Apple drops new iPad mini, with improved camera smarts and a new focus on AI

The iPad mini's always been a bit of a curiosity. Its display is just 8.3 inches in diameter; barely bigger than some of the best phablets . But it's also small and light, and for some, that makes it one of the best tablets for photo editing .

Rumor has it, though, that it doesn't do a huge number of sales. So there's often speculation that Apple might drop it altogether. And that speculation reached fever pitch earlier this year, when they brought out new versions of the iPad Air and iPad Pro, powered up nicely by the advanced M2 chip, but made no mention of a new iPad mini.

So the world was surprised to learn this week when Apple unexpectedly dropped a new iPad mini, the first update to its smallest tablet since 2021.

And when I say "dropped", that's exactly what I mean. Rather than do the kind of big splashy launch we're used to seeing from Apple, they sneaked this new iPad mini out very quietly indeed. No teasers, no high-tech YouTube live launch… they just sent out a press release.

As this low-key approach should indicate, this is certainly is not a massive update. However, it does brings significant improvements in processing power and camera technology. And so if you're considering buying a new iPad, and not sure which model to get, it's worth knowing what's different about it.

A faster processor and more RAM

On the outside, the new iPad mini is the same as the last one, except for a couple of new options. So the differences are all on the inside.

The biggest of these is the updating of its processor from the A15 to the A17 Pro chip, matched by a jump in RAM from 4GB to 8GB. Apple says this new hardware gives it 30% faster CPU performance, 25% faster GPU performance, and a Neural Engine that's twice as fast as the previous generation.

Why do you need a faster processor? In a word, AI. Apple will be rolling out its much-trumpted AI platform, Apple Intelligence, with the iPadOS 18.1 update within the next few weeks. And it's explicitly said this processor update is to allow it to run on the new Mac mini. All of which sounds great, but as iPadOS 18.1 hasn't actually arrived yet, we can't really tell you a lot about it at this stage.

Better camera tech

As this is Digital Camera World, of course, we're duty bound to mention the camera. Yes, very few of us are ever going to rely on our iPad for photography. But it's good to have a decent tablet camera nonetheless, even if only for things like scanning documents and QR codes.

To be clear, the 12MP rear camera and 12MP ultrawide front camera haven't actually been upgraded from the previous model. However, the software that runs them has received substantial upgrades.

So for example, you're now getting Smart HDR 4, which leverages the iPad's increased processing power to capture images with greater dynamic range. This should, in theory at least, result in more natural-looking photos across various lighting conditions.

There's also something that Apple have enticingly called AI-Powered Document Scanning. This means that by drawing on the iPad mini's new 16-core Neural Engine, the camera app can now automatically detect and optimise the capture of documents within the frame.

Thirdly, the new iPad mini will have True Tone Flash; a new addition aimed at reducing shadows when capturing documents or objects in low-light situations. That sounds like it could be the most useful feature of them all, depending on how well it works of course.

Further updates

Other changes from the last model include:

• A USB-C port that's twice as fast as its predecessor (up to 10Gbps) for quick transfer of large photo and video files
• Support for Wi-Fi 6E and 5G in cellular models for faster wireless connections
• Base storage increased to 128GB (up from 64GB) to accommodate larger image files and AI models
• New purple and blue finishes

If you want to use your iPad as a drawing tablet , or like using a stylus for photo editing, also note that the new iPad mini now supports the Apple Pencil Pro , as well as the Apple Pencil (USB-C) . It doesn't however, support either the first or second generations of the Apple Pencil.

Want to buy one? The new iPad mini starts at $499/£499 for the Wi-Fi model with 128GB of storage. There are also 256GB and 512GB versions for $599/£599 and $799/£799 respectively. Cellular connectivity costs an additional $150/£150 on top of any of those prices. The 2024 iPad mini is available for pre-order now and will be in stores from Wednesday October 23.