iPad mini is Apple’s latest iPad

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The iPad mini is a 195.4 x 134.8 x 6.3 mm (L x W x H) thin rectangular iPad. The screen is 8.3 inches with a resolution of 2266 x 1488 pixels at 326 ppi, and it has a brightness of 500 nits. The WiFi model weighs 293 grams and the model with WiFi and 5G weighs 297 grams.

A17 Pro chip
The A17 Pro chip promises better performance with reduced energy consumption. This chip has been improved in several respects compared to the A15 Bionic chip in the previous iPad mini. For example, A17 Pro delivers 30% faster CPU performance thanks to the 6-core CPU with two performance cores and four efficiency cores. [1]. Graphics performance is improved by the A17 Pro chip’s 5-core GPU, which is 25% faster compared to the previous generation [1]. You can now use apps from the professional, graphic and medical sectors, edit photos much faster and view AR with it. Furthermore, games look better thanks to ray tracing with hardware acceleration, which is four times faster than software ray tracing with support for dynamic caching and mesh shading with hardware acceleration.

Faster connections
Faster wireless and wired connections on iPad mini help you get more done on the go. The new iPad mini is suitable for Wi-Fi 6e, which is up to two times faster than the previous generation [2]. This allows you to download files, play online games and stream movies faster. With the Wi-Fi + Cellular models with 5G, you can retrieve your files from the cloud and upload a backup of your data even in places without Wi-Fi. The 5G models of the new iPad mini work with e-SIM, which is more secure than a regular SIM card and offers the option to quickly activate or transfer your subscription. You can also use different subscriptions on the same device. Another advantage of an e-SIM is that you can purchase a new subscription without a physical SIM card.
Finally, the USB-C port is 2x faster than the previous generation with a throughput speed of up to 10 Gbps.

Camera capabilities
The cameras and size of the iPad mini are useful if you want to work on the go. With the 12MP wide-angle camera on the back, you can take photos that contain even more details thanks to smart HDR 4. Using the 16-core Neural Engine and AI, the iPad can automatically recognize documents directly in the Camera app. The iPad mini uses True Tone Flash to eliminate shadows on the document.

Apple Pencil Pro
With the Apple Pencil Pro you can use the iPad mini as a sketchbook. When you squeeze the Pencil Pro, it senses through sensors that you are squeezing it. You will then be shown a tool palette, so you can quickly switch between different functions. The moment you pinch, double-tap or use a smart shape, the haptic engine makes you feel a small tap as confirmation. Furthermore, you can work precisely with the drawing tool with a rotating movement. As soon as you rotate your Apple Pencil Pro, the position of your pen or brush changes. And with the Apple Pencil hover you can see in advance where the point will land on the display. With Find My you can quickly find your Apple Pencil Pro. And if you want to pair it, charge it or store it, you click it magnetically on the side of this iPad mini. The iPad mini is also suitable for the cheaper Apple Pencil (also with USB-C).

New features in iPadOS 18
iPadOS 18 includes new features for your iPad. iPadOS includes frameworks such as Core ML, allowing developers to leverage the Neural Engine for AI features in their own apps.
• The Calculator app includes a new way to solve math formulas with the Apple Pencil. The Calculator contains a simple and scientific calculator with a new history and conversion feature. The new math notes feature lets you type math formulas that are then solved. When you write them down, the solution will appear in your own handwriting. You can also create and use variables, and add an equation that you can then convert into a graph. In the Notes app you can directly access your math notes, and in all your other notes you have all the math functions at hand.
• Text you have written with Apple Pencil in the Notes app can easily be converted into readable text with Smart Script. Furthermore, Smart Script gives you all kinds of new ways to edit your handwritten text. You can add white space and copy typed text and paste it into your own handwriting, among other things. As you write with Apple Pencil, your handwritten text is automatically converted into more readable text that resembles your own handwriting.
• Thanks to the new Audio Recording and Transcription features, the iPad can record a conversation and make a transcription of it. That transcription is then synchronized with the audio, so you can find specific moments to listen back to.
• The iPad gets additional customization options for the home screen, so you can now place the app icons and widgets anywhere. You can make an app’s icon and widget a little darker or a slightly different color, and you can also make both appear larger. The design of the control panel has changed, so that you can more easily reach the controls that you often use. Moreover, you can now group the controls, and it is also possible to put controls from non-Apple apps in the control panel.
• The Photos app has been expanded with new search options. The app now has a customizable layout that makes better use of the iPad’s larger display. From now on, your photos will be sorted by theme, without you having to put them in albums yourself.
• Messages is getting a number of updates that will help you express yourself and connect in new ways. Think of animation effects for your text, tapbacks and the option to write a draft that you can then set to send automatically at a later time.

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The iPad mini calculator in notes

Apple Intelligence
The power of the A17 Pro chip makes the iPad mini suitable for Apple Intelligence, although it is not yet available in the EU. Apple Intelligence harnesses the power of Apple silicon, which uses Apple-designed generative models to understand and generate language and images. It can also perform actions in apps and make everyday tasks simpler. Most models used by Apple Intelligence run entirely on your device. In case it is necessary, Private Cloud Compute can distribute and partially increase the computing capacity. The calculations are then partly performed on your device and partly on servers with Apple silicon on which larger models run.
• With Writing Help you can have your own texts rewritten and checked, and you can also have a summary made of them.
• Siri is more deeply integrated into the system and has a completely new design, so the edge of your iPad screen lights up when Siri is active. Thanks to improved language understanding, communication between you and Siri becomes easier. You can now also follow Siri if you falter or misspoke. Siri now also remembers contexts of a question for any subsequent questions. Siri also understands you if you now type your question.
• In the Photos app, you can now use a new AI-powered feature called Flashback to put together a video by typing a description. The new feature removes distracting background objects via AI without altering your photos.

More Apple Intelligence features will be coming in the coming months
• With image playground you can generate images in an instant.
• Use the Image Brush tool in the Apple Pencil tool palette to transform a rough sketch into a fully finished image.
• There will be a new function for Emojis: you can generate an original Emoji or Genmoji with a short description or photo.
• Siri can use the information on your device to do things tailored to you. This way Siri knows and understands what is on the screen and can therefore take action based on what you are doing.
• ChatGPT is partly integrated into iPadOS 18. This means you can use ChatGPT’s knowledge and understanding of images and documents in Siri and Writing Assistant without having to switch apps. Your privacy is well protected, because your IP address and all other data remain hidden and OpenAI does not store your questions and requests. Although ChatGPT is free to use and you do not have to create an account, these rules do not apply if you already have an account and you choose to use it.

iPad mini durable
The iPad mini’s casing is made entirely from recycled aluminum and all magnets contain recycled rare earth metals. The gold plating on several printed circuit boards is made from recycled gold and recycled tin is used for soldering on multiple printed circuit boards. The new iPad is free of mercury, brominated flame retardants and PVC. The packaging consists of 100% fiber and by 2025, Apple wants to stop using plastic in packaging altogether.

Prices and availability
The new iPad mini can be ordered from October 15 on their website, and is also available in the Apple Store app in 29 countries and regions. From Wednesday, October 23, customers can expect their order at home and iPad minis will be available in stores at Apple and authorized Apple resellers.
• The new iPad mini is available from a base price of €609 for the WiFi model and the WiFi + 5G model is available for €779 in blue, purple, starlight and space gray.
• The new iPad mini is available with a storage capacity of 128 GB. The new iPad mini is also available with 256 GB or 512 GB of storage space.
• The new iPad mini is available for education from €549. For more information, click https://www.apple.com/nl-edu/store
• The Apple Pencil Pro is suitable for the new iPad mini and available for € 149,- and the Apple Pencil USB-C version is available for € 89,-
• The Smart Folio is available in charcoal gray, light violet, denim and sage green and costs €69.
• If you trade in your current iPad, you can get a discount for the iPad mini. You will then receive that discount online via the online Apple store, the Apple Store app and all Apple stores.
• AppleCare+ for the iPad Mini provides a number of rights, including unlimited accidental damage and battery service, as well as unlimited support so you can ask questions to people who know the iPad well.
• When you buy from Apple Retail, you can use Personal Setup. You will then be guided online by a specialist who will help you configure your iPad Mini and you will receive tips about the new functions that the iPad Mini offers.

[1] Testing conducted by Apple in September 2024 using preproduction iPad mini (A17 Pro) and production iPad mini (6th generation). Tested using Affinity Photo 2 v2.5.5.2636 and the built-in benchmark, version 25000. Tests were conducted on specific iPad systems and represent approximate performance of iPad mini.
[2] Wi-Fi 6E is available in countries and regions where it is supported.
[3] The beta version of the first set of features will be released this month as part of iPadOS 18.1. More features will follow in the coming months. Starting later this year, Apple Intelligence will also support variants of English in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK, and South Africa. Over the course of next year, support will be expanded to include Chinese, German, English (India), English (Singapore), French, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish and Vietnamese. In the EU, Apple Intelligence is currently not available on iPad.