iPad mini 7 review: a more mighty micro tablet

iPad mini 7: A Subtle Yet Powerful Upgrade

There's not much new to say about the iPad mini 7, aside from the significant chipset upgrade, which provides a much-needed mid-life boost. While it may seem unexciting at first glance, the iPad mini 7’s A17 Pro chip transforms it into a portable gaming powerhouse and a capable Apple Intelligence machine.

iPad mini 6: A Revolution in Design

When the iPad mini 6 launched in 2021, it was a game-changer. Apple gave the compact tablet a complete redesign, embracing the no-button, all-screen look that had become a hallmark of the iPad lineup. Powered by the A15 Bionic chip, it provided a substantial performance leap and re-established the iPad mini as the ultimate handheld tablet, perfect for portrait mode use.

iPad mini 7: A Familiar Upgrade

The iPad mini 7 introduces the A17 Pro and little else. Apple didn’t feel the need to overhaul a design that was already a huge hit. However, after three years without an update, some expected more—especially those who tend to focus on spec sheets.

Defining the iPad mini Market

Many critics have labeled the iPad mini 7 as a lazy update, arguing that Apple should have done more. But these complaints often come from tech enthusiasts who are fixated on hardware specs. In reality, the iPad mini 7 isn’t about flashy new features—it’s about refining what already works brilliantly.

Sure, an M-series chip would have been a nice addition, and OLED or 120Hz would have been great—but that’s just not the iPad mini’s focus.

As someone who’s been deeply passionate about iPads, possibly more than anyone else at AppleInsider, I've learned that Apple views the iPad primarily as a consumer device. While pro-level users do exist, they’re a small niche within the broader iPad community, which is largely made up of people who see smartphones or laptops as their go-to devices.

The most popular iPad is the entry-level $329 model. The iPad mini fits into the mid-tier market, offering a smaller alternative to the iPad Air.

Apple designs the iPad mini’s technology stack to hit a specific price point. For instance, while they could certainly load it up with features and price it at $1,000, I don’t believe Apple could make a compelling $300 iPad mini.

The issue with that approach is it leads to the same dilemma as the Mac Pro. While there are some willing to pay top dollar for maximum power in that form factor, it remains a niche within an already niche market. This doesn't quite apply to the iPad mini.

I do think that as technology becomes more affordable, we'll eventually see an iPad mini that we would’ve called "pro" today. However, there’s no significant demand for a very expensive, small tablet when most people would simply opt for an iPad Pro instead.

I could be wrong, and Apple might surprise us with an 8-inch iPad Pro in 2025, but I seriously doubt it. The closest thing we could see to an iPad mini Pro is the rumored Apple foldable, though I’m skeptical that will ever materialize either.

The upside is, if the iPad mini 7 doesn't excite you, you don’t have to buy it. Personally, I jumped at the chance because I’m a fan of this form factor, and after three years, my battery was showing signs of wear—so the A17 Pro is just a nice bonus.

iPad mini 7 Review – Design & Features

Apple hasn't made any significant external changes to the iPad mini 7, aside from slightly more muted color options. The pink variant has been replaced with blue, while the other colors—space gray, purple, and starlight—are still available but in lighter shades.

The iPad mini 7 features an all-screen display, removing the Home Button in favor of a Top Button with Touch ID, as seen in the previous generation. While the bezels are slightly larger compared to other iPads, they complement the compact, handheld design.

The volume buttons and Top Button are located on one side, while the USB-C port is positioned on the opposite end. Speaker grills are present on all four sides, but the iPad mini only supports stereo speakers in landscape mode.

The rear camera remains unchanged, with a 12MP sensor capable of recording 4K video. The front-facing camera is also in the same portrait orientation, featuring the same 12MP ultra-wide sensor.

Overall, the design still feels modern and well-balanced. There's something about this compact tablet that makes it feel just right in the hand.

The Liquid Retina display hasn't changed either, maintaining a resolution of 2,266 x 1,488 pixels at 326 ppi. It peaks at 500 nits with SDR content, which feels a bit dim by today's Apple display standards.

Apple didn’t opt for OLED, ProMotion, or Nano Texture in this iteration. While some were hoping for significant updates, as I mentioned earlier, it doesn’t seem realistic for this product.

Jelly scrolling appears to still be present, but it’s not something I notice, seek out, or find bothersome. Sure, slow-motion footage might reveal the effect, but that's not how most people will experience the display.

Apple seems to have taken steps to reduce the issue, so if it was noticeable before, it’s less so now. Honestly, I doubt most users outside of tech circles even know it exists.

Apple Pencil Pro

To be blunt, I'm not an artist. I don’t really have a need for the Apple Pencil Pro, except out of curiosity about its features and letting my artist friends give it a try.

Apple has included full support for the Apple Pencil Pro and all of its features, including hover. It truly feels like a magical tool, with the haptics and on-screen shadow rendering remaining excellent on the iPad mini 7.

However, supporting the Apple Pencil Pro means the iPad mini 7 no longer supports the Apple Pencil 2, so don’t expect to use your old Pencil.

I’m really glad Apple didn’t wait another generation to bring the Apple Pencil Pro to the iPad mini 7. Now, I have one Apple Pencil that can seamlessly switch between my iPad Pro and iPad mini simply by attaching it.

While I’m not an artist, I still find the Apple Pencil Pro useful, especially on the iPad mini 7. I enjoy taking handwritten notes and doing some quick sketches with it.

I really hope Apple eventually brings Apple Journal to the iPad with handwriting support. If that happens, I could see myself using the iPad mini to write journal entries in the future.

iPad mini 7 Review – A17 Pro

The A17 Pro, first introduced in the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, is the entry-level chipset capable of running Apple Intelligence. It’s likely a cost-saving choice for Apple, making it a solid fit for the iPad mini 7.

The A17 Pro is a significant upgrade from the A15 Bionic it replaces, not just for AI, but also for graphics processing and gaming. Interestingly, the A17 Pro marks the cutoff for Apple’s latest push into AAA gaming, meaning games like Resident Evil 4 are now playable on the iPad mini 7.

This news seemed to go unnoticed by many, who focused on the older chipset and minimal upgrades. I, however, was thrilled.

While the selection of titles is still limited a year into Apple’s AAA gaming push, that won’t be the case forever. The A17 Pro supports hardware-accelerated ray tracing, which makes games like *Death Stranding* possible on the iPhone or iPad.

The power of the A17 Pro also benefits regular gaming, emulation, and other graphics-heavy tasks. It ensures more efficient performance and, so far, has resulted in a much cooler device.

I’ll be reviewing a vice grip controller for the iPad mini 7, the Abxylute S9, in a separate post soon. It’s a great way to harness the power packed into this compact device.

Had Apple opted for a more powerful M-series chip, thermal issues could have arisen in the small form factor. This is another reason why an iPhone chipset is a better fit for the iPad mini 7.

The A17 Pro is also the first iPhone chipset to support hardware-accelerated processing of the AV1 format, used by platforms like YouTube and Netflix. This makes video streaming on these services more efficient, reducing heat and conserving battery life.

Customers now get a more generous 128GB of starting storage at no extra cost, with 256GB and 512GB options available as well.

Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 are also included, thanks to the switch to the A17 Pro. While I would have liked to see Wi-Fi 7, it’s understandable given the chipset pairing.

For the cellular model, Apple has eliminated the physical SIM slot in favor of eSIM only, just like its other mobile products.

Apple Intelligence

Apple Intelligence is gradually rolling out, with the first set of promised features expected to arrive by 2025. It seems that the iPad mini 7’s main purpose is to support AI capabilities.

I’ve written extensively about Apple Intelligence as it currently exists in iPadOS 18.1, and I can confirm that it’s still in the early stages. However, the limited features available are still useful on the iPad mini 7.Apple highlighted Image Wand as a key feature for the iPad mini when paired with the Apple Pencil Pro. The Clean Up tool in Photos also benefits from the precision input on the larger display.iPadOS 18.2 is currently in beta, and I’m testing those features on the iPad mini 7 as well. Genmoji and Image Playground work as expected, and easy access to a private ChatGPT is also handy.That said, I wouldn’t recommend buying the iPad mini 7 just for Apple Intelligence in its current form. I’m excited to see how it evolves across Apple’s ecosystem in the coming months, though.iPad mini 7 Review – iPadOSDespite running iPadOS 18 like my iPad Pro, the iPad mini 7 doesn’t support Stage Manager. The A17 Pro is more than capable of handling it, even if it only worked on an external display.

Unfortunately, we’re stuck with the classic full-screen apps, Split View, and Slide Over. This interaction style is much better suited for touch, so it works fine on the iPad mini.

No Stage Manager means no external display support, and that’s the real miss here. I’d love to see the iPad mini transform into a 24-inch desktop when connected over Thunderbolt.

Sure, it’s a niche concept, but that doesn’t make it any less exciting. For now, I’ll stick with the iPad mini 7 as a portable iPad — and it excels in that role.

Three Years of Non-Optimized OS

The iPad mini 7 has an unusual aspect ratio compared to other iPads, which causes iPadOS to add a lot of padding. For example, the Home Screen is inset quite a bit, leaving enough room for two extra rows of icons.

The effect is noticeable across many apps and in the App Library. It just feels a bit unoptimized and somewhat lazy, especially considering how well Apple typically integrates software and hardware.

Some apps have improved over time, like Apple News. Auto Layout does its best, but it doesn’t always get the button placement or organization right.

One of the funniest examples might not even be an issue with the iPad mini 7 itself, but I have to mention it. When using Apple Music in landscape mode, the album artwork shrinks down to a tiny 1.5-inch square.

Apple Music’s artwork scaling has always been a bit off, but this feels particularly jarring since it's the default layout on the iPad mini. It looks broken with all that empty space around such tiny icons. Surely Apple could have optimized this better.

iPad mini 7: Still the Best Handheld Tablet

I’m the type of person who works full-time from an iPad Pro, so of course, I consider the 13-inch iPad Pro the best overall iPad. It's fantastic in hand, but its size does make it less portable.

The range of nearly 11-inch iPads strikes a balance between portability and functionality, working well as handheld tablets, but sometimes feeling a bit too large or better suited for use with a keyboard. The iPad mini, on the other hand, fits seamlessly into any situation where you’d use an iPhone, but with the added benefit of a larger display and the comfort of holding it for hours.

There's something uniquely satisfying about the 8.3-inch form factor that makes it feel like the perfect "Goldilocks" tablet. It slips into most pockets, works effortlessly with the Apple Pencil, and never strains your wrist during extended use.

The original iPad had a 9.7-inch screen with those now-iconic oversized bezels. It was Steve Jobs' vision of the future of computing — a device you held in portrait orientation for reading. Back then, even the Apple keyboard stood the iPad up in portrait mode.

Since then, the iPad has evolved into a more versatile device, transitioning from a simple tablet to a multifaceted tool. With each new accessory and feature, Apple continues to expand its potential, making the iPad much more than just a tablet.

The iPad mini 7 remains true to its original role as a consumption device. While it can transform into something more functional like other iPads, it leans more towards fun uses, such as a handheld gaming console, portable TV, or sketchpad.

The addition of the A17 Pro to the iPad mini might not be the most thrilling update, but it highlights Apple's ongoing dedication to the compact tablet. If you're a long-time iPad mini user like me, you’ll probably appreciate the refreshed battery life too.

Whether you're a first-time buyer or upgrading, the iPad mini 7 offers a powerful, pocket-sized device capable of running AAA games and utilizing Apple Intelligence. It's a solid bridge until new technologies become more affordable and make their way into the future iPad mini 8.

iPad mini 7 review - Pros

• Perfect form factor

• Apple Pencil Pro support

• A17 Pro brings significant upgrades in gaming and AI

• Cooler, more efficient performance

iPad mini 7 review - Cons

• Unoptimized iPadOS

• No M-series chip means no Stage Manager or external monitor support

• Limited color options

• A17 Pro means no Wi-Fi 7

Rating: 4 out of 5

I’d be tempted to give the iPad mini 7 a 5 out of 5 if it had launched in 2023 with the A17 Pro and a fix for jelly scrolling. Waiting three years for just a chipset upgrade is disappointing for many buyers, even if I’m fine with it.

Overall, it’s the perfect tablet, but there’s still room for growth. Apple could truly impress with a new small tablet around 2027.

Where to buy the iPad mini 7 at a discount

You can find Apple’s iPad mini 7 on sale now, with retailers offering cash savings and coupon discounts, which can be found in our iPad mini 7 Price Guide.