iPad Mini A17 Pro Chip and AI-Powered

Updated On: 10 November 2024

iPad Mini, powered by the A17 Pro chip, takes performance and versatility to the next level. With a faster CPU, GPU, and 2x faster Neural Engine, it’s designed for demanding tasks like gaming, photo editing, and more. Apple Intelligence introduces AI-powered features, allowing users to create, edit, and automate tasks seamlessly across apps. Support for the new Apple Pencil Pro unlocks creative potential, while its 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display and all-day battery life make it perfect for on-the-go productivity. Starting at INR49,900, this ultraportable powerhouse is a game changer!

iPad Mini A17 Pro Chip

New iPad Mini Overview

Apple has unveiled a new version of its iPad mini, now featuring the A17 Pro chip and Apple Intelligence. This latest iteration is aimed at offering a more powerful, versatile, and portable tablet experience. Apple Intelligence integrates personal context-based AI-driven functionalities, enhancing how users interact with the device while prioritizing privacy.

Apple Intelligence Integration

A significant upgrade with the new iPad mini is the introduction of Apple Intelligence, a next-generation AI system embedded in iPadOS 18. This feature leverages on-device generative models to perform complex tasks like language processing, document creation, and even image manipulation. Apple Intelligence not only enhances productivity but also maintains user privacy by keeping many processes on the device and using Private Cloud Compute to scale larger tasks across servers.

Writing Tools: These allow users to rewrite, proofread, or summarize text across apps.
Advanced Siri: Siri now has deeper integration, making communication more natural, with richer language understanding and the ability to follow contextual prompts across apps.
Photos and Memory Creation: Users can create movies by typing descriptions and use the new Clean Up tool to edit photos by removing unwanted objects without affecting the main subject.

A17 Pro Chip Performance

The new iPad mini is powered by the A17 Pro chip, which delivers significant performance improvements over its predecessor, the A15 Bionic. Key upgrades include:

A 30% increase in CPU performance and 25% improvement in GPU performance.
Advanced support for hardware-accelerated ray tracing, providing 4x faster graphics processing for true-to-life gaming and demanding creative tasks.
Enhanced capabilities for professional apps used by designers, healthcare professionals, and engineers, including faster photo editing, immersive AR experiences, and better gaming performance.

Apple Pencil Pro

The new iPad mini supports Apple Pencil Pro, bringing advanced creative tools to users. This Apple Pencil version provides:

A custom haptic engine, allowing for tactile feedback when switching tools or making brush strokes.
The ability to squeeze and roll the pencil to control line weight, colors, and tool orientation.
Find My support, ensuring the pencil is easy to locate, and magnetic charging, which offers a sleek storage and charging solution. For professionals and creatives, the Apple Pencil Pro transforms the iPad mini into a highly portable sketchbook, ideal for digital art, design, and note-taking.

Camera Enhancements

The new iPad mini is equipped with a 12MP wide rear camera that supports Smart HDR 4 for enhanced dynamic range in photos. With integrated AI capabilities:

It can detect documents and automatically scan them using the Camera app.
The front-facing 12MP Ultra Wide camera with Center Stage is designed for seamless video calls, automatically keeping the user in the frame even as they move.

Faster Connectivity

The new iPad mini features faster wireless and wired connections:

Wi-Fi 6E delivers 2x faster performance compared to the previous model, making it ideal for activities like streaming and gaming.
5G support for cellular models provides fast data speeds for users on the go.
The new USB-C port is now 2x faster, allowing for data transfer speeds of up to 10Gbps, making large file transfers quicker and more efficient.
eSIM enables global cellular connectivity without the need for physical SIM cards, allowing users to manage multiple data plans easily.

Battery Life and Pricing

The iPad mini offers all-day battery life, maintaining its portability without sacrificing power. In terms of pricing:

The device starts at INR 49,900 for the 128GB Wi-Fi model, which is double the storage of the previous generation.
The Wi-Fi + Cellular model is available starting at INR 64,900.
Education pricing is available, with the Wi-Fi model starting at INR 44,900, targeted at students, teachers, and faculty.

Environmental Sustainability

Apple continues its commitment to sustainability with the new iPad mini, incorporating 100% recycled materials:

Recycled aluminium in the enclosure and recycled rare earth elements in the magnets.
Apple aims to be fully carbon-neutral across its entire supply chain by 2030. The iPad mini’s packaging is also 100% fiber-based, aligning with Apple’s goal of eliminating plastic from its packaging by 2025.

Availability

Pre-orders for the new iPad mini began on October 15, 2024, with official sales starting on October 23, 2024. It is available in blue, purple, starlight, and space grey finishes. Storage configurations range from 128GB to 512GB, and customers can choose from both Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + Cellular models.

iPadOS 18 Features

The new iPad mini comes with iPadOS 18, which introduces several intelligent and powerful features, including:

Math Notes: Users can type or handwrite mathematical expressions that are instantly solved and graphically represented.
Smart Script: Handwritten notes are automatically refined for better legibility, with flexible editing tools.
Audio Recording and Transcription: New audio transcription tools sync recorded content with searchable text.
Customizable Home Screen: Enhanced widget and app icon customization options allow users to tailor their experience. Additional features like a redesigned Control Center, advanced photo browsing in the Photos app, and improved Messages options also contribute to making the iPad mini a more versatile and intelligent device.

FAQs

1. What is new in the 2024 iPad Mini?

The new iPad Mini features the A17 Pro chip, offering a 30% faster CPU and 25% better GPU performance. It supports Apple Intelligence, which brings AI-powered features, and the new Apple Pencil Pro for enhanced creativity and productivity.

2. What is Apple Intelligence, and how does it work on iPad Mini?

Apple Intelligence is an AI-powered system integrated into iPadOS 18, enhancing tasks like writing, editing, and photo management. It uses on-device machine learning and Apple silicon to deliver smart, personalized experiences, while maintaining privacy.

3. What are the camera improvements in the new iPad Mini?

The new iPad Mini has a 12MP rear camera with Smart HDR 4 for better dynamic range and machine learning to detect and scan documents. The 12MP front camera supports Center Stage for improved video calls.

4. How is the new Apple Pencil Pro different from previous versions?

The new Apple Pencil Pro includes features like haptic feedback, tool switching with a squeeze, and precise control with its rotating barrel. It pairs and charges magnetically with the new iPad Mini and supports Find My for locating the stylus.

5. How does the new iPad Mini improve gaming and graphics performance?

The A17 Pro chip offers 4x faster hardware-accelerated ray tracing for immersive gaming. With the 5-core GPU, users can enjoy AAA games like Zenless Zone Zero with smooth, true-to-life graphics.

6. What connectivity options does the new iPad Mini offer?

The 2024 iPad Mini supports Wi-Fi 6E for faster wireless speeds, and the cellular model supports 5G with eSIM for easy connectivity worldwide. The USB-C port is now 2x faster, allowing 10Gbps data transfers.

7. What are the new productivity features in iPadOS 18 for the iPad Mini?

iPadOS 18 introduces features like Smart Script for refining handwritten notes, enhanced Photos app tools, and Math Notes, which allows users to solve equations directly. New widgets, customizable icons, and a redesigned Control Center enhance the overall experience.

8. How much does the new iPad Mini cost?

The new iPad Mini starts at INR49,900 for the Wi-Fi model and INR64,900 for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model, with 128GB of storage, double the previous generation.

9. When will the new iPad Mini be available?

Pre-orders are open now, and the iPad Mini will be available starting October 23, 2024.

10. What makes the new iPad Mini eco-friendly?

The new iPad Mini uses 100% recycled aluminum, rare earth elements, and gold in its construction. The packaging is also fiber-based, part of Apple’s goal to remove plastic from all packaging by 2025.