The bigger iPads are increasingly competing with your laptop; the Mini very much still complements it. The Mini has always felt like an afterthought — updated only occasionally, forced to run apps and an OS clearly designed for larger screens — but the one-handed iPad was the one for me anyway.

The price for the Apple iPad mini 7 is the same as before, starting at $499 for the Wi-Fi version with 128GB of RAM, and $649 for the Wi-Fi + Cellular variant.

While the upgrades to the iPad mini are subtle, they make a big difference to what this pocket sized tablet can do

For Jordyn Zimmerman, the iPad mini is the best iPad.

The first reviews for the new iPad mini are out, and the general consensus is that it's a relatively safe update that depends on Apple Intelligence to be worthwhile.

Apple’s A17 Pro is key to the essence of this tablet’s upgrade. To make that clear, Apple is calling it the iPad mini with A17 Pro, not iPad mini seventh-generation. The chip update means that it’s capable of running Apple’s take on AI, called Apple Intelligence, which arrives soon.

The iPad mini (A17 Pro) also has double the storage compared to the 2021 model, starting at 128GB compared to 64GB. There’s support for the new Apple Pencil Pro, whereas the 2021 model only supports the second-generation Apple Pencil. The dimensions, camera capabilities, battery life and display are the same on both iPad minis.

An iPad mini Pro would give Apple's smallest tablet the respect it deserves. Some ideal upgrades could include a matte OLED display, an M-series processor, and Face ID. It's also about time that Apple made a mini-sized Apple Pencil.