It had been so long since the last iPad mini that I was starting to worry that we’d seen the last of this pocket-sized tablet. I first reviewed the iPad mini 2 many years ago and always found it to be one of the most useful tablets in the range.
While it offered a much larger screen to my phone, it was still a very pocketable device. That meant that you could always carry it with you. While my phone may have got bigger the iPad has largely remained unchanged.
The latest iPad mini (A17 Pro) is the seventh generation of the product and comes with a few key features that make it the best iPad mini to date. Arguably it’s the most useful model in the range, depending on your other devices.
As it goes on sale this week, here are a few reasons I think this is the model to go for right now.
1. Small size
Having a big screen can be handy when you have editing work to do, but a 13-inch iPad is not that much smaller than a MacBook Air, so you’re not really saving that much on space. The iPad mini is less than two-thirds the size and still sports a decent 8.3-inch screen that feels considerably bigger than any phone.
2. Apple Intelligence
The new iPad mini uses the same A17 Pro as featured in the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Principally, that means that it is powerful enough to run all of Apple’s new intelligence features, which are due to launch over the next few months. It’s an even cheaper way to get these features than even the iPhone 16.
3. Apple Pencil Pro support
While the previous mini supported the standard USB-C Apple Pencil, this new model allows the advanced Pencil Pro to be used. The Pencil Pro, which can be bought separately, provides more realistic pencil features, such as barrel roll, a squeeze function to bring up a quick menu and hover, to see exactly where you’re about to put a mark. It makes working even on this smaller screen, precise and accurate.
4. More storage
The base level iPad mini is now 128GB, as opposed to 64GB, and there’s a new top spec model with 512GB capacity. That means that you can keep more files locally for use on the move. Whether it’s films, songs, photos or editing projects, you don’t have to rely on cellular or Wi-Fi coverage to access your data – especially useful for travelling.
5. Better video calls
If you’ve ever tried to have a video call on your phone, you’ll know having to hold it in place can get tiring and it’s bound to slip if you rest it on the desk. The iPad mini features an ultra-wide front camera with Centre Stage so you can get perfectly framed. With the smart folio case, it can sit up on its own on the desk and look as professional as it would from a laptop.
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