Apple iPad mini A17 Pro review: the best small tablet gets faster

Apple’s premium tiny tablet gets a speed boost for 2024 with support for new accessories and imminent AI features, while providing the full modern iPad experience in a compact package.

The revamped design of the iPad mini in 2021 was excellent so it is no surprise that Apple has kept it mostly the same with internal changes and a tweak to the side to support new accessories. But while it may be small in stature, the new iPad mini remains pricey, costing from £499 (€599/$499/A$799), placing it in between the £329 base-model iPad and the £599 11in iPad Air.

The new tablet looks like a smaller version of the iPad Air, keeping the same 8.9in LCD display as its predecessor, which is crisp, bright and with a low-glare coating to make it easier to use outdoors. The so-called “jelly scroll” screen effect seen when scrolling on its predecessor is improved but you can still see it if you look hard enough.

The tablet’s great stereo speakers make the most of any videos or games. Its super thin body, sub-300g weight and width that is about the same as an A5 paper pad make the iPad mini really easy to grip, use and fit in bags.

The almost pocketable size makes it an excellent companion at school or on the commute, ready to take notes, play videos or for reading books like a Kindle. Its predecessor found niches with various professions, including hospitality and healthcare, with pilots being particular fans who will no doubt love this one.

The one thing that hasn’t changed that should have is the position of the centre stage video call camera, which is still on the lefthand side when held in landscape, rather than the top edge to match the rest of Apple’s iPad lineup. It still works fine, but gives you a lower angle for video calls, which isn’t ideal.

Specifications

• Screen: 8.9in 2266×1488 LCD display (326ppi)

• Processor: Apple A17 Pro

• RAM: 8GB

• Storage: 128, 256 or 512GB

• Operating system: iPadOS 18

• Camera: 12MP rear and selfie cameras

• Connectivity: wifi 6E (5G optional eSim-only), Bluetooth 5.3, USB-C, Touch ID

• Dimensions: 195.4 x 134.8 x 6.3mm

• Weight: 293g (4G version: 297g)

New A17 Pro chip and iPadOS 18

The biggest change for the new iPad mini is the upgrade to the A17 Pro chip that was first used in the iPhone 15 Pro. It provides a 30% speed increase over the outgoing model, as well as an AI processor that is twice as fast.

It is in a class of its own compared with similarly sized tablets from rivals, but it isn’t quite as powerful as Apple’s M2 or M4 chips used in its larger Air and Pro iPad models and doesn’t support some of the more computer-like features. You can plug a monitor into the tablet via USB-C but only for mirroring the screen or video output, not for use as an external display with the Stage Manager multitasking system.

The battery lasts slightly longer than its predecessor at about 12 hours for streaming video over wifi or a solid 10 hours of general app usage for browsing, note taking and emailing. Playing games or other more intensive usage shaves a couple of hours off the total, but it is still thoroughly impressive for a tablet of this size.

The iPad mini runs the latest iPadOS 18 with its various new customisation options and brilliant new maths notes feature when used with a stylus. But like the recently released iPhones, it lacks Apple’s much-advertised Intelligence features, such as a smarter Siri, notification summaries, various AI writing tools, emoji and image generators. They will start rolling out in beta with the iPadOS 18.1 update at the end of October in the US and December for the UK, Australia and other non-US English countries. None of the features will work in the EU.

Sustainability

Apple does not provide an expected lifespan for the battery but it should last in excess of 1,000 full charge cycles with at least 80% of its original capacity, and can be replaced from £115. The tablet is generally repairable with a damaged out-of-warranty repair costing from £339.

The tablet contains at least 25% recycled content, including aluminium, copper, glass, gold, tin, plastic and rare earth elements. Apple breaks down the tablet’s environmental impact in its report and offers trade-in and free recycling schemes, including for non-Apple products.

Price

The iPad mini A17 Pro starts at £499 (€599/$499/A$799) or £649 (€769/$649/A$1,049) with 5G.

For comparison, the 10th-gen iPad costs from £329, M2 iPad Air costs from £599, the iPad Pro M4 costs from £999, the Amazon Fire HD 8 costs £99.99, Samsung Galaxy Tab A9 costs £169, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 costs £1,799 and the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold costs £1,749.

Verdict

Important chip and capability updates have kept the iPad mini the best small tablet available by no small margin. It is unrivalled with its nearest competitors being a handful of cheap Android tablets or the new breed of super expensive folding phones.

Its practically-pocketable size makes it easy to hold and fit in bags, while iPadOS provides plenty of apps for a wide range of uses, not just entertainment. Equipped with a £129 Apple Pencil Pro it is a particularly good, if expensive, paper notebook replacement.

Not having the M-series chips used in the iPad Air and Pro models limits its multitasking capabilities while the bigger screen of the cheaper 10th-gen iPad makes it a better buy for most people just wanting an Apple entertainment device. It is not a dramatic upgrade over the 2021 model either.

With phones getting bigger and bigger, the iPad mini may seem redundant, but it is a particular favourite of journalists, pilots and those who need a highly capable, compact tablet that lasts a long time between charges. For all those people, the new A17 Pro iPad mini is almost perfect.

Pros: compact design, great performance, 10-hour battery life, great screen, USB-C, iPadOS, large range of apps, great speakers, great mics, long software support, recycled aluminium, Apple Pencil Pro support.

Cons: expensive, small size is cramped for some applications, video call camera on the side in landscape, no M-series chip for advanced multitasking or computer use, not a big upgrade.