Apple iPad mini 7 review roundup

Apple’s newest iPad mini is largely the same tablet from years ago, except with one major improvement – the A17 Pro chip that now powers the hardware. On the surface, the move seems like a safe one – a more powerful tablet that sports the same dimensions as always.

But what does the internet feel about the new iPad? Is it worth its asking price? Here’s what reviewers from around the world are saying.

Apple iPad mini 7 design review

The new iPad mini 7 looks exactly like the older iPad mini. While design has always been a subjective matter, the lack of a new look and newer upgrades made over the last three years means you miss out on a lot.

“This mini, I think, represents a new low for the product. It feels like an iPad designed by a supply chain, not by someone who actually wants you to like the product,” said The Verge in their review of the tablet.

“It’s a bunch of new and not-that-new parts smushed together, without any new specs or features to really set it apart — aside from a lot of grand promises about how Apple Intelligence is going to change everything,” it adds.

The lack of Face ID was also criticised. “Face ID is so much better and faster, especially on a device whose power button is constantly rotating in your hands, that going back to tapping my index finger felt like a huge step backward,” The Verge added.

Apple iPad mini 7 performance review

The A17 Pro is the biggest (and the only significant) upgrade on the new iPad, and despite featuring one less GPU core compared to the A17 Pro chip on the iPhone 15 Pro, the tablet is a well-performing one in day-to-day use.

“The A17 Pro in the iPad mini is ever so slightly less performant than the one in the iPhone 15 Pro, but not enough so that it’ll make any real difference in how you use the tablet. It still trails M-series chips and the brand-new A18 series but provides more than enough juice for an iPad mini,” Engadget said in its review.

“Given its small size, I never once thought about using it as a laptop replacement like I do with the iPad Pro. Instead, it made a comfortable couch companion for browsing the internet, messaging friends, triaging email, playing games and occasionally editing some photos,” the publication added.

One of the highlights of the new tablet is the fact that it will support Apple Intelligence features when they launch, but Apple Intelligence is not live just yet, and for those who don’t use American English, it won’t be for another couple of months at least.

ALSO READ: What is Apple Intelligence, Apple’s very own take on AI?

CNET also highlighted the support for the new Apple Pencil Pro on the tablet. “Apple has made its lineup of Pencil styluses incredibly confusing, with different iPads compatible with different Pencils. At least the newest, most capable Pencil Pro works with the Mini, making the Mini the cheapest doorway to using the Pencil Pro,” the publication said.

Apple iPad mini 7 review verdict roundup

Most reviewers have agreed on the fact that not many changes from its previous generation, the new iPad mini lacks the significant upgrades you’d expect from a three-year refresh. However, that is not necessarily a bad thing for most users.

“My experience with the iPad Mini A17 Pro was, in many ways, no different than with the 6th Gen model, and this is a good thing,” said TechRadar.

“The whole pitch for the new Mini, aside from the fact that it’s the iPad mini, is that it’s the smallest iPad made for Apple Intelligence. Apple Intelligence better be a hell of an upgrade because, without it, the new mini isn’t much of an upgrade at all,” said The Verge.

“I wouldn’t hate an improved display with smaller bezels and a higher refresh rate, and I wouldn’t have said no to an M2 or A18 Pro chip inside, but those are the only things I’d change here,” said Engadget, adding that “both would surely make the iPad mini more expensive. As it is, it’s a solid performer for $499.”

The reviews suggest that an iPad mini 7 is still the way to go if what you’re looking for is a compact iPad with some future-proof hardware on the inside.