Updated iPad Mini with Apple Intelligence Support Released by Apple

Apple has updated the iPad Mini line with a spec bump, and the new model is capable of supporting Apple Intelligence. The new iPad Mini 7th generation model debuted via press release, and was not accompanied by any other updated hardware.

The iPad Mini continues to offer a small physical footprint with an 8″ LCD display, but now has a faster A17 processor (the same processor from iPhone 15 Pro series, hence the Apple Intelligence support) and there are also minor improvements to the camera and wi-fi.

There are also changes to which Apple Pencil models the iPad Mini 7th gen supports, adding support for the Apple Pencil Pro but removing support for the prior Apple Pencil 2nd gen magnetically attached model, while retaining support for the Apple Pencil USB-C model.

iPad Mini remains a popular iPad for many people who want to have an ultra portable tablet in a smaller form factor, and don’t mind compromising some of the bigger features or functionalities, like Magic Keyboard support or an M-series processor, to retain the compact size.

The new iPad Mini model also comes with a reasonable base storage of 128GB, which is a nice upgrade, especially considering that many users continue to run into storage constraints on various iOS/iPadOS devices which can prevent installing system software updates and be a general nuisance.

The iPad Mini starts at $499, but likely will be discounted on Amazon as is usually the case within a month or two. You can get the iPad Mini in four color options, including a light purple, light blue/green, gray, and silverlight.

You can pre-order an iPad Mini 7th gen from Apple now, and will be widely available on October 23.

If you don’t care for Apple Intelligence support and want to save a bit of money, the prior iPad Mini 6th gen model is available on Amazon for about $120 off retail price, for $379 in a variety of colors. And if you want a larger screen and don’t need the tiny device footprint of the Mini, the iPad Air M2 model is pretty beefy for nearly the same price as the new iPad Mini.

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