Apple has launched a brand-new iPad mini.
As the name suggests, this is the smallest tablet in Apple's lineup, with an 8.3-inch all-screen design. This new model ships in four colourways: Purple, Blue, Space Grey, and Starlight. Based on the images on the Apple Store, these finishes appear more pastel shades compared with the vibrant Ultramarine and Pink found on the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus launched last month.
Starting at £499, the late-2024 refresh of the iPad mini arrives with twice as much storage as its predecessor — starting with 128GB and topping out at 512GB. It also introduces support for Apple Pencil Pro, the flagship stylus from the Californian company, with the ability to hover over the screen to summon more options.
Out of the box, the new iPad mini will run iPadOS 18 with its redesigned Photos app (left) that removes the tabs that run along the bottom of the screen. The upgraded chipset will unlock Apple Intelligence features, like the ability to rewrite entire paragraphs to adjust the tone (right)
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On the back of the new iPad mini, you'll find a 12MP wide back camera with Smart HDR 4 and machine learning capabilities for document scanning. UK customers can pre-order the new iPad mini from today, with the first tablets due to ship on October 23.
According to Apple, the headline-grabbing new features of the iPad mini are:
Discussing the newest addition to its best-selling iPad line-up, Bob Borchers, Apple Vice President of Worldwide Product Marketing said: "There is no other device in the world like iPad mini, beloved for its combination of powerful performance and versatility in our most ultraportable design.
"iPad mini appeals to a wide range of users and has been built for Apple Intelligence, delivering intelligent new features that are powerful, personal, and private. With the powerful A17 Pro chip, faster connectivity, and support for Apple Pencil Pro, the new iPad mini delivers the full iPad experience in our most portable design at an incredible value."
Powering the new iPad mini is an A17 Pro system-on-a-chip — that's the same silicon that debuted in the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, which started from £999, last summer.
According to Apple, the six-core CPU design inside this three nanometre chipset unlocks a 30% boost in performance compared to its predecessor. Likewise, the newer five-core GPU design provides a 25% jump in graphics performance.
All of these improvements should ensure that multi-tasking between applications feels faster and more responsive. Processor-intensive apps — like video and photo editing suites, animation software, and immersive AR applications — should be able to run without breaking a sweat, thanks to the boosted silicon.
It also means this new iPad mini will be guaranteed operating system updates for years to come.
For the first time, iPad mini will support Pencil Pro — the top-of-the-range £129 stylus with squeeze detection for quick tool changes and a custom haptic engine for tactile feedback
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The beefier internal also means the iPad mini is able to support Apple Intelligence, which has been integrated into the core of iPadOS 18 — the latest operating system for Apple's tablet lineup. It offers features like Writing Tools for text refinement and an enhanced Siri with richer language-understanding capabilities.
The new iPad mini also introduces enhanced connectivity options. It supports Wi-Fi 6E, delivering up to twice the performance of the previous generation. Cellular models feature 5G capabilities and eSIM technology for seamless connectivity. The USB-C port now offers data transfers up to 10Gbps, twice as fast as before.
The A17 Pro's speedier 5‑core GPU brings advanced features like hardware‑accelerated ray tracing for graphically intense triple-A games, like Resident Evil Village, Death Stranding, and Zenless Zone Zero
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The device comes in four finishes, including all-new blue and purple options. Its camera system has been upgraded, with a 12MP wide back camera supporting Smart HDR 4 for improved photo quality. The front-facing 12MP Ultra Wide camera supports Centre Stage for video calls.
iPadOS 18 introduces powerful new features to enhance the iPad experience. A new Calculator app allows users to solve expressions using Apple Pencil, whilst Math Notes enables handwritten mathematical equations. The Notes app now features Smart Script for improved handwriting refinement. Audio Recording and Transcription capabilities have been added, syncing transcripts with audio for easy searching.
UK customers can pre-order the new iPad mini starting today, with prices beginning at £499 for the Wi-Fi model and £649 for Wi-Fi + Cellular. The device will be available in Apple Store locations and from authorised resellers from Wednesday, October 23.
