iPad Mini 7 Has These 6 Smaller Changes, Including a Faster USB-C Port

[MacRumors]

Apple today introduced the iPad mini 7 with a faster A17 Pro chip, Apple Intelligence support, and Apple Pencil Pro support. In addition, the device also received a handful of smaller upgrades and changes compared to the previous model, as outlined below.

The new iPad mini can be ordered starting today, and it launches on Wednesday, October 23.

Here are six of the device's smaller changes.

Faster USB-C Port


Apple says the USB-C port on the iPad mini 7 is capable of data transfer speeds of up to 10 Gbps, which is double the 5 Gbps limit on the iPad mini 6.

This upgrade allows for faster data transfer over a USB-C cable, for tasks such as exporting photos from the iPad mini to a Mac.

Here are the USB-C and Thunderbolt speeds for all recent iPad models:

Device	Specification
iPad Pro (2021 and later)​	Thunderbolt (Up to 40 Gbps)​
iPad Pro (2018 and 2020)​	USB 3.1 Gen 2 (Up to 10 Gbps)​
iPad Air (2022 and later)​	USB 3.1 Gen 2 (Up to 10 Gbps)​
iPad Air (2020)​	USB 3.1 Gen 1 (Up to 5 Gbps)​
iPad mini (2024)​	USB 3.1 Gen 2 (Up to 10 Gbps)​
iPad mini (2021)​	USB 3.1 Gen 1 (Up to 5 Gbps)​
iPad (2022)​	USB 2.0 (Up to 480 Mbps)​

eSIM Only

Following in the footsteps of the iPad Pro and iPad Air, cellular models of the iPad mini no longer have a nano-SIM card slot worldwide. Unlike the iPad mini 6, the iPad mini 7 relies entirely on digital eSIM technology for cellular data plans.

Apple has a support document with helpful information about using an eSIM on an iPad.

Faster Wi-Fi

Like many other recent Apple devices, the iPad mini 7 supports faster Wi-Fi 6E.

Wi-Fi 6E extends the capabilities of the regular Wi-Fi 6 specification to the 6 GHz band, enabling faster wireless speeds and reduced signal interference. In addition to the iPad mini 7, you will need a router with Wi-Fi 6E support.

iPad mini 7 also supports Bluetooth 5.3.

Double the Base Storage

iPad mini 7 starts with 128GB of storage, compared to 64GB for the iPad mini 6. Better yet, the iPad mini continues to start at $499.

Improved HDR Photos

The new iPad mini supports Smart HDR 4, whereas the previous model supports Smart HDR 3.

Apple says Smart HDR 4 makes photos look "even more detailed and vivid."

Here is how Apple previously described Smart HDR 4:

Introduced with iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13, Smart HDR 4 uses intelligent segmentation to apply different adjustments for colour, contrast, and noise to the subject versus the background. This ensures faces are properly exposed in challenging lighting, and renders people in the same photo individually, with different adjustments optimized for lighting and skin tone for each person.

"iPad mini" Inscription

As noted by Parker Ortolani, the iPad mini 7 has an "iPad mini" inscription on the back of device. Previous models of the device merely show "iPad."

https://twitter.com/x/status/1846203130020528253

Article Link: iPad Mini 7 Has These 6 Smaller Changes, Including a Faster USB-C Port

 

[Apple Knowledge Navigator]

Yep. So, all the features that we’d expect from a modern tablet?

 

[DBZmusicboy01]

🥱 Tim Apple needs to retire 😤

 

[Chungry]

What about the madenning screen scrolling issue some call jelly-scrolling?

 

[jonnyb098]

They couldn't even be bothered to come up with new wallpapers for the marketing materials eh? Wow....

 

[d686546s]

The increased base storage is very welcome. It's still slightly too expensive for what I want it for but I can't wait for refurbished models to show up eventually.

 

[turbineseaplane]

So

• Old binned chip
• AI that you may or may not even want
• And you have to buy a new pencil -- good if you'd like to use the Pro Pencil though

More RAM is the only real upgrade here in my view

 

[jonnyb098]

So

Old binned chip
AI that you may or may not even want
And you have to buy a new pencil -- good if you'd like to use the Pro Pencil though

More RAM is the only real upgrade here in my view

and $800 for 512GB of storage

 

[dumastudetto]

People need to keep in mind Apple has kept the pricing the same after a few years of rocketing inflation. So in real terms, this is actually a price cut for the iPad Mini with doubled RAM, storage, and several other nice improvements.

The iPad Mini inscription on the back is really a welcome change.

 

[Johnnyponken]

Apple can seriously F off with these so called updates. It’s not even worth calling it a refresh. It’s below mediocre.

I was so looking forward an updated iPad mini AND an iPad mini Pro.

 

[contacos]

There shouldn’t even be a WiFi only version anymore after going ESim and giving its size and price point. It screams portability.

I suppose it doesn’t support SideCar either right?

 

[JPack]

People need to keep in mind Apple has kept the pricing the same after a few years of rocketing inflation. So in real terms, this is actually a price cut for the iPad Mini with doubled RAM, storage, and several other nice improvements.

The iPad Mini inscription on the back is really a welcome change.

Sure, if you assume technology doesn’t dramatically lower in cost each year like it has for the past four decades.

 

[Shin-Ra]

Worth mentioning that stated USB/Thunderbolt specs don’t apply to iPad to Mac transfers and backups. Up to 10Gbit/s (1.25GB) devices like USB-C SSDs should benefit.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Sure, if you assume technology doesn’t dramatically lower in cost each year like it has for the past four decades.

Exactly right
Apple is printing money with these

R&D and tooling all paid off ... largely old components they likely have tons of extras of

Margin city here

 

[IMPOSSIBLEMAN]

I was looking forward to a more premium iPad mini despite the lacking iPadOS. I am so pissed I might buy a Surface Pro or an Asus despite them being more expensive.

We are not in 2015 anymore, Apple needs to adapt to the times or respectfully let Tim retire.

 

[dumastudetto]

Sure, if you assume technology doesn’t dramatically lower in cost each year like it has for the past four decades.

Costs have actually been increasing in recent years for critical components due to higher energy costs, which leads to higher freight costs, higher labor costs, etc. Demand/competition for components has also increased due to AI buildouts.

Apple does a really good job of leveraging volume of sales to secure best-possible pricing, which then feeds into a lower overall price customers pay.

Elsewhere, you see Samsung reguarly bumping their prices by $50-$100, and now Google too with the latest Pixel devices. Apple deserves a lot of credit for keeping prices lower.

 

[Hoo Doo Dude]

Improvements, more base memory, no price increase, ready for AI.

Whiners gonna whine. I think some people don’t actually want to use these devices and would rather play “gotcha” all day in discussion forums.

 

[greenbreadmmm]

So the mini went from 5gbps to 10..

Whle the iPhone 16 still runs at USB 2

Makes totals sense

 

[eqquito]

The only way to show our dislike to the Mac mini "refresh" is by not buying it. Apple discontinued the mini 6 to force us to buy the new version—shame on Apple.

 

[Nautilus007]

lol, this is hilarious.

What has the iPad mini team been doing for 4 years...they must be having lunch with the Airpods Max team.
This is not innovation, this is a spec bump that could have been realized a year after the last release.

 

[UMHurricanes34]

They noticed all of their designers leaving and really let em loose on the engraving machine to keep them around.

 

[Chungry]

lol, this is hilarious.

What has the iPad mini team been doing for 4 years...they must be having lunch with the Airpods Max team.
This is not innovation, this is a spec bump that could have been realized a year after the last release.

I keep hammering on this one, because it drives every last thing Apple does: Shareholder value

Is this a great refresh? Objectively it’s not. But it meets a price point. That’s all that matters

 

[michael666]

So

• AI that you may or may not even want

lol wut

 

[dumastudetto]

We're not sheep at all. I and many others have specific use cases for the mini and would have liked a bit more from an updated model. We didn't get that but needed a mini regardless and bought them.

120hz + brighter screen + faceID isn't a huge ask.

It sounds like you are one of those who really wanted a more expensive iPad Mini Pro. I must admit, I'd love to see the things you want in the smaller iPad Mini form-factor. I just don't think the sales numbers are there to justify a new range of SKUs.

 

[mlayer]

If my mini 6 hadn't accidentally ended up in the wash two weeks ago I might have waited until Xmas or the spring to buy a mini 7. Over the weekend I was jonesing for a working tablet so I'll bite the bullet this time. Binned chip means nothing to me in terms of CPU/GPU. USB 3.1 Gen 2 means more because the Gen 1 port on the mini 6 was crippled, especially its DisplayPort support. I'll happily trade the A18's gimped USB for the A17 Pro's better USB. Increased RAM and storage make the extra $100 easier to justify for me.

I wonder if the fix for the jelly-scroll effect was implemented but not advertised as Apple doesn't like to draw attention to misfires like that.