iPad mini (A17 Professional) assessment: small, (can be) good

iPad mini seventh gen Intro

The iPad mini 7, or iPad mini (A17 Professional), dropped with little fanfare. Introduced in a press launch and shortly going up on the market, it is a refresh of the iPad mini from 2022. Similar form and dimension, seemingly the identical “points”, new {hardware} inside.

Why was this replace dropped? There are two new issues that Apple added. The brand new iPad mini isn’t appropriate with the brand new Apple Pencil Professional and the Apple Pencil USB-C, which is technically an Apple Pencil gen 1 with a USB C port for charging, eliminating the awkward dongles.

So, in a nutshell, the iPad mini seventh gen vs iPad mini sixth gen comparability comes right down to — AI and Apple Pencil Professional. Is there extra beneath the hood? We dive in:

Desk of Contents:

iPad mini 7 Specs

Mini in physique, big in spirit!

Let’s kick it off with a fast take a look at the iPad mini 7 specs sheet:

iPad mini 7 Design and Show

Like a mini-fied iPad Air

Pill within the palm of your hand (Picture credit score – PhoneArena)

Publish-2022 iPads lastly appears very comparable — there aren’t any extra iPads which have house buttons, and different ones that characteristic the newer “all-screen” design. The lineup is uniform and even for those who purchase the most affordable one, you continue to really feel prefer it’s a contemporary iPad from Apple from the identical line the Professionals come from.

In different phrases — the iPad mini appears similar to a mini-fied iPad Air. Why the Air, precisely? Principally due to the fingerprint Contact ID scanner embedded within the energy button. Sure, the bottom iPad tenth gen has that, too, however the iPad mini has one other defining charasteristic of the higher class Apple tablets, and that is the laminated show.

The physique is small and skinny, and you may simply maintain it in a single hand and carry it round like an outsized smartphone. It might even slot in some jean pockets, we have tried. Do not sit down with it in your again pocket, although.

Show Measurements:

Although it is tiny, the iPad mini presents professional options like a P3 broad coloration gamut, so artists that need to decide one up for on-the-go sketching and graphic design will respect this. The staple coloration temperature changes — True Tone and Evening Shift — are, after all, baked into iPadOS and you may toggle them on for extra comfy viewing and studying.

Does the iPad mini 7 nonetheless have the jello impact when scrolling up and down quickly? Sure. We really feel prefer it’s much less distinguished, however it’s nonetheless there. You will get used to it — customers of the iPad mini 6 have — however it’s nonetheless a little bit of a disappointment. However then once more, we guess becoming a lot tech, plus Apple Pencil Professional assist, plus stereo audio system in such a tiny pill will take its toll someplace.

Apple made positive to notice that the iPad mini helps Bluetooth keyboards. That means that no, there is not any Magic Keyboard or Keyboard Folio for it, sadly, however for those who actually actually need to, you’ll be able to flip it into a kind machine for those who hunt for the best keyboard.

iPad mini 7 Digicam

Good day, is it me you are searching for?

There’s nothing particular right here, actually, however tablets do not put lots of emphasis on cameras, well so. You are not taking this factor out on a hike or at a rock live performance to file memorabilia with — we do not suppose — however you continue to have a loads competent 12 MP digital camera to seize fast snaps or scan paperwork with.

The 12 MP selfie digital camera has the ultra-wide lens, so the iPad mini additionally presents Middle Stage, similar to the opposite iPads. That is Apple’s software program characteristic, the place the digital camera can intelligently zoom and pan round to comply with you, and even zoom out when two faces are available body. It is fairly cool, and we like utilizing it, because it would not pin you down to 1 awkward spot throughout an extended assembly.

iPad mini 7 Efficiency & Benchmarks

Apple Intelligence isn’t essentially the most thrilling factor about it

Tiny gaming machine!

From what we are able to speculate, the primary motive for this replace was to provide the iPad mini the A17 Professional processor, so it is able to working Apple Intelligence. The pill itself is taken into account by Apple to be extra on the premium aspect and fewer on the “primary iPad” group.

So, sure, clearly, A17 Professional means you’re going to get the Picture Playground, the ChatGPT integration, the Clear Up in Photographs for generative deleting of objects, and the textual content help, with AI spell-checking, producing replies, or rephrasing your emails.

However the A17 Professional is able to doing greater than that. It is the bottom requirement for working the console-grade video games on the App Retailer (at the moment, Murderer’s Creed, Resident Evil, and Dying Stranding franchises, however who is aware of what the longer term holds). That may be a bonus — we’re not going to faux that, in a world the place the Steam Deck, ROG Ally, and Nintendo Change exist, the iPad mini is the most effective moveable gaming machine.

Nonetheless, it is actually a pleasant bonus. With iPadOS’s third get together controller assist (now not locked to MFi), which means the iPad mini can go out of your e book reader, to your small sketch machine, to your moveable gaming console, which is fairly big for those who occur to be in the best area of interest. 

Efficiency Benchmarks:

You’ll discover that the iPad mini would not throttle by an entire lot when working the 3DMark stress take a look at, which is excellent information. Its battery additionally lasts for a shocking size of time, however extra on that within the Battery part. Normally, it is a surprisingly highly effective machine for the shape issue.

Now for the dangerous information. Although the A17 Professional ought to be capable to run Stage Supervisor, you’ll be able to’t activate that on the iPad mini 7. Stage Supervisor is Apple’s tackle desktop-like multitasking for tablets. iPads from the Air and up run it wither with an exterior display linked, or on the pill’s show autonomously. It might’ve been good for the iPad mini to have the ability to run it when linked to an enormous display or exterior hub, however alas — no.

iPad mini 7 Software program

iPads include iPadOS, which is mainly iOS spun as much as have some additional options for split-screen viewing and Apple Pencil assist. The most recent construct is iPadOS 18. To be extra exact, iPadOS 18.1.

So, the 18th construct introduced in some customization choices that customers have been begging for for years. Specifically, now you can organize your homescreen nevertheless you need. App icons do not merely go into rows — you’ll be able to put them anyplace.

You too can add additional screens and panels to the Management Middle, which actually will get a bit complicated — we assume that most individuals will keep on with the traditional Management Middle and never dabble with it an excessive amount of.

And you’ll have your app icon colours set to a monochrome look to… combined aesthetic outcomes.

Now, with iPadOS 18.1, we acquired the primary batch of Apple Intelligence options. Most of them must do with textual content — like reply technology, change the tone of your e-mail, superior spellcheck after all. There’s additionally the Clear Up instrument in Photographs — mainly like Google’s Magic Eraser, you’ll be able to delete objects and the AI will regenerate a background behind them.

In December, we’ll get iPadOS 18.2 with extra options – ChatGPT integration to the purpose the place you’ll be able to ask Siri to relay your queries to ChatGPT, in addition to Visial Playground, which is Apple’s AI picture generator. Will probably be built-in all through iPadOS — inside Notes, inside Messages, it is going to be in a position to pull context from what’s on display to make a picture, or generate emoji or stickers, too.

PhoneArena Battery and Charging Take a look at Outcomes:

Surprisingly well-rounded! The truth is, the iPad mini (A17 Professional) did outstandingly nicely in our gaming take a look at, which does convey again the purpose from the gaming part that it could double as your moveable gaming machine (we nonetheless do not suppose that ought to be its major perform).

So far as charging it again up, it is not a velocity champ right here. half-hour on the broad with a forty five W charger will solely get you 22% of battery. So, plan your charging classes nicely.

And, since it is a pill, no — there is not any wi-fi charging. There are some third get together options, like Pitaka instances which have a USB C connector and proprietary charging pins on their backs, so you’ll be able to slap the pill on a magnetic stand and have it cost. However that is all completely different model options, and never Apple’s plan.

The iPad mini has two audio system on its high and backside — when turned horizontally, they’re stereo audio system left and proper. Apple calls it “panorama stereo”. So sure, you’ll be able to watch motion pictures or YouTube movies with this. The display is kind of tiny, however for those who want leisure on the go, it is an choice. And sure, it really works for gaming.

The audio system positively sound above common. They aren’t as deep or detailed as on the iPad Air, after all, that has extra room. However, with out evaluating them, we might say the iPad mini’s audio system sound surprisingly good, no harshness, good element within the mids, sufficient bass.

Must you purchase it?

The iPad mini is a really area of interest machine for a really particular sort of consumer. It isn’t an iPad that has been mini-fied to be cheaper — it is a premium iPad that has been made smaller for people who want such a tiny pill.

In different phrases, if you’re one of many individuals who would discover use for it, you in all probability have your thoughts set on it. The truth is, you in all probability personal an iPad mini sixth gen. Is that this one higher and price going for?

Nicely, it’s going to positively work nice with Closing Reduce and Logic for iPad if that is what you need to do on the small display. We think about that most individuals that use an iPad mini for some sort of productive work are those that sketch and write notes with the Apple Pencil on the go. They will additionally anticipate some additional worth with the AI built-in into Apple Notes and the brand new Apple Pencil Professional (which you need to purchase as nicely).