Video Review: A Month With the iPad Mini 7

It's been just over a month since Apple released the iPad mini 7, refreshing its smallest tablet with a new Apple Intelligence-capable A17 Pro chip. MacRumors videographer Dan Barbera has been using the ‌iPad mini 7‌ as a replacement for the iPad Pro for the last several weeks, and he has some thoughts to share on Apple's latest iPad.


For a travel companion alongside a MacBook Pro or a MacBook Air, the 8.3-inch iPad mini is the ideal size. It fits well into a bag, but in a pinch, it also tucks into a coat pocket. On a flight, it's a good size for content consumption like watching movies or TV shows, but it's a hard to get work done on such a small screen.

Apple doesn't make a small keyboard for the ‌iPad mini‌, so unless you have a third-party accessory like a Bluetooth keyboard, typing needs to be done with the on-display keyboard. Adding a keyboard does help the situation, but you're still working with a smaller-sized display.

For playing games, using social media apps, checking email, and browsing the web, the ‌iPad mini‌ is perfect. The A17 Pro chip means that it's ideal for any mobile game you want to play, and even though the small screen might be a downside, it's powerful enough for Final Cut Pro. The A17 Pro supports Apple Intelligence, plus there's 8GB RAM, so you get all of the latest AI features. With support for the Apple Pencil Pro, note taking, drawing, and sketching are great on the ‌iPad mini 7‌.

The ‌iPad mini‌ is essentially almost as powerful as Apple's other, larger iPads, and it is just as capable, so there's little compromise other than screen size when choosing it. It's a great travel companion and daily use tablet, but it might be frustrating if you need something to use to get work done.

Related Roundup: iPad mini
Buyer's Guide: iPad Mini (Neutral)
Related Forum: iPad

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Top Rated Comments

turbineseaplane Avatar
11 months ago
I returned my Mini 7

The screen sucks on these for what they cost

I love the Mini form factor, but I'm not overpaying for low end display hardware
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nikhsub1 Avatar
11 months ago
IMO any ipad is frustrating if you 'want to get work done'.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lazyrighteye Avatar
11 months ago
My mini 6, paired with Pencil 2, is hands-down my favorite iPad I have used to date. And that’s having used several since the OG launch day iPad. Perfectly portable, completely capable. I’m in the quiet camp that would love a no compromises iPad Pro mini. It’ll never happen. But if it did, I’d be first in line.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
3304614 Avatar
11 months ago
I like how you type that the size is the compromise… when the size is (likely) the main reason why someone would buy the Mini, lol.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Entilzha Avatar
11 months ago

Sad to see people still defending 60hz. Same people who thought 720p was enough when 1080 came. And 4K even. Apple is just being greedy now. It’s dated looking too
Please do show me a $399 non-Apple tablet with the same or greater processing power and capability that also has that 120hz display you mention.

I’ll wait. :)

Edit: for anyone who disagrees…link it. Prove me wrong.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
subjonas Avatar
11 months ago

In what way was the display bad?
Usually when people leave very unspecific (therefore useless) criticism it’s because they want to leave a stink without having to back it up nor make a statement that can be challenged. Not always the case of course, sometimes they’re just lazy.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)