iPad Mini 7 Launches Tomorrow: Here Are 12 Changes to Know About

Earlier this month, Apple announced a new iPad mini for the first time in three years. Ahead of the device launching this Wednesday, we have outlined 12 new features and changes with the seventh-generation iPad mini compared to the previous model.

ipad mini 7 apple intelligence a17 pro feature
Here's everything new with the iPad mini 7:

  • A17 Pro chip: Introduced in the iPhone 15 Pro models last year, the A17 Pro chip is now available in the iPad mini 7, although it has a 5-core GPU instead of a 6-core GPU. Apple says the iPad mini 7 offers up to 30% faster CPU performance compared to the previous iPad mini with the A15 Bionic chip.
  • 8GB of RAM for Apple Intelligence support: The new iPad mini is compatible with Apple Intelligence, which will be available starting with iPadOS 18.1 next week. Geekbench results confirmed that the device is equipped with 8GB of RAM, the minimum requirement for Apple Intelligence. That's up from 4GB of RAM in the iPad mini 6.
  • Apple Pencil Pro support: The new iPad mini is compatible with the Apple Pencil Pro.
  • Apple Pencil hover: This feature lets you preview the Apple Pencil's stroke on the canvas before the accessory touches the screen.
  • "Jelly scrolling" fixed? Most reviews said "jelly scrolling" is much less noticeable or fully absent on the new iPad mini, but one prominent technology website disagreed, so we await teardowns for further confirmation.
  • Faster USB-C port: The USB-C port on the iPad mini 7 supports data transfer speeds of up to 10 Gbps, compared to 5 Gbps for the iPad mini 6.
  • eSIM only: All cellular models of the iPad mini 7 lack a nano-SIM card slot worldwide and instead rely solely on digital eSIM technology.
  • Wi-Fi 6E support: The new iPad mini supports the faster Wi-Fi 6E standard, which extends the capabilities of regular Wi-Fi 6 to the 6 GHz band. You will also need a router with Wi-Fi 6E support.
  • Double the base storage: iPad mini now starts with 128GB of storage, compared to 64GB for the previous model.
  • Final Cut Pro support: Final Cut Pro is compatible with the new iPad mini.
  • Improved HDR photos: The new iPad mini supports "Smart HDR 4," whereas the previous model supports "Smart HDR 3." Apple says Smart HDR 4 makes photos look "even more detailed and vivid."
  • "iPad mini" inscription: The new iPad mini has an "iPad mini" inscription on the back of device. Previous models of the device are inscribed with "iPad."
Related Roundup: iPad mini
Buyer's Guide: iPad Mini (Buy Now)
Related Forum: iPad

Popular Stories

Generic iOS 19 Feature Mock Light

iOS 19 Will Bring Biggest Design Overhaul Since iOS 7

Monday March 10, 2025 12:17 pm PDT by
Apple is planning for a major design overhaul of the iPhone, iPad, and Mac interfaces with the introduction of iOS 19, iPadOS 19, and macOS 16 later this year, reports Bloomberg. The update will "fundamentally change" the look of Apple's operating system, introducing a more consistent cross-platform experience. Apple plans to update the style of icons, menus, apps, windows, and system...
Apple One Apps Feature 2

Apple One's Best Plan Now Includes Two More Perks For Free

Monday March 10, 2025 6:40 am PDT by
Apple One allows you to subscribe to up to six Apple services for one discounted monthly price. There are three Apple One tiers: Individual, Family, and Premier. Over the last month, the highest-end ‌Apple One‌ Premier plan has gained two additional perks. Here is what Apple One Premier already included, for $37.95 per month:Apple Music Apple TV+ Apple Arcade Apple News+ Apple Fitness+...
airpods pro 2 gradient

AirPods Pro 3 Launch Now Just Months Away: Here's What We Know

Tuesday March 11, 2025 3:26 am PDT by
Despite being released over two years ago, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 continue to dominate the wireless earbud market. However, with the AirPods Pro 3 expected to launch in 2025, anyone thinking of buying Apple's premium earbuds may be wondering if the next generation is worth holding out for. Apart from their audio and noise-canceling performance, which are generally regarded as excellent for...
2016 12 inch macbook feature

Apple Introduced Its Most Controversial MacBook 10 Years Ago Today

Sunday March 9, 2025 1:00 am PST by
Apple announced the infamous 12-inch Retina MacBook a decade ago today, an experimental new Mac that was as controversial as it was revolutionary. Apple unveiled the 12-inch MacBook on March 9, 2015, at the "Spring Forward" event in San Francisco, California. The event was primarily focused on the Apple Watch, which was being fully detailed ahead of its launch the following month, so the...
iOS 18

12 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18.4

Monday March 10, 2025 9:28 am PDT by
Apple is set to release iOS 18.4 in early April, bringing further refinements to Apple Intelligence features, a neat new capability to iPhone 15 Pro devices, new emoji, and more. While not quite as packed with new features as Apple's preceding iOS 18 point releases, iOS 18.4 still introduces enhancements that aim to make your iPhone smarter and more intuitive. Below, we've listed 12 new...
ios 18 4 carplay

Apple Upgrades CarPlay in Two Ways

Wednesday March 12, 2025 6:05 am PDT by
The upcoming iOS 18.4 update for the iPhone includes a smaller but meaningful improvement for Apple's in-car iPhone mirroring system CarPlay. Specifically, CarPlay now shows a third row of icons, up from two rows previously. However, this change is only visible in vehicles with a larger center display. For example, a MacRumors Forums member noticed the change in a Toyota Tundra with a...
iphone 17 mockups idevicehelp

Video Shows iPhone 17 Mockups Based on 'Internal Documents'

Monday March 10, 2025 4:41 am PDT by
YouTuber iDeviceHelp on Friday posted a video that shows off mockups of Apple's forthcoming iPhone 17 models that are purportedly based on "internal documents." We're sharing the video here since it was made in collaboration with leaker Majin Bu, who last month published similar iPhone 17 renders that were widely corroborated by separate leakers with links to Apple's Chinese supply chain....
iOS 18

iOS 18.3.2 Update Coming Soon for iPhones

Monday March 10, 2025 7:25 am PDT by
Apple employees are internally testing iOS 18.3.2 for iPhones, according to our website's visitor logs, which have been a reliable indicator of upcoming iOS versions. The software update should be released in the next week or two. iOS 18.3.2 will be a minor update that addresses software bugs and/or security vulnerabilities. Don't expect any new features. iOS 18.3.2 will be an interim...
iPhone 16 Pro vs iPhone 17 Air Feature

iPhone 17 Air and 17 Pro Max Allegedly Same Size Apart From Thickness

Friday March 7, 2025 2:45 am PST by
Apple's all-new ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air shares the same dimensions as the iPhone 17 Pro Max, with the only difference being in the thickness of the devices, according to the leaker Ice Universe. Posting to their Weibo account, the Chinese leaker today claimed that the iPhone 17 Air and iPhone 17 Pro Max have identical body length, width, screen size, and bezels. "The only difference is the...

Top Rated Comments

turbineseaplane Avatar
20 weeks ago

I have never understood who the mini is for? My phone is 6 inches. My iPad 10 is 11 inches. Who wants an iPad just bigger than a phone.? For me the iPad is for a big screen. And my iPad was half the price of this!
iPad Mini has 44% more screen area than even the iPhone 16 Pro Max

The different aspect ratio makes a huge difference
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lazyrighteye Avatar
20 weeks ago

I have never understood who the mini is for? My phone is 6 inches. My iPad 10 is 11 inches. Who wants an iPad just bigger than a phone.? For me the iPad is for a big screen. And my iPad was half the price of this!
That’s cool. Different strokes.
I used to carry a sketch book (Field Notes) and pen. My iPad mini 6 + Pencil 2 has completely replaced those long-trusted daily carries, while adding tons of functionality my previous scenario couldn’t. The form factor is perfectly portable - more so than an iPad. I’ve owned several iPads over the years - dating back to the OG. This mini 6 is easily my fav iPad I’ve used to date. And most used - I use it daily. I’m in the camp that would preorder an iPad Pro mini the moment it was announced. The 7 is an ok update, but not quite enough to get me to upgrade from my 6. Unless their AI turns out to be an unexpected game-changer, I’ll not upgrade. Yet.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DesertNomad Avatar
20 weeks ago

I have never understood who the mini is for? My phone is 6 inches. My iPad 10 is 11 inches. Who wants an iPad just bigger than a phone.? For me the iPad is for a big screen. And my iPad was half the price of this!
I use the mini in aviation. It is mounted on the yoke of the airplanes I fly and holds all the charts and approach plates. Larger iPads will not fit on the yoke.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Johnnyponken Avatar
20 weeks ago
”Much less noticable jelly scroll” It shouldn’t even have it from the beginning.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
citysnaps Avatar
20 weeks ago
Picking mine up tomorrow. A great upgrade (storage, RAM, smaller bezels, Apple Pencil Pro, etc) from my Mini 5.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
citysnaps Avatar
20 weeks ago

On the ends I guess, but not on the sides
I wouldn't want smaller side bezels. That's where my thumb and heel of my left hand go when holding it.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)