The iPad mini Just Got a HUGE Brain Boost, But It’s Still Playing Second Fiddle to the iPhone
Folks, the new iPad mini is here, and it’s finally caught up with the times. We’re talking 8GB of RAM, the same as the fancy-pants iPhone 15 Pro. But hold your applause, because Apple, in their infinite wisdom, decided to give it a slightly weaker version of the A17 Pro chip.
Yeah, you heard that right. The iPad mini’s chip is like the iPhone’s, but it’s been on a diet. One less GPU core, which basically means it’s not as good at graphics. So, you know, maybe don’t expect to be playing the most demanding games at the highest settings.
But hey, at least it’s a big jump from the old iPad mini. That thing was running on the A15 chip, which is practically ancient history in the tech world.
Chip | GPU cores | Memory | Single-Core CPU Score | Multi-Core CPU Score | Metal GPU Score | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
iPad mini 6 (2021) | A15 Bionic | 5 | 4GB | 2,121 | 5,367 | 19,486 |
iPad mini 7 (2024) | A17 Pro | 5 | 8GB | 2,840 | 6,982 | 25,895 |
iPhone 15 Pro (2023) | A17 Pro | 6 | 8GB | 2,888 | 7,169 | 27,144 |
So, who’s this new iPad mini for? Well, probably folks who want a powerful little tablet for everyday stuff like browsing the web, watching videos, and maybe doing some light gaming. If you’re a hardcore gamer or a professional video editor, you might want to look elsewhere. But if you just want a solid, reliable tablet that’s not going to break the bank, the iPad mini 7 might be just the ticket.
Just don’t expect it to be the king of the hill. That title still belongs to the iPhone, apparently.
From the sales floor to the critic's corner, I'm a former Apple Sales Specialist who's not afraid to tell it like it is. Get my honest takes on the iPhone, Mac, and everything Apple. | Los Angeles, California.