Apple doubled the base storage to 128GB on the new iPad mini. Prices start from S$699 for the Wi-Fi model and S$929 for the cellular model. (Photo: Apple)
After three long years, Apple has announced a new iPad mini.
Sporting the same 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display, the new 7th-generation iPad mini is powered by the A17 Pro – the same chip found in the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max.
According to Apple, compared to the A15 Bionic chip on the last-generation iPad mini, the new model delivers a 30% boost in CPU performance and a 25% jump in graphics performance. You can read up about the A17 Pro performance in this article if you're interested.
Since it's powered by the A17 Pro, it means the 7th-gen iPad mini will support Apple Intelligence when it's available later this month via the iPadOS 18.1 update.
The iPadOS 18.1 update is expected to roll out later this month. You can get Apple Intelligence on the iPad mini if you set the language to U.S English. To find out more, check out this article.
While the last-generation iPad mini is compatible with the second-generation Apple Pencil, the new iPad mini will support the new Apple Pencil Pro which has a new tactile sensor to detect squeezes for switching tools, line weights, and colours.
Other specs upgrades include doubling the base storage option to 128GB, Wi-Fi 6E connectivity, faster USB-C data transfer (up to 10 Gbps and 2x faster than the previous model) and a 12MP wide rear camera with Smart HDR 4.
All in all, it sounds like a much-welcomed spec bump update for the beloved iPad mini. Apart from the faster chip, we also get a nice bump in base storage and faster USB-C connectivity. My only gripe is that we don't have support for the newer Wi-Fi 7 standard. Stay tuned for our review of the new iPad mini.
Availability and pricing
The new 7th-generation iPad mini is available for pre-order now on Apple's website in Singapore and 28 other countries/regions. Shipment and retail availability will begin from next Wednesday, 23 October. It comes in four finishes: Blue (new), Purple (new), Starlight, and Space Grey. Prices for the iPad mini are summarised in the table below:
7th generation iPad mini prices
Wi-Fi only | Wi-Fi + Cellular | |
128GB | S$699 | S$929 |
256GB | S$849 | S$1,079 |
512GB | S$1,149 | S$1,379 |
The launch prices of the 6th-gen iPad mini are listed below for comparison. Taking into account that the base storage capacity is doubled, the prices for the new 7th-generation iPad mini are actually lower than that of its predecessor.
Capacity | Wi-Fi only | Wi-Fi + Cellular |
64GB | S$749 | S$979 |
256GB | S$979 | S$1,209 |
Source: Apple
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