iPad Mini 7: Affordable Apple Intelligence Experience with Some Annoying Limitations

Oct. 18, 2024

Apple recently took the wraps off its newest member of the ultraportable iPad lineup.The iPad Mini 7arrived with an identical design to its now three-year-old predecessor. That said, the new offering is more capable than the previous iPad Mini 6. Thanks to the A17 Pro chipset and 8GB of RAM, the latest iPad Mini 7 is the cheapest way to experienceApple Intelligence features.However, the new Mini has certain annoying limitations which hold it back from being a perfect upgrade. What are those trade-offs? Should you care about them? Here’s what I found missing in the iPad Mini 7.

1. A Binned Version of A17 Pro

The new iPad Mini 7 might feature an A17 Pro chipset that debuted with the iPhone 15 Pro models last year, but the iPad has a binned version of that chip. In the iPhone 15 Pro models, the A17 Pro chip has a 6-core CPU and a 6-core GPU, paired with 8GB of RAM. While the chip in the iPad Mini also has 8GB of RAM for AI capabilities,iPad Mini 7 Tech Specssuggests that it features a binned version of the chip with fewer cores. Specifically speaking, the A17 Pro chip in the iPad mini 7 has a 5-core GPU, compared to the 6-core GPU in the iPhone 15 Pro models. That means you can’t expect an iPhone 15 Pro-like graphics performance on the iPad Mini 7. Evenbenchmarks have revealed that the iPad Mini 7 is slower than the iPhone 15 Pro.

Well, this isn’t a surprise as Apple has used binned versions of its chipset in some devices before. For reference, Chip Binning is a quality control process used in the manufacturing of computer chips to maximize supply chain yield and reduce waste. Rather than scrapping chips with one defective GPU core, Apple has likely disabled that core to salvage those chips for the iPad Mini 7.

For reference, Jelly Scrolling is a display phenomenon that gives you the illusion that one side of the display responds faster than the other. This gives a noticeable lag when scrolling in the Portrait orientation. At that time, Apple said it was normal for an LCD screen to exhibit such behavior, but they were serious about minimizing the effect. However, Apple didn’t explicitly mention if the issue has been fixed in the new Mini. If not, it would raise concerns over the display quality. We’ll test the iPad Mini 7 to figure out if Apple has fixed the jelly-scrolling issue or not.

Despite being packed with a powerful A17 Pro chipset, 5G connectivity, iMessage, FaceTime, and other communication tools, the iPad Mini 7 still can’t make calls natively. We all know that an iPad, even if it’s a cellular model can’t directly access cellular voice or messaging features. A cellular iPad model can only access IP data service. If you wish to make or receive calls on your iPad, you have to set up your iPhone to allow calls on your other devices. Sitting at 8.3 inches, an iPad Mini 7 is pretty big to hold up to your ear, but it would be ideal for phone calls when paired with AirPods or another compatible headset.

No native phone calls feel a major missing, especially when the market is full of tablets that can make calls over LTE. Priced at $649, the Wi-Fi + 5G model of the iPad Mini 7 is still more affordable than the base model of the iPhone 16, which starts at $799. If Apple enabled phone call functionality, the iPad Mini 7 would be a capable Apple Intelligence device that could even replace your iPhones. Imagine a portable and affordable device that can handle everything from phone calls to AI features. This could have been a game changer for students, travelers, and users with a similar preference.

Besides these limitations, the new iPad Mini makes a solid option to experience Apple Intelligence. It would be nice if Apple wiped off the above issues, but it might also make the Mini 7 an expensive affair. It’s clear that Apple hasn’t offered anything premium, but it’s nice to see double storage and AI capabilities, without any price hikes. When paired with little quality-of-life improvements like Wi-Fi 6E support andApple Pencil Pro support, the Mini 7 would please fans of the most portable Apple tablet.

The lack of the above features holds the iPad Mini 7 back from becoming the perfect device, but it still bags the title of the most affordable device with Apple Intelligence.When Apple releases its AI suite of features, you should be able to use everything, fromWriting Toolsto all-new powerful Siri.

Therefore, the iPad Mini 7 will be the cheapest way alongside the iPhone SE 4 once it launches early next year.

What are your thoughts on the iPad Mini 7? Are you planning to buy the new Mini? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below.