A Closer Look at the New Apple iPad Mini 2024

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As a seasoned tech enthusiast with years of experience under my belt, I must say that the new iPad Mini has truly captured my heart. Coming from someone who’s juggled numerous devices for various purposes, this little powerhouse stands out as a perfect blend of portability and performance.

Following a long wait since 2021, Apple subtly unveiled an upgraded version of their compact tablet, the iPad Mini, a few weeks back. This latest reveal is part of Apple’s bustling activity in the tablet sector this year, which also included refreshed versions of the iPad Pro and iPad Air earlier on. Over the past fortnight, we’ve been testing out the new iPad Mini; read further for our comprehensive review.

Initially, it’s important to note that the latest iPad Mini carries a similar appearance to its predecessor. This isn’t necessarily a drawback, as Apple significantly overhauled the design of its compact tablet in 2021. The makeover included eliminating the physical home button and sharpening the corners, giving rise to the iPad Mini “6”. These modifications led to a more streamlined appearance that resembled the iPad Pro. All these design enhancements have been carried forward into the iPad Mini “7”, which was launched in 2024.

iPad Mini 2021 (top) compared to iPad Mini 2024 (bottom). [Photo: Felix Young]

Aside from being a slightly lighter shade of Space Grey, the only visible difference between the 2021 and 2024 (right) iPad Minis is the branding on the back. [Photo: Felix Young]

In terms of the revamped iPad Mini, it appears that enhancements made under the hood are what set it apart. The primary improvement is the incorporation of a new processor, specifically, the A17 Pro chipset, which was previously utilized in last year’s iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max models. Although not the most recent chipset from Apple, the transition has led to substantial improvements in the device’s processing capabilities. According to Apple, this new chip provides a performance boost of around “30 percent” compared to its predecessor, and our hands-on experience corroborates this claim, as the new iPad Mini felt significantly smoother when multitasking between various applications. Even with resource-intensive apps like Adobe Premiere Pro and Lightroom, we experienced no lag during use, and have been editing on-the-go for the past few days. Moreover, even when using Google Chrome with multiple tabs open (23 at the time of writing), the device handled it effortlessly. In summary, Apple’s claimed “30 percent” improvement seems to be an accurate assessment.

Beyond the points already made, we found that the A17 Pro chip significantly enhanced the gaming experience on the new iPad Mini. To put it simply, this tablet stands out as the best compact device for gaming currently available. Gaming on it is a delight. The screen size offers an immersive experience across various games, accurately representing colors, while the built-in stereo speakers deliver sound with a warm, clear tone; however, headphones provided a more immersive and intense experience. Even gaming outside was unexpectedly enjoyable, thanks to the iPad Mini’s brightness of 500 nits and its LCD display performing well even in the daylight. In general, the LCD screen met or exceeded our expectations, though an OLED display would have been preferred (perhaps next time, Apple?). However, even without the benefits typically associated with OLED displays, such as deep blacks and higher contrast, this wasn’t very noticeable – likely because of its size, making the screen small enough to work well in most situations.

You can expect a consistent 60 frames per second on Call of Duty: Mobile, thanks to the iPad’s upgraded processor. [Photo: Felix Young]Among the games we tested on this new iPad Mini were first-person shooters like Call of Duty: Mobile, which really maximized the display’s 60Hz refresh rate and provided a buttery smooth 60 frames per second consistently, as well Alien: Isolation, a much slower and more atmospheric experience that allowed us to see what the iPad Mini’s LCD display could do with darker environments. Both games were incredibly fun to play on the 8.3-inch display, especially when paired with this telescoping controller by GameSir, and it felt like we’d just invented a new handheld console. Mobile gaming has come a long way in the last few years and, until recently, it felt like Apple didn’t take gaming on its devices too seriously; the Android platform has always offered a much larger library of mobile games, but with the performance potential of the new iPad Mini we expect to see more developers working on Apple ports of their games; so, while we’re happy to say this 2024 iPad Mini is the best small tablet you can get for gaming, it comes with the caveat that this is limited by the library available to you in the Apple App Store.

In the latest iPad Mini model, Apple boosted the RAM from 4GB to 8GB, a doubling compared to its predecessor. Alongside an upgraded processor, this enhancement has resulted in overall improved performance. However, it’s essential to note that a significant factor behind this increased RAM is Apple’s foray into AI technology – Apple Intelligence. Although Apple Intelligence has started in the US, it won’t be fully available in the UK until December. We’ve been evaluating the new iPad Mini from our London office before its widespread availability.

The latest iPads feature 128GB of storage as their standard option, which is twice the amount found in the previous models, with 256GB and 512GB also available. This increase in storage is a welcome update considering how quickly 64GB can fill up. Additionally, the new iPads include Wi-Fi 6E, an upgrade from Wi-Fi 6, providing a faster and more reliable connection, placing the iPad Mini on par with the flagship iPad Pro M4 in terms of connectivity. However, a change that we might reconsider is the removal of the SIM card tray from the cellular model, meaning the iPad Mini can now only use eSIMs. This may be inconvenient for some users, particularly travelers who previously appreciated the iPad Mini’s ability to accept physical SIMs and connect to local networks during their travels.

The iPad Mini is now compatible with Pencil Pro. [Photo: Felix Young]Apple’s tiniest tablet is now compatible with its Pencil Pro, and its advanced features feel right at home on this smaller screen. Editing in Photoshop and Lightroom, for example, feels more intuitive thanks to the Pencil Pro’s hover functionality that allowsyou to see an on screen preview of where your stylus will touch down. We found it was most effective when smaller and more detailed edits were called for, such as while retouching imagery, and while the new Mini is still compatible with the old Pencil, we probably couldn’t go back.

The cameras on the iPad Mini are straightforward, performing their duties adequately but lacking the advanced capabilities of more sophisticated devices like the iPhone 16 Pro. There is a single 12-megapixel wide camera at the back, while the front boasts an ultra-wide 12-megapixel selfie camera. These cameras handle everyday content and video calls effectively, but don’t anticipate professional-grade results.

The iPad Mini stands out as one of Apple’s less common offerings yet is often underestimated. Some find it too compact while others think it lacks sufficient processing capabilities. However, it caters to a specific market niche and no other tablet at this size can match its performance and construction quality. Despite only minor updates from the previous model (2021), these changes are significant enough to enhance key aspects: increased RAM, larger base-level storage, enhanced processing power, faster Wi-Fi, compatibility with Pencil Pro, and the integration of Apple Intelligence. It’s not a universal iPad, but it might just be the most enjoyable one.

Presently, you can purchase the freshly released iPad Mini in four distinct hues, among which are two brand-new shades – blue and purple. Additionally, it comes with three varying storage capacities, with the base price set at $499 USD.

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2024-10-30 00:26