Apple iPad mini 7 (2024) review

It took a number of years to reach, however Apple lastly up to date the iPad mini late in 2024. Whereas it may be a distinct segment measurement, the iPad mini makes for an ideal pill for a lot of customers. 

This newest mannequin, the iPad mini 7 because it’s generally identified, arrives with an almost similar design to its predecessor and a really Apple asking value beginning at £499/$499. 

So why purchase the brand new iPad mini? Nicely, it’s arguably essentially the most highly effective small pill cash can purchase with Apple’s A17 Professional chipset however let’s see what else it has to supply. 

Design & Construct 

• Similar design 
• Two new colors 
• Extraordinarily moveable 

As talked about on the high, the most recent iPad mini (A17 Professional) seems nearly similar in its design to the 2021 mannequin.  

Actually, it is available in the very same chassis, so that you’ll want to select up one of many two new (very pale) colors – Blue or Purple – to distinguish simply. The opposite accessible colourways are Starlight and House Gray. 

In case you’re not conversant in the earlier iPad mini, the 2024 mannequin has a design like current iPhones with flat sides and rounded corners. I’m not the largest fan of this development on telephones however I really feel like it really works a lot better on a pill. 

The iPad mini is a svelte 6.3mm thick and solely 293g (or a number of grams extra if you happen to get a mobile model). It makes it extremely straightforward to sling round the home or in a bag.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

If it’s portability you want, then the iPad mini places an enormous fats tick in that field. And unusually, it’s not one thing you may simply discover elsewhere with most Android tablets choosing display screen sizes round 11-inch. 

One factor to level out concerning the iPad mini, particularly if you happen to’re used to fashionable iPhones is that it has Contact ID. The fingerprint scanner is embedded within the energy button and there’s no Face ID right here. 

It’s safer and really straightforward to make use of, notably when utilizing the pill in portrait orientation because you’re utilizing the facility button to wake the machine anyway.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

As you’d count on from an Apple product at this value, construct high quality is exemplary and Apple does higher than most rivals by way of eco-credentials. Many elements are 100% recycled together with the aluminium enclosure. 

Like most tablets, there’s no IP ranking for mud and water safety. It’s additionally value a small notice that the Nano-SIM card slot is gone so it’s simply eSIM now. 

Display screen & Audio system 

• Nonetheless 8.3-inch  
• IPS LCD 
• Pencil Professional help 
• Stereo audio system 

Very similar to the design, the Liquid Retina show on the iPad mini 2024 stays the identical. It’s an 8.3-inch panel utilizing IPS LED backlit know-how.  

Whereas an improve to an OLED Extremely Retina XDR panel discovered on the iPad Professionals can be welcome, it’s comprehensible that Apple reserves this tech for these fashions. Regardless, the display screen on the iPad mini is greater than adequate for most individuals. 

It’s crisp, and vibrant and provides loads of distinction and brightness. It’s suitable with Apple Pencil and now Pencil Professional, opening up quite a lot of potentialities for various use circumstances from note-taking to graphic design. 

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

An addition to the iPad mini 7 in contrast with its predecessor is help for Apple Pencil hover. It exhibits the place your tip will contact down on the display screen in addition to displaying a shadow of the software you’re utilizing. 

You may be footage of the iPad mini and questioning why it has an unusually massive bezel across the show. Certain, it seems fairly dated however in day-to-day use, it makes absolute sense to be able to maintain and use it with out touching the show. 

Two drawbacks to make you conscious of begin with, like quite a lot of Apple units, a 60Hz refresh charge. It may not hassle lots of people however at this value, we’d favor 90- and even 120Hz for a smoother expertise. Even the Xiaomi Redmi Pad SE has a 90Hz display screen and it’s lower than half the value.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

It’s additionally not the very best iPad for multi-tasking attributable to, after all, the scale. You have got entry to options like split-screen and floating window however if you happen to depend on them every day then an even bigger iPad would possibly make for a wiser selection. 

The iPad mini nonetheless has stereo audio system once you use it in panorama orientation, which is smart for watching video content material. They’re respectable as you’ll count on and produce high quality sound no matter what you’re utilizing them for. 

Specs & Efficiency 

• A17 Professional chipset 
• Double the storage
• Small wi-fi upgrades 

Among the largest upgrades to the iPad mini 2024 are invisible to the human eye. They arrive within the type of core inside specs beginning with the A17 Professional. 

That is the SoC (system on a chip) discovered within the iPhone 15 Professional fashions and relies on a formidable 3nm manufacturing course of.  

When you may argue utilizing an M2 chip like the most recent iPad Air can be preferable, this will have value and thermal implications, making it a much less good selection. And I’ve had no issues with efficiency from the A17 Professional.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

It may be costly, however once you evaluate efficiency with similar-sized Android tablets such because the Samsung Galaxy Tab A9 there’s no contest. They’re sometimes decrease spec to hit a extra budget-friendly value. 

It’s a reasonably large soar from the A15 Bionic discovered within the final iPad mini and it’s additionally good to see Apple double the storage capability. You now get 128GB for the entry-level mannequin and might improve to 256- or a brand new 512GB capability if you happen to like. 

Different smaller upgrades and modifications embody bumps to Bluetooth 5.3 and Wi-Fi 6E. As talked about earlier, there’s no SIM card slot so it’s solely eSIM if you happen to get a mobile mannequin. 

iPad mini 7 (2024) benchmarks

Cameras 

I received’t spend very lengthy speaking concerning the cameras on the iPad mini. They’re pill cameras in any case, and they’re the identical as earlier than. 

All you really want to know concerning the rear digicam is that it’s respectable sufficient to take images if you really want to – maybe you need to checklist one thing on Vinted and want a few fast snaps. 

The entrance digicam will nearly definitely get much more use. It’s additionally 12Mp, albeit with a barely slower aperture of f/2.4. Nonetheless, high quality is sweet, and it helps 1080p video making it larger high quality than most webcams on laptops. 

There’s additionally help for Heart Stage which might observe you round if you happen to transfer whereas on a video name and do issues like reframe if another person enters the shot. It really works fairly effectively more often than not and is supported in apps like Zoom in addition to FaceTime. 

Battery Life & Charging 

• Nonetheless 10 hours 
• Nonetheless sluggish charging 

It feels just like the damaged document of tech, however Apple as soon as once more touts a battery lifetime of 10 hours if looking the net or watching video on Wi-Fi. That is regardless of the chipset going from 5- to a extra environment friendly 3nm course of. 

The wait goes on for longer battery life, however it ought to nonetheless be sufficient for many customers within the majority of use-cases. I discovered, as I at all times do with iPads, that battery life was stable, so I used to be not reaching for a charger very frequently in any respect. 

In fact, it is going to rely on if you happen to’re selecting it up sometimes or whether or not it’s a tool it’s good to use for a lot of hours every day. Nonetheless, it’s good figuring out that with a full cost, you could possibly use it continuously for many long-haul flights with out it working out. 

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Apple’s declare of 10 hours video rings true, although it’s just a little complicated as when the battery is full it goes down slower for one thing like an hour of video in comparison with when it’s decrease. 

As with all fashionable Apple merchandise, the iPad mini makes use of USB-C as its bodily port, not Lightning, if you happen to’re upgrading from a fairly outdated mannequin. You get a cable within the field however no charging brick. 

Charging continues to be fundamental with Apple not selling any form of quick charging methodology by any means. In our common 30-minute take a look at with an applicable charger it received from lifeless to 32% which is healthier than some rivals however nonetheless uninspiring. 

Software program & Apps 

When it comes to software program, you get iPadOS 18 with the same old suite of Apple’s personal apps and the just about countless number of apps from the App Retailer. 

There could also be some methods by which Android tablets are higher relating to software program, however Apple nonetheless has the slickest expertise general.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

The software program expertise is nice for a variety of customers, by way of each kinds of use in addition to degree of expertise.

First time iPad customers can decide it up and familiarize yourself with how issues work to do something from stream content material on Netflix to easily looking the net. Equally, extra superior and demanding customers can seize an Apple Pencil, specialist apps and extra advanced options whether or not you’re a graphic designer or a pilot.

The iPad mini 7 additionally helps Apple Intelligence, which is Apple’s AI system, however I wasn’t in a position to take a look at this earlier than sending the overview pattern again.

It’s prone to get software program help and updates for not less than 5 years, too so it received’t be a paperweight any time quickly.

Worth & Availability 

The iPad mini 2024 begins at £499/$499 which will get you the Wi-Fi mannequin with 128GB of storage. This can possible be the most well-liked choice, however you may improve to 256- or 512GB storage if you happen to want it in addition to mobile information as effectively. 

It means you may spend as much as £949/$949 and that’s very costly, particularly when you think about that the iPad mini 5 launched at £399/$399. 

Such is the state of tech pricing, and though it’s straightforward to seek out with a roughly £50/$100 low cost, you must fastidiously contemplate if that is the precise iPad for you earlier than hitting the order button.

In case you do need one, you should purchase an iPad mini from the same old locations together with Amazon, Currys and Argos within the UK. Discover it at Amazon and BestBuy within the US.

Take a look at our rankings for the very best iPads and greatest tablets to see extra choices.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Do you have to purchase the iPad mini 7? 

The iPad mini (2024) is the very best compact pill you should purchase however that doesn’t imply you should purchase it. 

At primarily £500/$500 for the most cost effective mannequin, it’s not a no brainer and stays essentially the most area of interest choice in Apple’s iPad vary. 

For some individuals, it is going to be the right choice however for a lot of, there will likely be a more sensible choice – whether or not that’s Apple’s customary iPad or an Android various. 

I’d say you’ve actually received to desire a pill this measurement, weight and energy to be able to justify the price of an iPad mini. It’s hardly just like the common iPad Tenth-gen (2022) is big and heavy and it’s a way more palatable £329/$329.

With its similarity to the earlier era, you could possibly at all times search for extra inexpensive offers on the iPad mini 6 if the most recent upgrades don’t matter a lot. 

Specs

• iPadOS 18
• 8.3in LED show
• 2266 x 1488 (326ppi)
• Stereo audio system
• Contact ID
• 128/256/512GB storage
• A17 Professional
• 5G mobile (elective)
• eSIM
• Wi-Fi 6E
• Bluetooth 5.3
• 12Mp ultra-wide front-facing digicam with Heart Stage
• 12Mp rear digicam
• USB-C port
• 19.3Wh battery
• Obtainable in House Gray, Starlight, Blue, Purple
• 195.4 x 134.8 x 6.3mm
• 293g (Wi-Fi)