iPad mini 7 review overview: Should you buy Apple’s mini tablet?
The internet was flooded with iPad mini 7 reviews this week after Apple’s quiet announcement of the mini tablet on October 15. Considering it’s been three years since we last saw Apple launch an 8.3-inch iPad, surely this is a must-buy for tablet fans? According to those reviews, the answer is a little more complex than you might expect.
This is because the mini 7, as most would agree, is something of a mixed bag. It now has an A17 Pro chip (for Apple Intelligence), supports the Pencil Pro, increases base storage to 128GB, and comes in nice new colors. But the design and screen, among other things, are also the same as before. And that is disappointing for some who had high expectations of the tablet.
How did the iPad mini 7 perform in the various benchmark tests and real-world scenarios? And what exactly can you use it for? We’ve collected and summarized the biggest iPad mini 7 reviews to date in one handy place, so you can decide whether it’s worth spending $499 / £499 / AU$799 – starting, of course, with Ny Breaking’s own iPad mini 7 review.
Ny Breaking: ‘A premium mini-tablet experience that still captivates’
Our iPad mini A17 Pro (2024) review praised the performance of Apple’s new mini tablet, despite packing an older A17 Pro chip. In our GeekBench 6 tests, the scores show a significant performance improvement over the iPad mini 6, which also supports Apple Intelligence features.
On the other hand, the iPad mini 7 is otherwise largely identical to its predecessor. As we noted, “Apple hasn’t bothered to upgrade the design, screen, cameras or speakers.”
Our battery life tests showed that the battery also lasts just over ten hours, which is about the same as an 8.3-inch tablet. While it’s not an exciting upgrade, we enjoyed our time with the iPad enough to give it four-and-a-half stars and a “recommended rating.”
The good
- Perfectly portable
- Excellent construction
- Wonderful screen
- A great Pencil Pro companion
The bad
- Pricey for the size
- Outdated design
- FaceTime camera still on the short side of the screen
The Verge: ‘The new Mini is not an upgrade at all’
The most critical take on Apple’s new mini-tablet yet has come The edge. It even says that the mini 7 “represents a new low for the product,” while also saying “if you want an iPad mini, buy this one.”
Those two statements can coexist in the same review, because The Verge has grand visions of what the iPad mini is could be, which the new version does not comply with. The mini 7 “feels like an iPad designed by a supply chain,” according to the review, and is best for those who want to combine a small screen with a great Apple Pencil experience.
Like our tests, The Verge’s benchmarking showed some useful real-world performance improvements from the mini 6, noting that everything is “one stroke faster than the previous model.” But the elephant in the room is Apple Intelligence.
We don’t know yet how good that will be, and The Verge concludes that unless it’s “game-changing beyond belief, there are few good reasons to buy the new iPad Mini over the old one.”
The good
- Faster than the previous one
- A great size for a tablet
- Supports the Pencil Pro
The bad
- Jelly scrolling is still present
- Not as powerful as other iPads
- Outdated Touch ID and camera placement
CNET: ‘Not really taking great steps into new territory’
CNET‘s take on the iPad mini 7 is that while it’s disappointing in many ways, it’s also good enough if you’ve been waiting a few years to buy one.
A few interesting points that haven’t been widely raised include the lack of new accessories to match the tablet’s form factor. CNET notes that a small pencil or a small keyboard case would have been a nice addition to the mini 7, but neither has arrived.
More annoyingly, the review also notes that the Apple Pencil 2 doesn’t work with the new tablet – you’ll need the Pencil Pro or the cheaper USB-C Pencil. But those complaints aside, CNET concludes that if you’ve been waiting for an iPad mini, “it’s a good time to buy one.” Even if, for iPad mini (2021) owners, “these upgrades may not be all that meaningful to you.”
The good
- Compact size
- Supports Pencil Pro
- Compatible with Apple Intelligence
- The base model has 128 GB of storage
The bad
- No major design changes
- Needs a smaller pencil
- No keyboard case
Engadget: ‘Safe, boring and everything I want in a small tablet’
Engadget‘s iPad mini 7 review is a sort of ‘glass half full’ version of the tablet. While it acknowledges the same limitations as other reviews – the outdated screen, outdated design, lack of Face ID and lack of an M-series chip – it still thinks Apple has done enough to “deliver the full iPad experience in a compact package”.
The review also discusses in detail what you could actually use the iPad mini for. Overall, Engadget says, “It’s a nice secondary device that I usually used after the work day was over, in place of my MacBook Pro or iPhone.”
More specifically, reading, messaging, gaming and watching videos are cited as the top use cases – along with digital art and sketching, if you’re so inclined.
The good
- Supports the Apple Pencil Pro
- The A17 Pro chip is powerful enough
- Finally starts at 128 GB storage
- Apple may have fixed the jelly scrolling display issues
The bad
- Playback is limited to 60 Hz
- The edges look a bit thick
- No Face ID
- No M-series chip
The verdict: could be better, but good enough for most people
The iPad mini 7 has received a fairly lukewarm reception from reviewers (so far). The general consensus is that it’s far from the best iPad mini Apple has could made it the best small tablet you can buy. And that may be enough for you, depending on your needs.
All reviews agree that now is a good time to buy an iPad mini for those who have been patiently waiting for it. Where the conclusions differ slightly is whether it is a worthwhile upgrade for current Mini 6 owners.
The answer seems to largely depend on your expectations of the tablet. If you’ve been waiting for an iPad mini that offers real improvements in gaming, apps, and photo or video editing, the benchmark results show it delivers. But if you were hoping for a Pro-level experience, you may still find it lacking.
The iPad mini 7 also supports Apple Intelligence, and while it’s not clear how future-proof the A17 Pro chip will be in the future, it’s another bonus if you’re willing to wait for Apple’s AI features to come to fruition.