Listen and Watch
Introduction
I wonder if anyone else, like me, prefers a tablet that can be held in one hand, specifically around 8 inches. Small tablets are relatively easy to use, offering more freedom; they can be used on a desk, in bed, or while walking. In comparison to larger tablets, which are typically only comfortable for desk use, smaller tablets are much more versatile.
Currently, there aren’t many small tablet products on the market. The most common ones are the Apple iPad mini series and Lenovo’s Xiaoxin Pad Y700 series, with very few options from other major brands. Today, let’s take a look at the newly released iPad Mini 7.
iPad Mini 7 Overall Appearance and Color
The overall appearance is a simple review: the overall design inherits from the previous generation iPad Mini 6, the screen still has no notch and is an LCD full screen, but the bezels are quite wide, making the front view less impressive.The iPad Mini 7 is compact and lightweight, weighing only 293 grams, which is about 60g heavier than some flagship phones. The body is made of full aluminum alloy. There are four colors available, and this time the starlight color is quite nice, with a hint of light gold. What color do you prefer? However, if you use a protective case, you won’t see the color anyway, so it doesn’t matter much.
The camera bump is not too pronounced, which is a good point. The volume buttons, power button, and fingerprint sensor are all located at the top, which I personally find quite convenient for a tablet. Surprisingly, this time the accessories actually come with a charging head; has Apple finally found its conscience?
iPad Mini 7 Screen Parameters
A brief review of the screen:
Apple has equipped this model with an LCD screen, not the OLED found in Pro tablets. For those looking for high fidelity and high contrast, this may be disappointing. However, I am an advocate for LCD screens, and I genuinely thank Apple for providing a reasonably eye-friendly LCD screen, even though its quality cannot match the miniLED on the Pro version. Some users have noted that the previous generation iPad Mini 6’s screen supplier was BOE, while Lenovo’s Y700 used Huaxing Optoelectronics, both top-tier domestic manufacturers, so it all depends on how the colors are calibrated. However, with so few options for small tablets, having a moderate quality screen is already quite good; LCD fans can go for it.
This time, Apple still did not provide the LCD screen with a 120Hz refresh rate, which is quite a disappointment. Apple has specially customized a 2024 LCD screen that does not support high refresh rates. When you think about it, even budget phones are using high-refresh screens, while the iPad is still stuck with a 60Hz screen. Some users have reported that after getting used to high refresh rates, they feel the smoothness is lacking, even experiencing jelly effects due to the LCD screen. If you are in colder regions, the responsiveness may still lag behind OLED, but most people should adapt after some time. Furthermore, the screen brightness is only 500 nits, while generally, 600 nits are needed for clear visibility outdoors; 500 nits is slightly insufficient, but it should suffice indoors. Additionally, due to the use of USB 3.0, it supports 4K external display output. I wonder if anyone needs to work on a small tablet? External displays generally consume more power.
iPad Mini 7 Performance Parameters
A simple evaluation indicates that this time the main improvement is in processor performance:
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A17 Pro chip, with a 6-core CPU featuring 2 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores, a 5-core GPU, and a 16-core neural engine. The processor’s capability shows an approximate 30% increase in benchmark scores. While it cannot be described as a giant leap, it is already very high performance. In comparison, many Android tablets still use Snapdragon 870 and Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, while the A17 Pro handles current applications with ease. Fortunately, this time it comes with 8GB of RAM. You should know that the previous generation iPad Mini 6 only had 4GB of RAM, which was quite inadequate. The sudden doubling of RAM is quite commendable on Apple’s part. Based on the logic of RAM upgrades for iPhone, it usually takes years to add 2GB. The 8GB of RAM should be sufficient for several years of use. Those who preferred the LCD screen but were put off by the 4GB RAM of the iPad Mini 6 can finally go for it; the next generation is unlikely to have an LCD screen tablet.
iPad Mini 7 Camera
A brief evaluation of the camera: Why did Apple spend such a long section discussing the camera? Is it really necessary? Although it seems to care a lot, it only features a 12-megapixel single camera, indicating that Apple is still reluctant to include the iPhone’s 48-megapixel main camera in the iPad Mini. Simply put, the iPad Mini is not designed for professional photography and does not come with a professional screen.
You don’t need to delve too deeply into the iPad Mini’s photography capabilities. To put it simply, it’s quite practical but still cannot compete with the iPhone’s photography. The center framing function and document scanning are quite useful and occasionally necessary, but for good results, the iPhone Pro is still the best choice.
iPad Mini 7 Battery Life
Battery life evaluation: Currently, the version sold on JD is equipped with a 20W charging head. I heard that the European versions do not come with a charger, possibly due to stricter environmental regulations in Europe. Domestic users save money on a charging head. While the iPad Mini 7 supports USB 3.0, transferring data is not as convenient as on Android or Windows systems, but the transfer speed has indeed improved significantly. Based on other users’ evaluations of the iPad Mini 6’s battery life, it is somewhat worse than Lenovo’s Y700, and using the original charger takes about 2 hours, while Android tablets take about 1 hour. Overall, do not have particularly high expectations for the iPad Mini’s battery life; charging is also relatively slow, and data transfer is not as convenient as on Android, which are some drawbacks you will have to tolerate.
iPad Mini 7 Other Features
Evaluation of other features: A significant change this time is the removal of the physical SIM card, now only supporting eSIM. This may be inconvenient for some users, as eSIM is still not widely adopted in China, with very few devices supporting it. Personally, I believe a tablet doesn’t necessarily need a data version, as the price is significantly higher, and a dedicated card must be obtained for tablet use. Most indoor environments now have WiFi, and when outdoors, sharing the mobile network from a phone suffices, or one could buy a 5G power bank with network sharing capabilities. Of course, if budget allows, opting for the mobile data version is also a direct choice.
iPad Mini 7 Comparison
A brief evaluation of comparisons: I wonder what everyone thinks. At first glance, there doesn’t seem to be any significant upgrades. Apple tends to provide steady upgrades each time, with little change in the overall size and dimensions compared to the previous generation. The main improvements are the A17 Pro processor and the comparison with A15 and 8GB RAM. In other aspects, there aren’t any noticeable upgrades or noteworthy mentions. In short, the iPad Mini is still positioned two levels below the Pro version.
iPad Mini 7 Price
There are a total of four colors and six storage configurations available. The official prices at launch are as follows:
Price evaluation: The storage configuration should be chosen based on personal use. If you don’t use WeChat and games, just buying it for watching videos and browsing the web should suffice with the lowest configuration. For gaming and downloading more, consider starting from 256GB.Apple products are indeed expensive; during the Double Eleven shopping festival, using coupons or government subsidies can provide considerable discounts (about 200-300 yuan). This tablet should last a long time, but whether it is suitable depends on you.
Conclusion