 6-core GPU of the A17 Pro.
4. Other Notable Issues and Drawbacks
This new device still sports Apple Touch ID for biometrics-based security. There is no Face ID. Some might find the use of a fingerprint-based security feature an outdated choice. This might be true for seasoned users of newer generations of iPhones. Face ID is more convenient. However, equipping the iPad Mini 7 with Face ID will increase its cost and end-use price.
Others might find the absence of a physical SIM card slot for the cellular version of this device unappealing. Apple has been leaning toward electronic SIM even in the latest generations of iPad Air and iPad Pro. An eSIM should not be a problem because setting it up or transferring it to another device is not a complicated process. It is still unideal for regular SIM switching cases.
This device also does not come with a charger. This is particularly true for devices sold in the European Union and the United Kingdom. The latest generations of the iPad Air and iPad Pro have also ditched the bundled charger in the European market. This decision comes from adhering to EU regulations against e-waste and is part of the environmental strategy of Apple.
iPad Mini 7 Features Review Verdict: Advantages and Disadvantages in a Nutshell
The biggest improvement in the seventh-generation iPad Mini or the iPad Mini 7 is the faster and better Apple A17 Pro system-on-a-chip. The performance difference between this device and the older iPad Mini 6 and even the entry-level iPad is significant. The faster CPU and GPU make it capable of somewhat demanding tasks like extended mobile gaming and video editing.
Other welcome improvements are the higher storage space starting at 126GB and the higher 8GB of system memory from the Unified Memory Architecture. These specifications make it more capable of running the most modern apps and supporting multi-tasking features. The higher storage configuration and memory future-proof and extend its usable practical lifespan.
Furthermore, with the better Neural Engine, another strength of the iPad Mini 7 is that it is built for running Apple Intelligence. Older generations of the entire iPad line, even the first to fourth generations of the iPad Pro, which are still very capable devices with powerful A-series chips, do not support this suite of on-device and cloud-based artificial intelligence features.
The most notable and important improvements end with the aforementioned. The updates are not huge. They are still not bad. Nevertheless, for average users who use their iPad Mini 6 and even the iPad Mini 5 for casual internet browsing, social media, and watching on-demand videos, there are no good reasons to update. The older generations are still capable and usable.