After a three-year wait, Apple finally unveiled its new pocket-sized powerhouse – the iPad Mini 7. While it has the same design and body as its predecessor, the latest mini tablet packs some serious under-the-hood upgrades that make it even more capable. If you are wondering whether the new iPad mini is worth it, here’s a quick comparison to help you decide if the iPad Mini 7 deserves a place in your pocket.
PerformanceLaunched in 2021, the iPad mini 6 is powered by the A15 Bionic chip, which also powers the iPhone 13 series. While the chipset is pretty powerful if all you do is browse the internet, watch movies or use your tablet for normal tasks, it may not be fast enough for productivity purposes.
The recently launched iPad mini 7, on the other hand, features the A17 Pro chip, which made its debut on the iPhone 15 Pro last year. Apple claims that the new iPad mini offers 30 per cent and 24 per cent faster in terms of CPU and GPU, which makes the new mini tablet a lot faster than its predecessor. If you are looking for a pocket-sized tablet that can easily handle tasks like video and image editing, the iPad mini 7 may be worth the price
Compared to the iPad mini 6, which only has 4GB RAM, the iPad mini 7 has double the amount of memory, so it might make sense to buy the new tablet if you want several apps open in the background. The iPad mini 7 also brings support for ray-tracing in games, but this might not be a game changer as only a handful of mobile games currently utilise the technology to offer improved visuals.
And while the iPad mini 6 sports a 16-core Neural Engine, Apple says that the A17 Pro chip on the iPad mini 7 offers double the performance. It also supports Apple Intelligence, so if you are itching to try the new AI powered features, the iPad mini 7 is the way to go.
- Camera
While both tablets have 12MP rear and front cameras, Apple says the iPad mini 7 supports Smart HDR 4 for photos compared to Smart HDR 3 support on the iPad mini 6. The latest tablet also supports a “new True Tone flash”, but we will have to see the real-life benefits Apple’s improved hardware has to offer.
- Connectivity and storage
Both the iPad mini 6 and the iPad mini 7 have a USB-C 3.1 Gen 1 port, but compared to the former’s 5Gbps data transfer limit, the new tablet offers speeds up to 10Gbps. Apple has also upgraded the new tablet from Bluetooth 5.0 to Bluetooth 5.3 and Wi-Fi 6 to Wi-Fi 6E, which should make things a bit faster.
And while the iPad mini 6 lets users choose between Nano-SIM and eSIM, the newer tablet only supports eSIM. For creative professionals, Apple says the new tablet is compatible with the Apple Pencil Pro and the Apple Pencil USB-C version. To give you a quick recap, the iPad mini 6 is compatible with the Apple Pencil (USB-C) and Apple Pencil (2nd generation).
The base variant of the iPad mini 6 had only 64GB storage, but the iPad mini 7 comes with at least 128GB storage, which is something to keep in mind if you want to use the mini tablet to watch movies, install a lot of apps or store files.
And while the iPad mini 6 lets users choose between Nano-SIM and eSIM, the newer tablet only supports eSIM. For creative professionals, Apple says the new tablet is compatible with the Apple Pencil Pro and the Apple Pencil USB-C version. To give you a quick recap, the iPad mini 6 is compatible with the Apple Pencil (USB-C) and Apple Pencil (2nd generation).
The base variant of the iPad mini 6 had only 64GB storage, but the iPad mini 7 comes with at least 128GB storage, which is something to keep in mind if you want to use the mini tablet to watch movies, install a lot of apps or store files.
iPad mini 6 vs iPad mini 7: Is the new tablet worth upgrading?
If you use the tablet for everyday tasks like browsing and content consumption, the iPad mini 6 is still a solid device. However, those looking to buy a pocket-sized tablet for productivity purposes should consider the iPad mini 7 as the performance bump is quite noticeable. Also, if you want to install a lot of apps or store files on the tablet, the newly launched tablet makes more sense as it offers double the storage space on the base variant.
