NEW DELHI — Apple on Monday unveiled its next-generation iPad mini, introducing a larger OLED display, a thinner design, a more powerful processor and expanded artificial intelligence capabilities through iPadOS 27.
The redesigned tablet features an 8.5-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display, offering a larger viewing area while maintaining nearly the same overall dimensions as its predecessor through slimmer bezels.
According to Apple, the new display delivers more than twice the peak brightness of the previous model, deeper blacks, a 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio and support for the P3 wide color gamut. An optional nano-texture display is also available to reduce glare in brightly lit environments.
Measuring just 5.4 millimeters thick, the device is the thinnest iPad mini Apple has introduced. It comes in midnight and starlight finishes and features an IP67 rating for water and dust resistance.
The tablet is powered by Apple’s new A20 Pro chip, manufactured using a 2-nanometer process. Apple claims the processor delivers up to 60% faster multithreaded CPU performance, 2.7 times faster graphics performance and 4.5 times faster AI processing compared with the previous generation.
The chip includes a seven-core graphics processing unit with Neural Accelerators built into each GPU core. The higher-end 512GB model also features a dual 16-core Neural Engine designed to handle more demanding on-device artificial intelligence applications.
Apple has introduced a new Acoustic Display system that incorporates specially engineered woofers and tweeters into the display structure. The company says the technology improves sound quality, increases volume and delivers stronger bass.
The updated iPad mini also includes camera improvements aimed at video conferencing, photography and document scanning.
A 12-megapixel Center Stage front camera is positioned along the landscape edge of the device to provide a more natural viewing angle during video calls and virtual meetings.
On the back, the tablet features a 12-megapixel wide camera with Smart HDR 4, 4K video recording at up to 60 frames per second and an Adaptive True Tone flash.
Wireless connectivity has been upgraded with Apple’s new N1 networking chip, which supports Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 and Thread technology.
Cellular models incorporate Apple’s next-generation C2 modem, which the company says provides up to 50% faster mobile data speeds while improving energy efficiency.
The device runs iPadOS 27, bringing an updated version of Apple Intelligence and enhanced Siri AI capabilities.
According to Apple, the upgraded Siri can understand personal context, interpret information displayed on the screen and help users complete tasks involving messages, emails and photographs. The assistant is also designed to respond to questions across a wider range of subjects.
Additional software enhancements include AI-powered photo editing capabilities, a new Image Playground application and a Safari feature called Notify Me, which allows users to monitor changes to websites.
The new iPad mini combines Apple’s latest hardware improvements with expanded AI functionality as the company continues integrating artificial intelligence across its product lineup. (Source: IANS)
