Apple today introduced the new iPad mini, supercharged by the A17 Pro chip and Apple Intelligence, the easy-to-use personal intelligence system that understands personal context to deliver intelligence that is helpful and relevant while protecting user privacy.

I should confess right up front that I have always loved the iPad Mini. I’ve owned several; I’ve bought them as gifts for multiple family members. I want a tablet I can use to read in bed, throw into my overstuffed carry-on bag, or prop up on the toaster to help me cook dinner. The Mini is the one.

The price for the Apple iPad mini 7 is the same as before, starting at $499 for the Wi-Fi version with 128GB of RAM, and $649 for the Wi-Fi + Cellular variant.

Apple’s A17 Pro is key to the essence of this tablet’s upgrade. To make that clear, Apple is calling it the iPad mini with A17 Pro, not iPad mini seventh-generation. The chip update means that it’s capable of running Apple’s take on AI, called Apple Intelligence, which arrives soon.

The first reviews for the new iPad mini are out, and the general consensus is that it's a relatively safe update that depends on Apple Intelligence to be worthwhile.

The 2024 iPad mini is a solid and necessary update to the best small tablet on the market. It still delivers the full iPad experience in a compact package.