Affiliate links on Android Authority may earn us a commission. Learn more.
The new iPad Mini is the cheapest way to get Apple Intelligence and Apple Pencil Pro support
- Apple has launched the new iPad Mini, starting at $499 for the 128GB variant.
- Thanks to the A17 Pro chip, the new iPad Mini (2024) is the cheapest way to experience Apple Intelligence features.
- The new iPad Mini also brings support for the Apple Pencil Pro, becoming the cheapest iPad to support the Pro stylus.
Apple has quietly launched a refresh of the iPad Mini, competing against some of the best Android tablets. The new iPad Mini follows along the established looks of the older generation model but features the Apple A17 Pro chip that is used in the iPhone 15 Pro. Thanks to this new chip, it also sports Apple Intelligence capabilities as and when the features go live. Of course, the new chip also brings in more raw power, with Apple claiming a performance increase of 30% for the CPU and 25% for the GPU compared to its predecessor.
Other new features include support for Apple Pencil Pro, which brings features like pressure sensitivity, haptic feedback, and gesture controls. If you don’t want the Pro stylus, there’s also support for Apple Pencil (USB-C).
We also get Wi-Fi 6E support, faster USB-C data transfer speeds of up to 10Gb/s with USB 3, and an upgraded 12MP wide camera with an f/1.8 aperture.
As for the rest of the package, the iPad Mini retains all the familiarity of its predecessor. You get an 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display with a resolution of 2,266 x 1,488 pixels, giving it 326 ppi pixel density. The device comes with an anti-reflective coating and sports 500 nits brightness. The front camera is a 12MP ultrawide with an f/2.4 aperture. The iPad Mini launches with iPadOS 18 out of the box.
Apple iPad Mini (2024) pricing and availability
- iPad Mini (2024) with Wi-Fi (128GB): $499
- iPad Mini (2024) with Wi-Fi (256GB): $599
- iPad Mini (2024) with Wi-Fi (512GB): $799
- iPad Mini (2024) with Wi-Fi and cellular (128GB): $649
- iPad Mini (2024) with Wi-Fi and cellular (256GB): $749
- iPad Mini (2024) with Wi-Fi and cellular (512GB): $949
The new iPad Mini (2024) is the cheapest way to experience Apple Intelligence capabilities, starting at $499 for the 128 GB variant. The iPhone 16 starts at $829 unlocked, while the iPhone 15 Pro is no longer officially sold by Apple.
Further, the previous cheapest iPad with Apple Pencil Pro support was the 11-inch iPad Air with M2, which started at $599 for its 128GB storage variant. The cellular variant of the iPad Mini starts at $649 for 128GB, and the lineup is also available in 256GB and 512GB variants.
Pre-orders for the new iPad Mini begin today, while open sales and availability begin October 23, 2024. The iPad Mini (2024) comes in Blue, Purple, Starlight, and Space Gray colors.
Apple has also launched a new Smart Folio case, available in Charcoal Gray, Sage, Denim, and Light Violet colors, for $59.