New iPad Mini 7: News, Price, Release Date, and Specs

Apple quietly announced the 2024 iPad Mini on October 15. It supports Apple Intelligence and Apple Pencil Pro and is equipped with an upgraded A17 Pro chip. The new model also offers new colors, double the base storage, and improved camera capabilities.

iPad Mini 7 Release Date

Announced on October 15, 2024, the iPad Mini 7 is available beginning on October 23.

iPad Mini 7 Price

The starting storage option is twice that of previous models of the iPad Mini, yet has the same starting price of $499.

• iPad Mini 7 (Wi-Fi): 128 GB $499, 256 GB $599, 512 GB $799
• iPad Mini 7 (cellular): 128 GB $649, 256 GB $749, 512 GB $949

Pre-Order Information

Pre-orders for the new iPad Mini have begun, with availability starting October 23.

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iPad Mini 7 Specs & Features

The iPad Mini 7 keeps its 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display, but the real upgrade is the A17 Pro chip. It delivers a 30 percent increase in CPU performance and a 25 percent improvement in graphics performance compared to the previous A15 chip.

Apple Intelligence

As part of iPadOS 18, Apple Intelligence adds personal context and generative features. The new Writing Tools help you compose and edit your words more clearly, while Siri now understands context better for more fluid interactions. The Image Wand lets you make quick edits to photos with Apple Pencil, while Image Playground serves as a text-to-image creator.

Calculator App

The new Calculator app brings a new experience with Apple Pencil. It lets you solve expressions and equations using basic and scientific calculators and includes history and unit conversions. Math Notes adds the ability to type or write expressions, instantly solve them, and graph equations. It's also integrated into the Notes app for easy access across all notes.

Notes App

The Notes app itself gets a boost with Smart Script, which makes handwritten notes more fluid and easier to edit. With Apple Pencil, handwriting is refined in real-time, making it neater and more legible. The new Audio Recording and Transcription features let you capture lectures or conversations with transcripts synced to the audio for easy searching.

Customizations

iPadOS 18 on the iPad Mini 7 introduces more ways to make the tablet your own with customizable Home Screen options, like revamped app icons, flexible widgets, and a redesigned Control Center for quick access to your go-to features.

The Photos app also gets its biggest refresh yet, with a cleaner, more customizable layout. You can browse your pictures by theme to make organizing and finding your creations much easier.

In Messages, there are new animated effects, updated Tapbacks, and the ability to schedule messages.

Additional Changes

Other notable features include:

• Apple Pencil Pro Support: Previously reserved only for Pro and Air models, Apple Pencil Pro now works with the new iPad Mini.
• New Colors: The iPad Mini 7 comes in four finishes, including two new ones—blue and purple—alongside starlight and space gray.
• Camera Enhancements: The rear camera now supports 12MP with Smart HDR 4, which provides more detail and dynamic range for photos, plus better document scanning abilities. The front-facing 12MP Ultra Wide camera still supports Center Stage for video calls.
• Faster Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6E support and 5G connectivity enable faster downloading and streaming, with cellular models featuring eSIM for easy carrier switching. Additionally, the 10 Gbps USB-C port is now up to twice as fast as the previous generation.

The Latest News About the iPad Mini 7

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