Lounge
Apple iPad mini 7th gen review: A compelling case for new tablet buyers
Summary
The Apple iPad mini has been upgraded only for AI features, which makes it an intriguing proposition to consider at a time when buyer interest in tablets is rising again
Three years ago, the Apple iPad mini got the company’s ‘all-screen’ design—retaining thick borders around an 8.3-inch display, but letting go of the once-signature round-shaped physical ‘home’ button. Last month, when Apple unveiled its ‘new’ iPad mini, now in its 7th generation, the update was less noticeable—in fact, there’s no visible difference, sans a new blue colour that replaces the previous pink finish.
Yet, this year’s iterative new iPad mini (2024) still makes for a recommendable gadget—only, it is squarely for new buyers, and not existing ones.
This, to be sure, is not a bad thing. Tablets are discretionary gadgets, and while the pandemic gave rise to remote education-fuelled necessity for tablets, this factor has largely disappeared now. In such a world, a device that offers an inch and a half of additional screen to savour may not sound particularly enticing, but for those who still want a tablet, the iPad mini (2024) could well be a great product to consider.
Also read: The definitive guide to buying a foldable smartphone in 2024
What you get
Apple’s custom A17 Pro processor, which debuted last year in the company’s ‘Pro’ lineup of iPhones, powers the iPad mini (2024). With this, the latter adds support for dedicated artificial intelligence (AI) apps on this new tablet.
This suggests that Apple is confident of its AI pitch being convincing enough to attract new buyers. For users, though, AI won’t be the only reason to buy the iPad mini—the additional processing power, coupled with additional memory, makes the tablet more capable on overall terms. It will likely improve upon real-world battery stamina too, though Apple doesn’t specify anything on this ground apart from support for “all-day battery life".
This added capability can be used to stream longer hours of video content, make heavy illustrations without facing stutters, and play more graphically-demanding video games. For the latter, the new iPad mini now supports ‘ray tracing’—a feature that produces photorealistic lights and shadows in video games. These are the key features of a mini tablet for any buyer, and anyone browsing for an additional screen in their lives would find most of their requirements ticked by the iPad mini.
Apart from this, the tiniest Apple tablet does not get any other major new feature to speak of. Its USB-C port now supports double the data transfer speeds, but it’s safe to guess that the number of users who will really need this on a ‘mini’ iPad would not be too many. The camera supports a new generation of Apple’s ‘smart HDR’ software enhancements to bring out a bigger ‘pop’ in colours—but then, how often would one use a tablet to take photos, anyway?
Why it matters
Presumably, the biggest lot of buyers for the iPad mini would be frequent travellers who spend a lot of time in transit at airports and on the road, and do not want their phone to be merged with entertainment consumption for a less-cluttered user experience, as well as in the interest of conserving battery stamina. For them, an 8.3-inch screen size is a great middle-ground—it isn’t intrusively large, fits without fuss in any bag, can be held with one hand, and is still big enough to serve as a dedicated gaming and streaming device.
Couple this with Apple’s rising iPad sales in India: last week, Apple’s outgoing chief financial officer, Luca Maestri, told investors that it set an all-time quarterly record for iPad revenue from India, among other geographies.
To continue this streak, the iPad mini may be crucial.
For one, it isn’t an afterthought hardware, and features both Apple’s latest design and software features. It can also support any app that an iPad Pro can run, including apps such as Procreate and Adobe Fresco, or heavy video games. This makes it amply capable.
The iPad mini is also compatible with Apple’s latest stylus, Pencil Pro, which was squarely targeted at designers. However, its compatibility with the iPad mini ensures that for hobbyist artists looking to revive their interest in sketching, all bases are covered. On overall terms, the iPad mini gives buyers interest in Apple devices a new, fully-capable tablet to consider—without breaking the bank.
Its only real competition are foldable smartphones, which still remain very few in the market. The iPad mini offers a bigger net screen area than the likes of the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold, which opens up into a square-ish 8-inch display. With support for AI apps, ray tracing and a stylus, the iPad mini is instantly more appealing as a dedicated entertainment device over a smartphone that overlaps necessity and entertainment, and costs over $2,000.
The iPad mini (2024) costs between ₹49900 ($600) and ₹120200 ($1400) with Apple’s extended warranty programme, the Pencil Pro stylus, and a ‘Smart Folio’ cover that doubles-up as a prop-up stand. Without the discretionary stylus, added warranty or eSIM support, the iPad mini’s 256GB storage variant and the cover folio costs ₹66400 ($800)—leaving ample spare budget for buyers to accommodate a flagship smartphone as well within the budget of Google’s foldable smartphone.
It is this overall balance that makes the iPad mini (2024) a fun new tablet to own and use as an everyday entertainment device. Yes, it is yet another device that would need to be charged daily, but any buyer looking for a tablet should know about this compromise anyway.
The iPad line, like the Mac, also does not need buyers to compulsorily be a part of Apple’s ecosystem to make the most of it. But, the iPad mini does serve a compelling and affordable way for new buyers to use an Apple product alongside an Android smartphone, and make the most of its latest features, too.
