Malcolm Owen
The first reviews for the new iPad mini are out, and the general consensus is that it's a relatively safe update that depends on Apple Intelligence to be worthwhile.
Apple's update to the iPad mini introduces relatively few changes to the form. It is practically the definition of a spec-bump update, with the main change being the A17 Pro chip, while everything else remains static.
This is certainly a play to make it a device consumers could buy to use Apple Intelligence on a tablet. At least, without buying a Pro.
iPad mini 7
The initial wave of reviews have surfaced, and have certainly picked up on the idea that it's an internals-focused update.
Wired
Wired picked up on how there are few reasons for a sixth-gen iPad mini owner to pick up the new model, with it still having a 60Hz display and the same front-facing camera position.
However, Apple Intelligence will "transform the experience, even if slightly." The more interesting stuff, like ChatGPT integration in Siri, will come later.
"For newcomers or anyone with an older Mini, this is otherwise a great tiny tablet. With a modern chip that supports the latest software smarts and accessories, the iPad Mini has been future-proofed for the next few years."
Engadget
The Engadget review declares the update as "safe" and "boring" from the outset. "What's new here can be summed up quickly: more storage, support for the Apple Pencil Pro and, most crucially, a more powerful chip."
While using the same aesthetics, there still "isn't a lot to complain about when it comes to the iPad mini's design." The core of it is solid, and even webcam placement isn't really that much of a bother.
For the A17 Pro, there's discussion about the "weird bit of minor nerfing" when it comes to the GPU, but it's doubted that anyone will truly notice it.
The update is a typical one "that focuses on software and internal hardware rather than a flashy redesign. But that's OK." It's still a "solid performer" that is a great "little couch computing companion."
The Verge
The iPad mini "represents a new low for the product," The Verge starts out. "It feels like an iPad designed by a supply chain, not by someone who actually wants you to like the product. "
Despite the strong opening, it's still deemed "a perfectly good tablet, of course." However the only reason to buy it is "because it's the iPad Mini. It has little else going for it."
When pushed, the new chip has its limits, but in everyday use, it "feels one beat faster than the last model." However, it "still matters that the Mini is "relatively underpowered."
The review concludes, damningly, "Apple Intelligence better be a hell of an upgrade because, without it, the new Mini isn't much of an upgrade at all."
Wesley Hilliard
Christine McKee
Amber Neely
William Gallagher
6 Comments
I wouldn’t upgrade from a mini 6 to a mini 7. However, I have a mini 5 and the 7 was a first day order for me. I’ve been wanting to replace my mini 5 for a few months, but no way was I going to buy a 6 this late in the cycle. Mini 7 makes perfect sense for those of us who like the mini and have 5 or older. ($125 trade in credit is icing on the cake)
The heady days of compelling reasons to upgrade with each new model has long passed. It makes sense for Apple to keep bumping specs but it doesn’t make sense for consumers to get each one
I find it weird that none of the reviewers mentioned Smart Script. To me this is the keyboard killer feature, if it works like it should.
I think it's too expensive
Funny, isn't it? The complete redesign of the iPad Mini that gave us the 6 three years ago was greeted with rave reviews. And now that same design is trash, it's lazy, it's outdated, blah, blah, blah. Nevermind that Apple never redesigns a product in the first iteration after an overhaul. (This is a typical tactic in Apple criticism--criticizing Apple for not doing something that it never does.) And nevermind that the Mini is completely consistent with the design language of the whole iPad lineup. Apple needed to change the design because the technosphere niche that has nothing to do with the Mini target market demands it.
Where's the M chip? Where's the OLED display? Where's the ProMotion refresh rate? Yeah, I'm waiting on Mazda to deliver a Lambo Urus at the price of my CX-5, too. What do you think is taking so long? If you want an iPad Mini Pro, that's easy enough to get: it's called the iPad Pro 11". You can buy one today. What's that? Oh, you want all the Pro goodies, but you want them at a Mini price point. Got it. Same for me: Urus at the price of a CX-5. Which one of us do you think will get our wish first?
The Mini 7 is everything that a model refresh should be--which is to say, it's everything that the Airpods Max "2" wasn't--and it came with a gigantic price cut to boot! If you needed more than 64GB of storage with the MIni 6, the price jumped from $499 to $649 -- that's a 30% jump in price to get 256GB of storage, which was the minimum amount you could buy above 64GB. Now $499 buys you 128GB, which will be a comfortable amount for many if not most of the Mini target market buyers. $499 also gets you a chip that's two generations ahead of the 6 and bench tests at 25-30% faster, Apple Intelligence compatibility, updated wifi and Bluetooth specs that match the M4 iPad Pros, a much faster USB-C port, faster 5G cellular support (mmWave) and Apple Pencil Pro support.
By the way, even now with the price cuts on the Mini 6, if you want more than 64GB of storage, it's not a good deal vs the 7. Best Buy is charging $549 for the Mini 6 256GB model--$50 more than the base 7 with 128GB, which is the superior iPad in many other ways. The lack of Apple Intelligence compatibility is also going to seriously ding the resale price of a 6 when it's time to upgrade.