New 2024 iPad mini can game Apple Intelligence like an A17 Pro
Apple's long-rumored 2024 iPad mini is finally official, and it brings with it a huge jump in performance power under the hood that is there to run Apple Intelligence. In addition, besides the starlight and space gray colors, the fresh iPad mini (7th gen) now comes in two more pastel new hues of blue and purple for every taste.
We've been waiting for the 2024 iPad mini since the spring's Let Loose event, but only got a new Apple Pencil. Some hopes were left for the WWDC, but it didn't arrive then, either, though we got an iPad Air with M2 chipset to review during the summer. Fast-forward to the iPhone 16 brouhaha, and the iPad mini was nowhere to be seen, either, what gives?
Now, however, Apple simply issued a presser to push out its 2024 iPad mini tablet, and it is every bit as powerful as it was made out to be in rumors and speculation.
2024 iPad mini specs and Apple Intelligence
- 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display
- Apple A17 Pro chip
- 12 MP wide back camera with Smart HDR 4
- 128GB storage
- iPadOS 18
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For starters, the new iPad mini comes with the latest and greatest... 2023 processor of Apple, the A17 Pro. Apple is waxing poetic how the A17 Pro is a powerful chip that beats the A15 Bionic in the previous iPad mini thanks to its 6-core CPU for a 30% faster performance, or how it brings a graphics boost thanks to the penta-core graphics subsystem that is now 25% than the iPAd mini (6th gen).
In reality, this is the same processor and GPU combination that Apple uses to power the iPhone 15 Pro Max, and that's about it. It is still a powerful piece of silicon that has no issue with running Apple Intelligence AI calculations. Apple is specifically singling out Apple Intelligence features that the 2024 iPad mini is capable of running now:
Deeply integrated into iPadOS 18, Apple Intelligence harnesses the power of Apple silicon and Apple-built generative models to understand and create language and images, take action across apps, and draw from personal context to simplify and accelerate everyday tasks.
Apple, October '24
In short, everything AI that the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 crop can run, the iPad mini can run, too, from contextual Siri and ChatGPT integration, to transcriptions and Image Playground that creates AI-enhanced pictures with the flick of the finger.
Thanks to the A17 Pro chipset, however, the new iPad mini is also a powerful gaming machine that brings hardware-accelerated ray tracing to the 8-inch display. Apple is quick to point out that it is 4x faster than software-based ray tracing and also offers support for Dynamic Caching and hardware-accelerated mesh shading, all in the name of the good game.
In addition, since the new 7th gen iPad mini supports Apple Pencil, it can take advantage of the AI-powered Image Wand tool that can turn a quick sketch into a polished image. The Apple Pencil Pro, in particular, can be stored on the iPad mini via its new magnetic interface to pair and charge, while the 2024 iPad mini also supports the latest Apple Pencil with USB-C for quick note-taking or doodling on a budget.
There is no other device in the world like iPad mini, beloved for its combination of powerful performance and versatility in our most ultraportable design. iPad mini appeals to a wide range of users and has been built for Apple Intelligence, delivering intelligent new features that are powerful, personal, and private. With the powerful A17 Pro chip, faster connectivity, and support for Apple Pencil Pro, the new iPad mini delivers the full iPad experience in our most portable design at an incredible value.
Bob Borchers, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing, October '24
2024 iPad mini price and release date
- $499 (128GB)
- October 23
Apple is putting the iPad mini (7th gen) up for preorder today, October 15, in 29 countries and regions, and will release it in stores and online on Wednesday, October 23. As mentioned, the 2024 iPad mini colors are the new blue and purple, as well as starlight and space gray.
As for pricing, the 2024 iPad mini starts at $499 for the Wi-Fi model and $649 for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model with 128GB of storage, double the last iPad mini edition. There are also 256GB and 512GB iPad mini versions that will run you $599 and $799, respectively, but for the price of the latter one may be better off with the next iPad level, unless they are bent on the compact form factor.
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