The Apple iPad mini is the smallest tablet in Apple’s current iPad lineup, with an 8.3-inch display that fits in one hand. The 7th-generation model runs on the A17 Pro chip, which supports Apple Pencil Pro and Apple Intelligence. Storage options run 128GB, 256GB, or 512GB, and the whole device weighs about 10.4 ounces. USB-C, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, and Touch ID on the power button are all standard. Colors are Space Gray, Starlight, Blue, and Purple.
The Apple iPad mini is currently $489 on Amazon, down from its $599 list price for an 18% discount.
A perfectly portable tablet with all the things you love about the full-sized iPad
An 8.3-inch screen and a half-inch-thick body separate the mini from the rest of Apple’s iPad lineup. The tablet slips into a jacket pocket, a purse, or the seatback pocket on a plane, which is where the mini earns its keep. Reading, cloud gaming, notetaking on the couch, and watching movies on a flight are what most people use the mini for. Apple Pencil Pro also attaches to the side magnetically for handwritten notes or drawing.
Apple Intelligence runs on the A17 Pro chip, which was previously reserved for the iPhone 15 Pro before Apple dropped it into the iPad mini for the 2024 refresh. Writing Tools rewrites emails and messages in a professional or casual tone. Image Playground turns text prompts into cartoon-style images. Genmoji creates custom emoji from a description. Notification summaries roll up long message threads into a couple of lines. Siri handles more natural questions and pulls context from what’s on the screen.
Apple Pencil Pro pairs with the iPad mini for the first time in this generation. It attaches magnetically to the right side of the tablet, where it charges wirelessly and pairs with the iPad automatically. Squeezing the barrel opens a tool palette in supported apps. Rolling the pencil rotates the brushes and pen tips based on the angle at which you hold it. A haptic engine also vibrates the pencil slightly when you snap to a shape, and Find My works on the pencil itself if it falls into a couch cushion.
Storage on the base model doubled to 128GB from the previous generation’s 64GB, which was one of the biggest complaints reviewers had about the older iPad mini. USB-C supports wired transfers at up to 10Gb/s, so importing photos from a camera or backing up video projects takes a fraction of the time it did with the older port. Wi-Fi 6E adds the 6GHz band for less crowded wireless connections on newer routers.
The iPad mini gets bought for two main reasons: portability and Apple Intelligence support at the lowest price Apple sells it for. At $489, down from $599, the discount takes a real chunk off the current retail price. If you’ve been considering an iPad for reading, travel, or as a first Apple Intelligence device without moving up to an iPhone 15 Pro or newer, the mini is the easier way into the ecosystem.