Apple has formally announced the new iPad mini with the A17 Pro chip and Apple Intelligence compatibility. As an iPad mini fan since the original first launched in 2012, the tiny tablet has a soft spot in my heart, and this new model could have one in yours, too.
Up until today, the M2 Mac mini was the cheapest way to try Apple Intelligence, but it’s not portable and needs extra peripherals to use, which ramps up the price. Mac mini aside, the iPhone 16 was the next cheapest entry point into the world of Apple Intelligence, but that device starts at $799 / £799.
Now, that’s all changed with Apple’s iPad mini announcement; the new tablet brings everything Apple Intelligence offers, starting from $499/£499 for the 128GB model. This means the new iPad mini is the cheapest entry point for those looking to try Apple Intelligence, almost a system seller in itself.
Apple Intelligence for less
(Image credit: Apple)
I’ve been using Apple Intelligence on the iOS 18.1 and iPadOS 18.1 betas since Apple first announced the AI features in June, and I’ve been scratching my head at the price of entry since.
To use Apple Intelligence on an iPhone you need one of the best iPhones from the iPhone 16 lineup or the previous flagship iPhone 15 Pro or 15 Pro Max models, none of these smartphones are cheap, however, and even iPhone 15 owners are left in an AI-less past. On the iPad side, until today’s announcement, you needed an M-series iPad, with the lowest price offering being the M2 iPad Air for $549/£549, a much lower entry point to Apple Intelligence compared to the iPhone but still above that $500 mark.
With the arrival of a sub-$500 iPad mini capable of Apple Intelligence, there’s now an accessible entry point for anyone who wants to give Apple’s AI tools a go without forking out for a more expensive product. Yes, that’s only $50 less than the Air, but $50 matters, especially when you’re not sure you’ll even use the AI features you’re upgrading for.
Since Apple Intelligence’s reveal at WWDC, I’ve thought that the software’s success will be based on how many people actually use it, and one of the biggest reasons people won’t be using Apple Intelligence is because of the initial cost of upgrading to a compatible device. Apple’s strategy with the new iPad mini could work out massively in the company’s favor as people opt for the small tablet as a first exposure to Apple Intelligence before forking out on a new iPhone or iPad in the future.
My partner is a great example of this; she owns the iPhone 15 and was left disappointed when she found out that her not-even one-year-old device wouldn’t be compatible with the next evolution of Apple software. She’s not in the market for a new iPhone at the moment and Apple Intelligence hasn’t even been released yet, and she’s not sure she’ll even use it. Still, an iPad mini with Apple Intelligence functionality could work as a gateway to seeing what Apple AI is capable of. She won’t be the only one tempted to try the iPad mini to get cheaper access to Apple Intelligence, and if those consumers are impressed, they might be first in line for the iPhone 17, unable to live without an Apple Intelligence-compatible smartphone.
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