Apple's new iPad mini has arrived, but does its more powerful A17 Pro chip make it worth paying more for a smaller screen?
After a three-year wait, Apple has finally breathed some new life into its smaller iPad mini. While fans of the new 8.3-inch tablet may be disappointed by the lack of changes on the outside, it’s what’s under the hood that counts, and the 2024 iPad mini packs plenty of power into a tiny frame.
That landscape camera placement subsequently came to the iPad Air and iPad Pro, but it’s one area where the iPad mini remains distinct from the rest of the family. The reason for this inconsistency isn’t entirely clear, but we’re assuming it’s because Apple doesn’t see the iPad mini as a device that will typically be used in landscape orientation; you can pair it with any Bluetooth keyboard, but unlike the full-sized iPads, Apple doesn’t produce any keyboard accessories for the iPad mini.
There’s another small change in this year’s cellular iPad mini that could matter to some people: As with its latest U.S. iPhone models, Apple has dropped the physical SIM card slot to go eSIM-only. That shouldn’t be an obstacle with most North American carriers, but there are other places where eSIM isn’t as widely available. Of course, that’s only relevant if you want to opt for the Wi-Fi + Cellular version, but it’s worth keeping in mind.
Apple iPad mini vs. iPad : performance The iPad mini punches well above its size class in performance. The three-year-old model already packs a faster A15 Bionic chip than the iPad , which only received the A14 Bionic from the iPhone 12 era. This year’s iPad mini leaps even further ahead, moving up to the A17 Pro from the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone Pro Max.
The iPad mini also gains Wi-Fi 6E support, Bluetooth 5.3, and a faster USB-C port that supports USB 3 transfer speeds of up to 10Gbps. The iPad has only Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, and a USB-C port limited to 480Mbps USB 2.0. Neither of the cellular models is equipped for mmWave 5G — only sub-6GHz 5G frequencies.
Apple iPad mini vs. iPad : cameras For most tablet users, getting a top-notch camera isn’t a huge priority, and Apple’s iPad lineup continues to reflect this. Not only is the rear camera on the iPad mini virtually unchanged from its predecessor, but it’s the same as what Apple offers on the rest of the iPad lineup — even the flagship M4 iPad Pro.
If you want to use your tablet for traditional photography, the iPad mini has the obvious edge of being smaller and easier to hold. It’s still pretty unwieldy compared to an iPhone or other smartphone, but it’s much better than taking photos with a full-sized iPad, especially in a crowd.
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