Apple Announces New iPad Mini with A17 Pro Chip

After Apple launched new M4 iPad Pro and M2 iPad Air models earlier this year, the company is finally refreshing its neglected iPad Mini model. The just-announced 7th gen iPad Mini comes three years after the launch of the previous model, and it adds a more powerful A17 Pro chip for Apple Intelligence features, as well as Apple Pencil Pro support.

This 7th gen iPad Mini keeps the same design as the previous model with an A15 Bionic chip, but it’s available in new colors including blue, purple, starlight, and space gray. The new iPad Mini still starts at $499, but the base model now comes with 128GB of storage instead of 64GB.

The 12MP wide rear camera on the 7th gen iPad Mini is adding support for Apple’s Smart HDR 4 technology to improve image quality. The new mini tablet also adds supports Wi-Fi 6E, and its USB-C port can now transfer data at up to 10Gbps, which up to 2x faster than the previous model.

“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,” said Bob Borchers, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “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.”

With the $129 Apple Pencil Pro, iPad Mini users will get access to advanced features like squeeze, barrel roll, and haptic feedback. Apple Pencil hover is another new feature that will let users visualize the exact orientation of a tool before making a mark.

The 7th gen iPad Mini is available for pre-order starting today, and it will start shipping next week on October 23. The first set of Apple Intelligence features won’t be available until the release of iOS 18.1 on October 28.