2024-10-16 23:50:06
It’s been three long years since Apple last updated the iPad Mini, but the company is finally turning the page on the sixth-gen model of its smallest tablet. The iPad Mini (seventh-gen) is launching October 23rd, with preorders now open at Apple, Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart. Prices start at $499 for the Wi-Fi-only 128GB configuration, which is double the previous generation’s starting storage.
Back in 2021, the sixth-gen iPad Mini was a relatively big update for the dainty tablet, reflecting Apple’s latest design tenets. It got a slightly bigger display, USB-C, and second-gen Apple Pencil support, among other key changes. This year’s upgrade feels a little tamer in comparison. The highlight is the addition of Apple’s A17 Pro chip, giving the tablet more processing headroom and an upgraded neural engine for Apple Intelligence, which will come to the iPad Mini as part of iPadOS 18.1 when Apple finally launches it later this month.
The 2024 refresh also brings Apple Pencil Pro support (great for the powerful calculator app the iPad finally has), Wi-Fi 6E radios, and faster USB-C performance with 10-gigabit data transfers. The new iPad Mini is otherwise similar to the last-gen model, including the same 8.3-inch display and 12MP resolution for its rear and front cameras.
You can preorder the new iPad Mini from Apple, Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart. It starts at $499 for a 128GB Wi-Fi model and tops out at $799 for 512GB. The cellular model starts at $649 for the same 128GB and goes up to $949 for a 512GB configuration.
You’ll be able to offset some of the cost with trade-ins at select retailers. Best Buy, for example, is offering up to $260 toward the iPad Mini depending on which tablet and configuration you trade in.
The 2024 iPad Mini will also be up for preorder directly through major carriers starting October 18th. Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile will all accept orders ahead of release date. T-Mobile is offering $150 off the cellular model when activating it on a $5 per month Go5G Next plan.
As mentioned above, the seventh-generation iPad Mini will hit stores starting October 23rd. You can get it in four colors: space gray, blue, purple, and starlight.
Update, October 16th: Added new retailer preorder links and information about preordering from wireless carriers.
