iPad Mini (2024) review: An AI-focused performance boost

The iPad Mini is the iPad that I love to use for a few weeks every few years when a new model comes out, and every time, I tell myself that it's an iPad I could easily start using in my daily life. Is it a laptop replacement? Most certainly not -- but it's a great pocket computer with a little extra screen real estate for things like note-taking and gaming. The 2024 model continues that legacy -- but that's because it's more or less the same as the previous-generation model.

That's not necessarily a bad thing. The iPad Mini seems to find niche use-cases, and fits those needs perfectly. But, it also can't help but feel like Apple could have done just a little more for its smallest iPad than just give it the bare minimum upgrade to support Apple Intelligence. Do I love the iPad Mini? Absolutely -- and that's why I really just want what's best for it.

iPad Mini (2024) specs

The same great design

The design of the iPad Mini is pretty much spot on for me. It looks modern, yet it doesn't sacrifice functionality for looks. A perfect example of this is in the bezels around the screen. I have no doubt that Apple could have made them smaller, either shrinking the body of the device, or increasing the size of the display. But I'm glad it didn't -- the bezels are the perfect size for holding the iPad, without accidentally touching the screen.

Overall, everything is where you would expect it to be. There's a USB-C port on the bottom, and a power button with a fingerprint sensor on the top. If you're coming from another iPad, you may need to get used to the placement of the volume buttons on the top edge.

Like the previous model, the 2024 iPad Mini comes in some cool colors, including a nice light blue and a purple. I'm reviewing the blue model, and it looks great.

If there's one thing Apple could have changed for the design of the iPad Mini, it's the thickness. Apple itself has ruined me for tablet thickness with the current iPad Pro, which is incredibly thin. To be clear, the iPad Mini isn't thick -- but it would be nice if Apple brought that super-thin design to its other models.

A pretty good display

Also the same as the previous-generation model is the display. The iPad Mini had a 1488 x 2266 LCD display with a 500-nit brightness.

It's a good-looking screen, offering crisp details and bright colors. But it could still get better, and I hope it does for the next generation. Plenty of mid-range devices these days have OLED displays, and there's no reason the iPad Mini can't. I don't expect Apple to bring its ultra-high-end Tandem OLED tech to the iPad Mini, but there's still plenty of room for improvement between the current display and the iPad Pro's.

Still, though, rest assured that the screen on the iPad Mini does look pretty good regardless. And, I should note that the issues around jelly scrolling seem to have mostly been fixed for this generation of the iPad Mini. To be fair, it's not something that I noticed on the previous generation model, but I was looking for it this time and didn't find it to be an issue.

Last year's best performance

The biggest upgrade to the iPad Mini comes in the form of a new chip. M4? No. How about M2? Nope. The 2024 iPad Mini has Apple's A17 Pro chip. That's the same chip as the iPhone 15 Pro (not the iPhone 16 Pro).

Perhaps I'm being unfair. Not once did I find the iPad Mini to stutter, lag, or take too long to load. The 2024 iPad Mini felt smooth and responsive the entire time I used it.

But I'm also very aware of the fact that better performance in a device like an iPad or iPhone is rarely about how a device performs at the beginning of its lifespan. Instead, it's about how a device performs at the end. Tablets slow down, and they stop supporting the latest software. Including one of last year's chips means that the iPad Mini is likely to lose support for iPadOS a year before any other current-gen iPad.

But, to be clear, it's also pretty much impossible to review a device based on the potential of lost software support. The most important thing is that the iPad Mini performs well, and it does. And, if you care, the use of the A17 Pro instead of the base A17 means the device supports Apple Intelligence.

Arguably more important is the fact that the new iPad Mini now comes with 128GB of storage in the base model. That's a helpful improvement over the 64GB base storage of the previous generation.

A solid battery (that's the same)

The iPad Mini has a decent battery that should get most users through a few days of average use. iPad Mini power users may find they only get one solid day of usage out of the device, but I found that it latest up to around 10 hours of moderate usage for basic tasks, or a little less for more demanding tasks like gaming. If you're using the device for things like reading and browsing social media, you'll be perfectly happy with how it holds up -- just don't expect it to last as long as Apple's larger iPads.

The iPad Mini charges at 20W, which is the same as the previous-generation model, and frankly a little slow. I hope Apple upgrades the charging speed next time around.

Fine cameras, but no Face ID

On the back of the iPad Mini can be found a 12-megapixel camera that's capable of capturing solid photos, while on the front, there's another 12-megapixel camera that can capture relatively detailed selfies. Both work great for video chatting, which, to be fair, is what they'll be used for most of the time. I don't love that the front-facing camera hasn't been used to the horizontal edge, though.

I also don't love that it doesn't support Face ID. It's been seven years since the iPhone X first launched with Face ID, and the fact that there are still MacBooks and iPads that don't have it is a little silly. Apple itself thinks Face ID is a better experience for iPads, too -- if it didn't, the iPad Pro wouldn't have Face ID. It's time to bring the tech to other devices. Better yet, include both Touch ID and Face ID. I can dream, can't I?

Accessories

Perhaps one of the best things about the new iPad Mini is the fact that it supports the Apple Pencil Pro. That makes it a better note-taking device than it has ever been in the past. On the iPad Mini, you'll be able to do all of the same tricks with the Apple Pencil Pro as you would on another iPad. These include the hover feature, the ability to squeeze for additional controls, and the barrel roll gesture. The Apple Pencil Pro looks a little oversized attached to the side of the iPad, but as usual, it still feels great in the hand.

The iPad Mini also supports the original Apple Pencil, which can be charged through the USB-C port. But strangely, the device does not support the Apple Pencil Generation 2, which seems like an oversight. Still, I generally liked using the iPad Mini as a note-taking device with the Apple Pencil Pro.

Conclusions

Is the 2024 iPad Mini a bit too safe? Definitely. But that doesn't make it any less of a great device. The iPad Mini is still a fun little tablet, and it will still do all the iPad things you expect it to for the foreseeable future. Crucially, it also supports Apple Intelligence, though it remains to be seen if that's something that many users really care about. Regardless of features or performance, the iPad Mini is still the best ultra-portable tablet out there.

The competition

There isn't really much competition in the compact tablet space. So perhaps most buyers are considering whether to buy the 2024 iPad Mini or stick with their previous-generation 2021 model. If you have a 2021 model and aren't too fussed about not having Apple intelligence, then you don't need to upgrade to the 2024 device, especially if your iPad still has enough storage for your needs. If you have an older model, or you're new to the ultra-compact tablet space, then you'll love what's on offer with the 2024 iPad Mini.

Should I buy the iPad Mini (2024)?

Yes. It's the best ultra-compact tablet there is.

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iPad Mini (2024) review: An AI-focused performance boost originally appeared on BGR.com on Sat, 23 Nov 2024 at 14:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.