Apple today introduced the new ultraportable iPad mini, which is more capable and versatile than ever with the powerful A17 Pro chip and support for Apple Pencil Pro. The new iPad mini, available in four finishes including blue and purple, features the brilliant 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display. The A17 Pro chip delivers a significant performance boost, with a faster CPU and GPU, and a 2x faster Neural Engine compared to the previous-generation iPad mini.
The device supports Apple Intelligence, a personal intelligence system that understands personal context to deliver helpful and relevant information while protecting user privacy. The new iPad mini features a 12MP wide back camera that supports Smart HDR 4 for natural-looking photos with increased dynamic range. It uses machine learning to detect and scan documents right in the Camera app.
iPadOS 18, the latest operating system, brings new tools and features designed for the unique capabilities of the iPad, enhancing productivity and creativity. With support for Apple Pencil Pro, users can refine their words by rewriting, proofreading, and summarizing text across various apps. They can create polished images from rough sketches and access new features like Smart Script in the Notes app.
The Image Wand tool in the Apple Pencil palette can transform sketches into polished images effortlessly. Key features of the new iPad mini include enhanced language-understanding capabilities with Siri, smarter photo editing in Photos, and innovative new customization options for the Home Screen. The redesigned Control Center offers easier access to frequently used controls, and the Photos app now helps users find content more efficiently with a simplified and customizable layout.
Customers can pre-order the new iPad mini starting today, October 15. It will be available in Apple Store locations and through Apple Authorized Resellers starting Wednesday, October 23. The new iPad mini starts at $499 for the Wi-Fi model and is available in storage configurations of 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB.
Education pricing is also available. Apple Pencil Pro, compatible with the new iPad mini, is available at $129, with education pricing also offered. Customers can trade in their current iPad and get credit toward a new one, and those using Apple Card can pay monthly at 0% APR with 3% Daily Cash back.
AppleCare+ for iPad provides extensive service and support, including coverage for accidental damage and battery service.
Apple Pencil and improved display
The new iPad Mini has 8GB of RAM, making it one of the most powerful tablets in its category.
This upgraded RAM specification was revealed in a recent newsletter by Mark Gurman, along with other details about upcoming Apple products. Having 8GB of RAM in the new iPad Mini isn’t particularly surprising, given that Apple has been increasing the RAM in its latest devices. For instance, the iPhone 16 also features a significant RAM upgrade, and similar enhancements are expected for the upcoming Macs, which are anticipated to be released later this month.
After being long tipped for an imminent refresh, the iPad Mini 7 was quietly launched last week, becoming the third Apple-branded tablet released in 2024. The announcement highlighted a handful of small but welcome hardware improvements, including upgraded storage, Wi-Fi 6E, and a jump to the A17 Pro chipset. However, one significant improvement Apple hasn’t explicitly mentioned is the potential fix for the notorious “jelly scrolling” issue.
In the latest edition of the Six Colors podcast, co-host Jason Snell revealed that the new iPad Mini 7 finally addresses the “jelly scrolling” problem that irked many users of its predecessor when holding the tablet in portrait mode. Snell hinted that an unspecified change has been made to the iPad Mini’s display hardware, likely aimed at resolving this issue. “My guess is it’s different,” he said.
“And maybe better. And maybe gone.”
For the uninitiated, jelly scrolling is where one half of the screen refreshes at a visibly different speed to the other, creating a slightly jarring wobble effect during motion—such as scrolling down a web page. This effect is difficult to describe but is demonstrated well in super slow-motion videos online, explaining why some people find scrolling on the device uncomfortable.
A theory as to why jelly scrolling was especially prominent on the iPad Mini 6 concerns the orientation of the controller board, which was mounted vertically, as opposed to being horizontal in previous generations. This change in orientation likely altered how the screen is refreshed, causing the noticeable wobble effect when in portrait mode. We won’t know for sure how effectively this problem has been addressed until the tablet reaches early adopters next week.
It would be surprising if Apple hadn’t sought to minimize it in some way—possibly by adjusting the controller board’s placement. One proposed solution that Apple has not implemented this time around is upgrading the mini to a ProMotion 120Hz display. While the iPad Pro also experiences jelly scrolling due to its vertically mounted controller board, the high refresh rate makes the issue virtually invisible to the naked eye.
We should have a full review of the iPad Mini 7 soon to see if this long-standing issue has truly been resolved.
