iPad mini 7 review roundup: should you buy Apple's mini tablet?

The net was flooded pinch iPad mini 7 reviews this week aft Apple's quiet announcement of nan mini tablet connected October 15. Given it's been 3 years since we past saw Apple motorboat an 8.3-inch iPad, surely it's a must-buy for tablet fans? According to those reviews, nan reply is simply a small much analyzable than you mightiness expect.

This is because nan mini 7 is, astir agree, thing of a mixed bag. It now has an A17 Pro spot (for Apple Intelligence), supports nan Pencil Pro, boosts its guidelines retention to 128GB, and comes successful fancy caller colors. But its creation and surface are also, among different things, nan aforesaid arsenic before. And that's disappointing to immoderate who had lofty expectations for nan tablet.

So, really did nan iPad mini 7 execute successful its various benchmarking tests and real-world scenarios? And what precisely tin you usage it for? We've gathered and summarized nan biggest iPad mini 7 reviews truthful acold successful 1 useful spot truthful you tin determine if it's worthy spending $499 / £499 / AU$799 – starting, of course, pinch TechRadar's ain iPad mini 7 review.

TechRadar: 'A premium mini tablet acquisition that still captivates'

Our iPad mini A17 Pro (2024) reappraisal praised nan capacity of Apple's caller mini tablet, contempt its inclusion of an older A17 Pro chip. In our GeekBench 6 tests, nan scores show a important capacity jump from nan iPad mini 6, which besides supports Apple Intelligence features.

On nan downside, nan iPad mini 7 is different mostly identical to its predecessor. As we noted, "Apple didn't fuss to upgrade nan design, nan screen, nan cameras, aliases nan speakers."

Our artillery life tests showed that it besides provides conscionable complete 10 hours of artillery life, which is astir par for an 8.3-inch tablet. Still, while it isn't an breathtaking upgrade, we enjoyed our clip pinch nan iPad capable to springiness it four-and-a-half stars and a 'recommended rating.'

The Verge: 'The caller Mini isn't overmuch of an upgrade astatine all'

The astir captious return connected Apple's caller mini tablet truthful acold has travel from The Verge. It moreover says nan mini 7 "represents a caller debased for nan product," while besides stating "if you want an iPad mini, bargain this one."

Those 2 statements tin coexist successful nan aforesaid reappraisal because The Verge has expansive visions of what nan iPad mini could be, which nan caller type falls short of. The mini 7 "feels for illustration an iPad designed by a proviso chain," its reappraisal notes, and is champion for those who want a mini surface mixed pinch a awesome Apple Pencil experience.

Like our tests, The Verge's benchmarking showed immoderate useful real-world capacity boosts from nan mini 6, noting that everything is "one hit faster than nan past model." But nan elephant successful nan room is Apple Intelligence.

We don't yet cognize really bully that will be, and The Verge concludes that unless it's "game-changingly incredible, location are fewer bully reasons to bargain nan caller iPad Mini alternatively of nan aged one."

CNET: 'Not really taking astonishing strides into caller territory'

CNET's return connected nan iPad mini 7 is that while it is underwhelming successful galore ways, it's besides bully capable if you've been waiting a fewer years to bargain one.

A mates of absorbing points that haven't been wide raised see a deficiency of caller accessories to suit nan tablet's shape factor. CNET notes that a mini Pencil aliases a mini keyboard lawsuit would person been bully complements to nan mini 7, but neither has arrived.

More annoyingly, nan reappraisal besides notes that nan Apple Pencil 2 doesn't activity pinch nan caller tablet – you request either nan Pencil Pro aliases nan cheaper USB-C Pencil. Still, speech from those gripes, CNET concludes that if you've been waiting to get an iPad mini, "it's a awesome clip to get one." Even if, for owners of nan iPad mini (2021), "these upgrades whitethorn not beryllium that meaningful to you."

Engadget: 'Safe, boring and everything I want successful a mini tablet'

Engadget's iPad mini 7 reappraisal is thing of a 'glass half full' return connected nan tablet. While it acknowledges nan aforesaid limitations arsenic different reviews – nan dated screen, old-school design, deficiency of Face ID and nary M-series spot – it still thinks Apple has done capable to present "the afloat iPad acquisition successful a compact package."

The reappraisal besides discusses successful extent what you mightiness really usage nan iPad mini for. On a wide level, Engadget says, "It’s an enjoyable secondary instrumentality that I mostly utilized aft nan workday was done, successful spot of my MacBook Pro aliases iPhone."

More specifically, it highlights reading, messaging, gaming, and watching videos arsenic nan main usage cases – alongside integer creation and sketching, if you're inclined that way.

The verdict: Could beryllium better, but bully capable for astir people

The iPad mini 7 has received a beautiful lukewarm reception from reviewers (so far). The wide statement is that, while it's acold from nan champion iPad mini that Apple could person made, it is nan champion mini tablet you tin buy. And that could beryllium capable for you, depending connected your needs.

All nan reviews work together that it is simply a bully clip to bargain an iPad mini for those who person been waiting patiently to do so. Where nan conclusions disagree somewhat is connected whether it represents a worthwhile upgrade for existent Mini 6 owners.

The reply seems to mostly dangle connected your expectations of nan tablet. If you've been waiting for an iPad mini that delivers real-world boosts for gaming, apps, and photograph aliases video editing, nan benchmarking results show it delivers that. But if you were hoping for a Pro-level experience, you whitethorn still find it wanting.

The iPad mini 7 besides supports Apple Intelligence, and while it isn't clear really future-proofed that A17 Pro spot will beryllium down nan line, it is different prize if you're prepared to hold for Apple's AI features to flourish.

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