The iPad mini A17 Pro upgrade to the OLED iPad mini buys a new display and a lighter body rather than much more speed. The 128GB and 256GB models have a 5-core CPU, one core fewer than the 6-core CPU in the A17 Pro model.
Both run Apple Intelligence and work with Apple Pencil Pro and Apple Pencil (USB-C), so your Pencil carries over. The new model ships November 6 at $699, against $599 for the A17 Pro model after this year’s price increase.
The Display, Weight and IP67 Rating Justify an iPad Mini A17 Pro Upgrade
The A17 Pro model has an 8.3-inch LCD at 500 nits. The new model has an 8.5-inch OLED with 600 nits across the full screen and a 1200-nit peak on HDR content, though the refresh rate stays at 60Hz without ProMotion.
The body drops from 6.3 mm to 5.4 mm and from 293 grams to 255 grams for the Wi-Fi model. The IP67 rating is new, and the 12MP Center Stage front camera moves to the landscape edge.
Wi-Fi moves from Wi-Fi 6E to Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth from 5.3 to Bluetooth 6. The new model comes in midnight and starlight, while the A17 Pro model came in four colors, including blue and purple.
Cellular models get the C2 modem, which Apple says is up to 50 percent faster than the previous iPad mini, and the 256GB and 512GB models can be ordered with a nano-texture glass option that cuts glare.
The Battery Is Smaller and the Base Models Gain Little CPU Speed
The battery shrinks from 19.3 watt-hours to 18.9, and Apple rates both models for up to 10 hours of web browsing or video on Wi-Fi and 9 hours on cellular. Both ship a 20W adapter, and the new model needs a separate 35W adapter for its 50 percent charge in 30 minutes.
Apple claims up to 2.7x faster graphics and up to 1.6x faster CPU performance than the A17 Pro model, and the CPU figure comes from the 6-core chip in the 512GB model. Every model gets a 7-core GPU, two cores more than before, but the 128GB and 256GB models have a CPU with fewer cores than the A17 Pro model.
Upgrading Costs $699 Before Trade-In
The Wi-Fi + Cellular model costs $849, and the A17 Pro model launched at $499, so the new iPad mini sits $200 above that launch price. Apple has raised iPad and Mac trade-in values, which softens the cost for anyone trading in an iPad mini with A17 Pro.
The 36-month Apple Upgrade lease starts at $14.99 a month for the Wi-Fi model and $18.21 for Wi-Fi + Cellular.
