Apple Unveils New iPad Mini With A17 Pro Chip and Apple Intelligence
Apple today announced a significant upgrade to the iPad mini, now featuring an A17 Pro chip and support for the company's new Apple Intelligence system. The refreshed seventh-generation tablet maintains its compact 8.3-inch design while offering notable performance improvements and new capabilities.
The A17 Pro chip brings a 30% boost in CPU performance and a 25% increase in GPU performance compared to the previous generation, according to Apple.
The new iPad mini also gains support for Apple Pencil Pro, which introduces pressure sensitivity, haptic feedback, and gesture controls. Other improvements include Wi-Fi 6E support, faster USB-C data transfer, and an upgraded 12MP wide camera with Smart HDR 4.
Apple Intelligence offers features improved writing tools, image generation, and enhanced task automation. The system utilizes both on-device processing and cloud-based models to balance performance and privacy. The first set of Apple Intelligence features will be available in U.S. English this month through a free software update with iPadOS 18.1.
Available in four colors, including new blue and purple options, the new iPad mini with Wi-Fi starts at $499 for 128GB of storage (double the minimum storage of the previous generation), and $649 for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model. The new iPad mini is also available in 256GB and 512GB configurations.
Pre-orders begin today, with availability starting October 23. A new Smart Folio, available in charcoal gray, light violet, denim, and sage, is also available for $59.
Popular Stories
Apple today announced a "special Apple Experience" in New York, London, and Shanghai, taking place on March 4, 2026 at 9:00am ET.
Apple invited select members of the media to the event in three major cities around the world. It is simply described as a "special Apple Experience," and there is no further information about what it may entail. The invitation features a 3D Apple logo design...
Apple plans to release an iPhone 17e and an iPad Air with an M4 chip "in the coming weeks," according to the latest word from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
"Apple retail employees say that inventory of the iPhone 16e has basically dried out and the iPad Air is seeing shortages as well," said Gurman. "I've been expecting new versions of both (iPhone 17e and M4 iPad Air) in the coming weeks."...
Apple plans to launch a rebranded "Sales Coach" app on the iPhone and iPad later this month, according to a source familiar with the matter.
"Sales Coach" will arrive as an update to Apple's existing "SEED" app, and it will continue to provide sales tips and training resources to Apple Store and Apple Authorized Reseller employees around the world. For example, there are articles and videos...
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are still seven months away, an analyst has revealed five new features the devices will allegedly have.
Rumored color options for the iPhone 18 Pro models
In a research note with investment firm GF Securities on Thursday, analyst Jeff Pu outlined the following upgrades for the iPhone 18 Pro models:
Smaller Dynamic Island: It has been rumored...
Apple has a long list of new products rumored for 2026, including a series of home products that will see the company establishing more of a presence in the smart home space. Robots are on the horizon for 2027, but the 2026 releases will be a little tamer.
HomePod mini
We're expecting a new HomePod mini 2 to launch at any time. Apple isn't going to update the device's design, but we could...
