MacRumors

Apple's Mac mini has long been a powerhouse in a compact form, offering impressive performance in a small package. With rumors swirling about a completely overhauled new model that is likely just days away from being announced, anticipation is building for what Apple has in store.

From enhanced connectivity to major hardware upgrades, the upcoming Mac mini promises to bring significant improvements that make it more compelling than ever. Here are five reasons to get excited about the next generation of this beloved small form-factor desktop.

Major Redesign

Apple is planning to debut completely redesigned Mac mini models, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The new ‌Mac mini‌ will be the first major design change to the machine since 2010, and is expected to become Apple's smallest ever desktop computer. The slimmed down machine will retain its aluminum casing and be comparable in size to the Apple TV, though it is expected to be taller. Individuals working on the new device reportedly say that it is "essentially an iPad Pro in a small box."

5 USB-C Ports

According to Mark Gurman and a leaked Apple report, the next Mac mini is expected to come with five USB-C ports. Similar to the Mac Studio, two of these ports are anticipated to be positioned on the front. It's likely that some of these will support Thunderbolt 4, utilizing the same USB-C interface. However, the full set of five ports might only be available on the M4 Pro versions of the Mac mini.

M4 Chip

The next Mac mini will come in both M4 and M4 Pro configurations, a significant step up from the current M2 and M2 Pro models. Like the M3, the M4 is built on a 3nm process, but with enhancements from Apple supplier TSMC for improved performance and power efficiency. The M4 also includes an improved Neural Engine that fuels accelerated AI workloads. Apple says it is the company's most powerful Neural Engine ever, capable of 38 trillion operations per second, so there's plenty of scope for faster compute speeds.

16GB Base RAM

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported in August that Apple has tested four new Mac models equipped with an M4 chip, and all of them have either 16GB or 32GB of unified memory. The adequacy of 8GB of RAM in Macs has been a contentious issue for over a decade. That has left Apple open to criticism from users who believe that 8GB is not a sufficient amount of RAM for most creative professional workflows, so the news that 16GB is likely to be the new minimum will surely be a welcome development.

Apple Intelligence

Apple is expected to emphasize the artificial intelligence capabilities of the M4 chip series, and the first Apple Intelligence features are expected to arrive with the release of macOS Sequoia 15.1 on October 28, which is right around the time we are expecting a Mac mini announcement. The initial release will focus on new Siri features, Smart Replies in Mail and Messages, Priority messages in the Mail app, Memory Movie and Clean Up in Photos, and more, with additional features coming in phased updates over the next several months.

Release Timing

The new-look Mac mini is expected to be announced by Apple before the end of October, with a launch to follow in early November. In his latest word on the subject, Gurman said an "M4 Mac launch" is on Apple's schedule for next week, but he did not mention a specific day. What are you looking forward to about the overhauled model? Let us know in the comments.

Apple has abruptly reduced production of the Vision Pro headset and could stop making the current version of the device completely by the end of 2024, The Information reports.

Citing multiple people "directly involved" in making components for the headset, the report says that the scaling back of production began in the early summer. This indicates that Apple now has a sufficient number of Vision Pro units in its inventory to meet demand for the device's remaining lifespan through to next year.

The Vision Pro is widely reported to have seen weak demand due to insufficient content and its high price point. The Information says that Vision Pro suppliers have now produced enough components for between 500,000 to 600,000 headsets. Some factories suspended production of Vision Pro components as early as May based on Apple's weak sales forecasts, and warehouses remain filled with tens of thousands of undelivered parts.

Apple is said to have recently told Luxshare, a Chinese company that serves as the Vision Pro's assembler, that it may need to wind down production in November. Luxshare is currently making around 1,000 Vision Pro headsets per day, which is half that being produced at its peak. Apple will still be able to resume Vision Pro production if sales pick up since the production lines are not yet due to be dismantled.

Moreover, Apple has apparently suspended work on the second-generation Vision Pro for at least a year to focus on developing a lower-cost headset. Interestingly, Apple has told suppliers to prepare to build four million low-cost headsets over the entire lifespan of the future product. This is half the total number of Vision Pros that Apple told suppliers to produce, suggesting that sales expectations are even lower for the cheaper headset.

Although Apple's work on the second-generation Vision Pro has apparently stalled, there are some indications that the company could release "an incremental update to the product with limited changes to its physical design," such as a chip upgrade. This would allow Apple to use up the considerable number of excess components in its supply chain.

Starting today, Apple's new iPad mini 7 with A17 Pro chip is available for same-day or next-day pickup at Apple Stores, with no pre-order required. Online orders are also beginning to arrive to customers today.

Customers across Europe, Asia, and other regions can now place an order on Apple's website or in the Apple Store app and arrange for in-store pickup at a local retail location. Apple has yet to update its online store for customers in the United States and Canada, but that will change in the next couple of hours.

To order a product with ‌Apple Store‌ pickup, add the product to your bag on Apple.com, proceed to checkout, select the "I'll pick it up" option, enter your ZIP code, choose an available ‌Apple Store‌ location, and select a pickup date. Payment is completed online, and a valid government-issued photo ID and the order number may be required upon pickup.

The iPad mini is Apple's smallest tablet device and the latest model features a slim-bezeled design, an A17 Pro chip with support for Apple Intelligence features that are coming in iPadOS 18.1, a USB-C port, and Apple Pencil Pro support. Base storage has been doubled, so the entry-level iPad mini starts with 128GB of storage, up from 64GB. 256GB and 512GB options are available as upgrades.

The 12MP wide back camera on the new iPad mini now supports Smart HDR 4 and uses machine learning to detect and scan documents right in the Camera app, while the USB-C port delivers 2x faster wired connections than the previous generation, with data transfers up to 10Gbps. The iPad mini 7's cellular version supports sub-6GHz 5G, and now includes Wi-Fi 6E for faster 6GHz connections. Bluetooth is improved to version 5.3, and Apple has replaced the nano-SIM slot with eSIM-only connectivity worldwide.

Note that iPad mini models sold in Europe do not come with a power adapter in the box, whereas models sold in the US do include a 20W USB-C adapter.

The iPad mini comes in four colors, including Blue, Starlight, Purple, and Space Gray. It starts at $499 for the 128GB Wi-Fi-only model, going up to $799 for the 512GB model. Cellular models are available for $150 more over the base price of each configuration. Apple is also selling new $59 Smart Folio cases for the iPad mini in matching colors, while the Apple Pencil Pro that works with the iPad mini is available for $129.

In iOS 18, Apple includes a new over-the-air recovery feature designed to revive bricked iPhone 16 devices using another iPhone or an iPad, and it appears that the same feature can be used to recover the new iPad mini 7, too.

In iOS 18, placing an iPhone 16 next to another iPhone or iPad can start an over-the-air firmware recovery – the other device downloads a new iOS firmware and transfers it to the bricked device, removing the need to connect it to a computer. ‌This contrasts with iPhone 15 and earlier models, which require connection to a Mac or PC to restore the firmware.

9to5Mac today reports that the firmware shipped with the iPad mini 7, which is powered by an A17 Pro chip, includes the same RecoveryOS partition that was added to the iPhone 16 models. The finding puts to bed the earlier theory that the RecoveryOS partition was something exclusive to the A18 chip in the iPhone 16.

Evidence that Apple has been working on an over-the-air recovery method for iOS devices first appeared way back in iOS 13.4. Whether Apple intends to add the functionality to other iPhone or iPad models via a software update remains unclear. Apple introduced the iPad mini 7 on October 15, and the first pre-orders are arriving in the hands of customers today.

In a new interview with The Wall Street Journal, Apple's head of software Craig Federighi has highlighted the company's measured, multi-phase approach to introducing Apple Intelligence features, with the initial iOS 18.1 release next week marking just the beginning of a staggered rollout over several months.

"This is a big lift," Federighi told WSJ's Joanna Stern, explaining Apple's cautious strategy of integrating AI into its devices. "You could put something out there and have it be sort of a mess. Apple's point of view is more like, 'Let's try to get each piece right and release it when it's ready.'"

The initial release will focus on basic features including Writing Tools for text summarization, notification summaries, and a Clean Up tool in Photos for removing unwanted objects. While most processing occurs on-device, Apple's Private Cloud Compute system handles more intensive tasks through encrypted servers. In other words, user data isn't stored or accessed for AI training.

Apple's approach differs significantly from other large language models, which typically process all user input on cloud servers. According to Federighi, the company's personally oriented, privacy-first approach is also why Siri won't offer the sort of answers that one might get from something like ChatGPT.

"There's a trade-off across capabilities," he explained. "Those other chatbots are great if you want to ask a question about quantum mechanics, and then have them write a poem about it, but they won't open your garage or send a text message. Will these worlds converge? Of course."

Several anticipated features showcased by Apple at WWDC in June won't appear until later updates: iOS 18.2 is expected before the end of the year, and will introduce Image Playground for generating cartoon-style images and Genmoji for creating custom emoji. The update will also add ChatGPT integration for handling complex Siri queries.

The most significant Siri enhancements are scheduled for iOS 18.4 around March 2025. These include onscreen awareness for contextual commands, personal context for better understanding of user data, and expanded app control capabilities. Initially, Apple Intelligence will only support U.S. English, with additional languages planned for next year.

In contrast to its rivals, Apple is taking a particularly measured approach to image manipulation. The new Clean Up tool in Photos allows users to remove unwanted objects or people from images, but avoids more complex AI-generated alterations like changing the background. "People view photographic content as something they can rely on as indicative of reality," explained Federighi. "It's important to us that we help purvey accurate information, not fantasy."

Speaking more broadly about the rollout of Apple Intelligence features, Federighi said: "This is a many-year, honestly, even decades-long arc of this technology playing out, and so we're going to do it responsibly." The new Apple Intelligence features will be available on iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models, as well as Apple silicon-powered iPads and Macs, when iOS 18.1 launches on October 28.

Netflix recently shut down its "Team Blue" gaming studio in Southern California, according to Game File. The studio included industry veterans that worked on titles like Halo, Overwatch, and God of War.

There have been mobile gaming titles available through Netflix since 2021, but Team Blue was supposedly working on a big budget AAA gaming title that would have represented an expansion of Netflix's gaming efforts.

The decision to shutter the studio developing an original multi-platform AAA title suggests that gaming might not be going so well for Netflix. Back in 2022, a report suggested that less than one percent of Netflix subscribers were engaging in games, but Netflix has made an effort to introduce more premium titles since then.

Netflix's mobile gaming catalog includes several Grand Theft Auto titles, popular roguelike Hades, Cozy Grove, Farming Simulator, Spiritfarer, Rollercoaster Tycoon, and more. The games are included with a Netflix subscription, and no additional fees are required to play them.

Netflix games can be downloaded as standalone games on Apple devices, and are available to play after logging in with an active Netflix account.

It's Wednesday, October 23 in Australia and New Zealand, which means that customers who pre-ordered one of the new iPad mini 7 devices are starting to receive their orders.

Apple introduced the iPad mini 7 on October 15, which is also when the company began accepting pre-orders. While the ‌iPad mini 7‌ has the same design as the iPad mini 6, it is equipped with an A17 Pro chip and 8GB RAM in order to support the Apple Intelligence features that are coming in iPadOS 18.1.

The ‌iPad mini 7‌ also offers Wi-Fi 6E, faster USB-C data transfer speeds, Bluetooth 5.3, and support for the Apple Pencil Pro. It now offers a minimum of 128GB of storage with an option to upgrade to 256GB or 512GB, and Apple also unveiled new colors.

There are no Apple retail stores in New Zealand, but Apple Stores in Australia will have the new ‌iPad mini 7‌ available for walk-in purchases. We are not expecting any shortages of the new tablet.

Following New Zealand and Australia, sales of the ‌iPad mini 7‌ will begin in Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and finally, North America.

The ‌iPad mini 7‌ is priced starting at $499, and it continues to be Apple's smallest tablet.

Australian woman Matilda Campbell ended up trapped in a tight rock crevice upside down after she fell trying to retrieve an iPhone that she dropped, according to a report from ABC Newcastle.

The 23-year-old was taking images in the New South Wales Hunter Valley when she lost hold of her phone. She tried to get it, but slipped and fell three meters and became stuck between two large boulders, hanging upside down by her feet. While the news report does not make specific mention of an ‌iPhone‌, Campbell's social media accounts indicate she was an ‌iPhone‌ user.

It took an hour for rescuers to get to Campbell, and several more hours to free her. NSW Ambulance rescue paramedic Peter Watts told ABC Newcastle that Campbell was calm and collected, despite the situation. He said it was a difficult, "out-of-the-box rescue" that was unlike anything he'd previously experienced. NSW Ambulance shared images of the rescue on Facebook.

Rescue crews had to remove seven boulders weighing between 80 and 500 kilograms to free Campbell, plus a wooden frame had to be constructed in case any boulders cracked and fell. Campbell was trapped for approximately seven hours, and she ended up with scrapes, bruises, and a cracked vertebra. She was not able to retrieve her ‌iPhone‌.

Apple is working on an App Store-style app designed for gaming, according to a report from 9to5Mac. It would merge App Store gaming content, Apple Arcade, and Game Center into a central location.

The app is said to feature a Play Now tab with gaming content and suggestions, plus a Game Center tab for tracking game progress and games that friends are playing. Game Center features like achievements and leaderboards will be highlighted.

Apple plans to offer both ‌Apple Arcade‌ games and ‌App Store‌ games in the app, and the company will promote gaming events and details about important updates. It is possible that there will be integration with FaceTime and Messages for remote play with friends, as well as App Clip mini game demos.

There is no word on when Apple might release this dedicated gaming app.

Apple today seeded a second release candidate version of an upcoming visionOS 2.1 update to developers for testing purposes. The new software comes a day after Apple seeded the first release candidate version.

visionOS 2.1 can be installed by going to the Software Update section of the Settings app on the Vision Pro and opting into Beta Updates.

So far, no major new features have been discovered in the update, and it likely focuses on bug fixes and other small feature improvements. Apple's release notes say that the second visionOS 2.1 RC fixes an issue that could cause Apple Music songs and music videos to fail to play.

visionOS 2.1 is expected to see a release next Monday alongside iOS 18.1.

Apple today released a new firmware update for the original AirPods Pro, the AirPods 2, the AirPods 3, and the Lightning version of the AirPods Max headphones. The new firmware is version 6F21, up from the prior 6A326 firmware that these devices were previously running.

There is no word on what's included in the firmware, but given that these are all older models, it is likely that the new firmware includes bug fixes and other minor improvements.

Apple doesn't have a way to manually upgrade AirPods software, but firmware is generally installed over-the-air when the AirPods are in a charging case and connected to an iOS device or Mac.

AT&T today announced a new promotion that allows potential new customers to try out the AT&T network for 30 days for free.

Customers with an iPhone that has an eSIM can download the myAT&T app or visit the AT&T free trial website to sign up for temporary access to the AT&T network. No credit card is required for the AT&T trial, which includes 5G access.

Compatible iPhones with eSIM capabilities include the ‌iPhone‌ XR, ‌iPhone‌ XS, iPhone SE 2020 and all later models, but note that devices must be unlocked. Testing AT&T's network through the Try AT&T feature does not require transferring a phone number or canceling current service. It instead operates as a second line on a compatible ‌iPhone‌, with options to switch between the AT&T test and another carrier plan.

AT&T is providing unlimited talk and text, 100GB of data, 25GB of personal hotspot data, AT&T 5G access, and unlimited texting from the United States to more than 230 countries. After the 30-day trial ends, service will be canceled automatically, but customers will have the option to sign up for AT&T service.

Both Verizon and T-Mobile have previously rolled out programs that allow customers to test their networks for free, but AT&T is offering 25GB of hotspot data, which neither Verizon or T-Mobile support.

Apple today released a new version of iPadOS 18.0.1 that's designed specifically for the iPad mini 7 that will be available as of tomorrow.

The iPadOS 18.0.1 update features the same content as the iPadOS 18.0.1 update that was released in early October, but it has a 22A8380 build number. The ‌iPad mini 7‌ isn't out just yet, but customers in Australia and New Zealand who pre-ordered will be getting their shipments in just a few hours, and they'll be able to update during the setup process.

iPadOS 18.0.1 includes a fix for an issue that could cause the iPad to unexpectedly quit when replying to a message with a shared Apple Watch face, plus it has a security fix to address a vulnerability with the Passwords app.

Launch versions of the ‌iPad mini 7‌ have a version of iOS 18.0 installed rather than iPadOS 18.0.1, which is why there's an out-of-the-box update. Next week, ‌iPad mini 7‌ owners can also upgrade to iPadOS 18.1, an update that includes the first Apple Intelligence features.

Just a few hours after claiming that the first Macs with M4 chips are launching "very soon," Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has followed up with a slightly more specific timeframe. In his latest social media post today, he said an "M4 Mac launch" is on Apple's schedule for next week, but he did not mention a specific day.

"Busy week for Apple next week: Apple Intelligence on Monday, then M4 Mac launch, then earnings results on Thursday," he posted.

In another social media post today, Gurman said that Apple is inviting journalists and content creators to a hands-on experience in Los Angeles next Wednesday, and he believes this means the new Macs would need to be announced before then.

In another twist, leaker Sonny Dickson today claimed that he heard the new Mac mini with five USB-C ports might launch this week instead. Dickson has revealed some accurate details about upcoming Apple products through leaked cases and dummy models, but some of his hardware-related claims have proven to be inaccurate.

In any case, it looks like Apple will announce the first Macs with M4 chips in around a week from now at the latest, based on these latest claims. It's still not entirely clear if the announcements will be part of an online event, like the "Scary Fast" event on October 30 last year, or if the products will be announced in press releases on the Apple Newsroom website only. There is still time left in October for Apple to invite the media to watch an online event, but the window for that is gradually coming to a close. We'll see!

Here is everything that Apple is likely to announce in the coming days:

• An entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M4 chip, and an additional Thunderbolt port compared to the current model
• 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M4 Pro and M4 Max chip options
• An updated iMac with the M4 chip
• A new Mac mini with a smaller Apple TV-like design, two front-facing USB-C ports, and M4 and M4 Pro chip options
• USB-C versions of the Magic Mouse, Magic Trackpad, and Magic Keyboard accessories

The entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M4 chip allegedly leaked in a few unboxing videos earlier this month, and it was shown to be a November 2024 model in those videos. If the videos are legitimate, that means the first Macs with M4 chips might not arrive to customers until next month, even if they are announced within the next week or so.

Apple today seeded the release candidate version of an upcoming watchOS 11.1 update to developers and public beta testers for testing purposes. The new software comes approximately week after Apple released the fifth beta.

watchOS 11.1 can be installed by going to the Apple Watch app and selecting the Software Update section under "General" in Settings.

So far, no major new features have been discovered in the watchOS 11.1 update, though Apple's release notes indicate that there is a fix for an issue that could cause problems writing breathing disturbance data to the Health app.

watchOS 11.1 is expected to see a release alongside iOS 18.1 next Monday.

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.

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."

Apple recently introduced the seventh-generation iPad mini, offering the A17 Pro chip, Apple Intelligence support, 8GB of memory, Apple Pencil Pro and ‌Apple Pencil‌ hover support, and more. Earlier this year, Apple debuted the sixth-generation iPad Air, featuring the M2 chip, ‌Apple Pencil‌ Pro support, and a larger display size option.

The ‌iPad mini‌ effectively shares the design of the ‌iPad Air‌, with both devices possessing many of the same features such as an all-screen design with no Home button, Touch ID in the top button, and stereo speakers. Despite theoretically being different product lines, the ‌iPad mini‌ and ‌iPad Air‌ are almost identical in terms of specifications and are even available in the same color options. There are still some minor differences between the devices, such as their display sizes and chips, that set the devices apart.

Should you buy the more expensive, larger ‌iPad Air‌, or opt for the smaller and more affordable ‌iPad mini‌? Our guide helps to answer the question of how to decide which of these two iPads is best for you. All of the differences between the two devices are listed below:

‌iPad mini‌ (seventh generation, 2024)	‌iPad Air‌ (sixth generation, 2024)
8.3-inch display with 326 ppi	11-inch or 13-inch display with 264 ppi
500 nits max SDR brightness	11-inch: 500 nits max SDR brightness 13-inch: 600 nits max SDR brightness
Smaller, compact design for maximum portability	Larger design, better for productivity
Weighs 0.66 pounds (297 grams)	11-inch: Weighs 1.02 pounds (462 grams) 13-inch: Weighs 1.36 pounds (617 grams)
A17 Pro chip (introduced with iPhone 15 Pro in 2023, made with TSMC's 3nm N3 process)	‌M2‌ chip (introduced with redesigned MacBook Air in 2022, made with TSMC's enhanced 5nm N5P process)
6-core CPU	8-core CPU
5-core GPU	9-core GPU
	Dedicated media Engine Hardware-accelerated H.264 and HEVC Video decode engine Video encode engine
	Stage Manager support
Volume buttons on top	Volume buttons on right side
12MP Ultra Wide front camera	Landscape 12MP Ultra Wide front camera
True Tone flash
Compatible with Bluetooth keyboards only	Smart Connector to support Apple's Magic Keyboard and Smart Keyboard Folio
128GB, 256GB, or 512GB of storage	128GB, 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB of storage
Starts at $499	11-inch: Starts at $599 13-inch: Start at $799

Overall, the ‌iPad Air‌ is the best all-around option for the majority of users, providing a large screen for productivity and consuming entertainment in a slim, portable design. The additional $100 needed to buy the 11-inch ‌iPad Air‌ over the ‌iPad mini‌ is more than justified for the benefits that come with its larger display and ‌M2‌ chip, not least the ability to practically use it as a laptop replacement with the Magic Keyboard and ‌Stage Manager‌.

Yet, most customers who choose the ‌iPad mini‌ will do so because of its screen size rather than in spite of it. The ‌iPad mini‌ is ideal for comfortably reading ebooks, playing handheld games, and easy transport and storage. Those who buy the ‌iPad mini‌ will likely have a specific use case in mind for how they will use the device, such as for note-taking on the go with the ‌Apple Pencil‌, throwing into a small bag to use on public transport, or giving it to a kid as their first tablet.

If you do not see the ‌iPad mini‌'s smaller display, easy one-handed grip, lightweight design, and portable form factor as an advantage for your use case and are focused on a more versatile display size, you will likely prefer the ‌iPad Air‌, especially as it is now available with a 13-inch size option. The ‌iPad Air‌ is more of an all-around device that works as a potential laptop replacement with support for ‌Stage Manager‌, with the added bonuses that come with a bigger screen for productivity and entertainment.