Apple announced on Wednesday that it will release the 7th-generation iPad Mini, which will feature its proprietary artificial intelligence (AI) system, Apple Intelligence. This is the first new iPad Mini model to be unveiled in three years.
Pre-orders will be available now in 29 countries, including the U.S., and the official release is set for October 23. The release date for South Korea is still undecided. The size remains the same as the previous 6th-generation iPad Mini, with an 8.3-inch (21 cm) display.
The new iPad Mini will be equipped with the A17 Pro processor, which supports the Apple Intelligence feature. This is the same chip found in last year’s iPhone 15 Pro. The new model boasts a 30% improvement in central processing unit (CPU) performance compared to the previous models.
The graphics processing unit (GPU) performance has improved by 25% over its predecessor.
The Apple Intelligence feature will be available through the iPadOS 18.1 software update. The English-language model will be released at the end of October.
The new iPad Mini also supports the Apple Pencil Pro. This model includes features such as Find My, which helps locate the device if lost, and the Barrel Roll function, which makes it easy to switch between pen and brush tools.
Furthermore, the camera app can detect and scan documents using AI technology.
The Wi-Fi model’s prices range from approximately US$499 (128GB) to US$799 (512GB). The device will be available in four colors: Blue, Purple, Starlight, and Space Gray.