Transform Your Mobile Experience: Apple iPad Mini 2024 with Enhanced Chip Power and AI Capabilities Falls Short of Expectations
The iPad Mini: A Baffling Update
I must confess that I’ve always been a fan of the iPad Mini. I’ve owned several; I’ve even bought them as gifts for family members. I want a tablet that I can use in bed, toss into my overstuffed carry-on bag, or prop up on the toaster to help with dinner; the Mini is my go-to. But this latest update has left me underwhelmed.
A Lackluster Update
The other iPads, from the base model to the performance powerhouse that is the M4 Pro, are all about versatility. They’re big slabs of glass that can be transformed into anything with the right app or accessory. The Mini, with its 8.3-inch screen, is closer in size to an iPhone than a full-fledged iPad. It’s primarily designed to be a go-everywhere device that’s not your phone. The bigger iPads are increasingly competing with your laptop; the Mini still complements it.
A Disappointing Mini
The Mini has always felt like an afterthought – updated only occasionally, forced to run apps and an OS designed for larger screens. But, I’ve loved the one I have anyway.
This latest Mini, however, feels like a new low for the product. It’s as if it was designed by a supply chain, not by someone who actually wants you to like the product. It’s a bundle of new and not-so-new parts crammed together without any new specs or features to truly set it apart – aside from a lot of grand promises about Apple Intelligence and, of course, the need for a device that runs Apple Intelligence.
The Right and Wrong of it All
The good:
- It’s faster than the previous model
- It’s a delightful size for a tablet
- It supports the Pencil Pro
The bad:
- It’s underpowered, making it less useful for demanding tasks
- The Pencil Pro is still a bit of a niche product
- Apple Intelligence, which is still in development, may not be worth the upgrade
A Questionable Bet
To buy this new Mini is to bet that Apple Intelligence will be immediately worth the upgrade. I’m not convinced. Apple has some great ideas about what Siri can do, but many of those features are still new and imperfect, and many others just don’t exist.
A Future Full of Possibilities
There are so many other interesting things Apple could do with the Mini. It could give it iPhone Pro-level imaging and a Camera Control button, making this the device Hollywood uses to make movies. It could create a charging dock that turns it into a music or smart home controller. Or, it could build a Backbone-style controller and make it a handheld console. Instead, we’re stuck with the same flimsy cover that’s too expensive and prone to coming unstuck from the back of my device.
In Conclusion
The whole pitch for the new Mini, aside from the fact that it’s the iPad Mini, is that it’s the smallest iPad made for Apple Intelligence. Apple Intelligence better be a game-changer because, without it, the new Mini isn’t much of an upgrade at all.
