The iPad Mini 7th-gen is built for Apple Intelligence, but it’s still a better realization of Apple’s tablets for most users.

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.

The next generation iPad Mini gets an AI boost from Apple, along with new iPadOS 18 features, all for the same price as the previous-gen hardware.

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 most important thing about the new iPad mini is that, on the one hand, it’s a pretty minimal update. It got a better processor—the A17 Pro from last year’s Pro iPhones—and Apple supposedly fixed a display refresh problem that previously caused what is known as “jellyscrolling” where one side of the display refreshes slower than the other.

Apple's new iPad mini, featuring the A17 Pro chip and Apple Intelligence support, offers an affordable entry point to experience Apple's AI features.

The timing of the new release has taken many by surprise. Apple’s smallest iPad has a faster processor, more storage and support for Apple Intelligence.