If you’ve been hanging out for the new iPad Mini then it’s been worth the wait. Apple has just released a mighty upgrade to the 8.3-inch device including making it Apple Intelligence ready.
The new Mini is powered by the A17 Pro chip which means huge performance improvements over the A15 Bionic in the previous-generation iPad mini. With a 6-core CPU — two performance cores and four efficiency cores — A17 Pro delivers a 30 percent boost in CPU performance and with a 5-core GPU, delivering a 25 percent leap over the previous gen. The new iPad mini supports Wi-Fi 6E, giving up to twice the performance than the previous gen.
The 12MP wide back camera supports Smart HDR 4 and uses machine learning to detect and scan documents in the native camera app.
Great news for notetakers and designers with support for Apple Pencil Pro. Apple Pencil Pro can sense a user’s squeeze, bringing up a tool palette to quickly switch tools, line weights, and colours. A custom haptic engine delivers a light tap that provides confirmation when users squeeze, double-tap, or snap to a Smart Shape. Users can roll Apple Pencil Pro for precise control of the tool they’re using. Rotating the barrel changes the orientation of shaped pen and brush tools, just like pen and paper, and with Apple Pencil hover, users can visualise the exact orientation of a tool before making a mark.
The first set of Apple Intelligence features will be available in U.S. English this month through a free software update with iPadOS 18.1, and available for iPad with A17 Pro or M1 and later.
And of course, USB-C.
Price and Availability
The new iPad mini starts at A$799 with 128GB. It’s available for pre-order now, in-store Wednesday, 23 October 2024.
