The new iPad mini is only boring because the next model will be amazing

The 2024 iPad mini has just been updated for the first time in three years, and yet, for some of the product’s biggest fans, it’s a bit of a disappointment. The truth is, other than the processor, very little has changed from the 2021 model.

Apple’s new tendency to name iPads after the processors they contain means that this new product is officially the 2024 iPad mini (A17 Pro). It’s a mouthful, but it also points out the fundamental contradiction that has bothered so many iPad mini fans: Finally, there’s an iPad mini with “Pro” in its name, but it’s only the name of the chip it contains. The iPad mini itself remains a notch below the iPad Air in Apple’s priority list.

Apple Intelligence expediency

The most curious aspect of the product is that it uses the A17 Pro, a processor used in only one other product: last year’s (now discontinued) iPhone 15 Pro. The A17 Pro is based on an abandoned, dead-end 3nm chip fabrication process (the same one used in the M3 processor) that has been replaced with a next-generation 3nm process (the one used in the M4, A18, and A18 Pro processors).

What this probably means is that the iPad mini is probably powered by chips that failed to qualify to be used in the iPhone 15 Pro but are being used–with one GPU core disabled–in the new iPad mini, rather than being thrown away. From a cost-savings and waste-prevention point, it’s a savvy move by Apple. But I can understand being a little less enthusiastic about being powered by another Apple product’s rejects, and it also seems to set a definitive cap on how many iPad minis can be made: Once they reach the bottom of the A17 Pro bin, that’s probably the end of this version product.

Then again, maybe that’s not such a terrible prospect. Think of it this way: Apple wants all of its devices to support Apple Intelligence as soon as they can. This update to the only chip prior to this fall that supported Apple Intelligence does the trick. If you want to do some iPad mini wish casting, consider that this might mean the iPad mini won’t have to wait three more years for its next update.

Right now, Apple’s in a tight spot when it comes to upgrading the iPad mini: the A18 processor is new, and probably all its volume is being used to support the iPhone 16, and using it would have probably required a downgrade in USB speeds on the iPad mini; the M2 chip used in the iPad Air is actually a generation older than the A17 Pro and also has much greater power requirements that probably would have required much larger revisions to the iPad mini’s internals; and, again, here’s a bin of unused A17 Pro chips that were being made to use in Apple’s highest-end iPhone just a few months ago.

So, maybe this is really just a matter of doing the expedient thing and waiting for a more substantial iPad mini update later.

Reasons to be sad

The current iPad mini fills several interesting niches as a tiny, reading-focused device. However, those who are disappointed can make some strong arguments.

Apple

A device like the iPad mini that’s already great for reading could probably use a better screen. It would need an improved refresh rate (60Hz is starting to feel really choppy), better colors and contrast (OLED, anyone?), and dramatically improved screen brightness and glare reduction. An iPad is never going to be a Kindle, but it could still be way better for reading poolside.

The last round of iPad minis was also fun, with bright colors that really fit the “this is a cute gadget to keep around the house” vibe. Apparently, people were having too much fun because someone broke into Apple’s color labs and poured a tank full of boring into the iPad vats. The new blue color looks silver, and the new purple color looks silver. Starlight is just silver with a yellow undertone. It’s just so dull.

Reasons to believe

Suppose you’re willing to follow me through the looking glass. In that case, I want to make a surprising proposal about the future of the iPad mini: There is a new iPad mini coming in the next few years, and it’s going to be amazing–and very expensive. But, again, amazing.

That’s because the next iPad mini… might be a folding iPhone.

Think about it: The iPad mini is great because it runs iOS but is easier to carry and handle due to its small size. Now consider rumors that Apple is working on folding versions of the iPhone. Wouldn’t it be amazing to have an iPhone that folded out to create, in essence, a new sort of iPad mini?

Such a device would cost a fortune, but consider the pro features it might contain. A ProMotion screen with OLED would be a given, but I think you’d also want to include Apple Pencil support. It would undoubtedly have a better camera than the current iPad mini.

The more I think about Apple’s approach to foldables being a gateway to an iPad-like device, the more I understand why Apple might prefer to keep the iPad mini as an affordable product that’s better than the base iPad but not quite as strong as its close cousin, the iPad Air.

So cheer up, iPad mini fans. You’ve got a new model that supports Apple Intelligence. Its lifespan is probably artificially limited by chip availability, so there may be a proper update coming down the road. And if you really, really want a snazzy pro-level iPad mini, it might be your next iPhone. As long as you’re patient… maybe really patient.