While the exterior design of the iPad mini 7 remains largely unchanged from its predecessor, Apple has introduced significant internal upgrades regarding performance, connectivity, and accessory support.
Performance and Hardware
The most substantial difference lies in the processing power. The iPad mini 7 is equipped with the A17 Pro chip (previously used in the iPhone 15 Pro), whereas the iPad mini 6 utilized the A15 Bionic chip. This upgrade results in a 30% increase in CPU performance and a 25% increase in GPU performance. Additionally, the iPad mini 7 features 8GB of RAM, doubling the 4GB found in the iPad mini 6. This increased memory and processing power allow the new model to support Apple Intelligence features, which the mini 6 cannot run.
Storage Capacity
Apple has improved the base storage configuration for the new model without increasing the price. The entry-level iPad mini 7 starts with 128GB of storage, compared to the 64GB starting point of the iPad mini 6. Furthermore, the maximum available storage has been increased to 512GB, whereas the previous generation topped out at 256GB.
Connectivity and Ports
The USB-C port on the iPad mini 7 has been upgraded to support speeds of up to 10 Gbit/s, which is twice as fast as the port on the iPad mini 6. Wireless connectivity has also been enhanced with support for Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3, replacing the Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0 found on the older model. A notable change for cellular models is that the iPad mini 7 supports only eSIM, completely removing the physical nano-SIM slot that was present in the iPad mini 6,.
Accessory Support
There is a distinct shift in stylus compatibility between the two generations. The iPad mini 7 adds support for the Apple Pencil Pro, enabling features like squeeze gestures, haptic feedback, and barrel roll. However, it drops support for the Apple Pencil 2, which was the primary stylus for the iPad mini 6. Both tablets support the Apple Pencil (USB-C).
Design and Display
Physically, the devices are nearly identical, featuring the same dimensions (195.4 × 134.8 × 6.3 mm) and weight. The 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display specifications—including resolution (2266 × 1488), brightness (500 nits), and 60Hz refresh rate—remain unchanged. However, the iPad mini 7 introduces the Apple Pencil Hover feature, which allows users to interact with the screen without touching it with the stylus. Regarding color options, the “Pink” option of the mini 6 has been replaced by a new “Blue” option for the mini 7, alongside the standard Space Gray, Starlight, and Purple.
Cameras
While the hardware for the cameras remains largely the same (12MP front and rear), the iPad mini 7 benefits from Smart HDR 4 processing, an upgrade over the Smart HDR 3 found in the mini 6. This allows for improved detail and color reproduction, particularly in variable lighting conditions.