The iPad Mini 7 and iPad Air 6 differ mainly in display and performance. The compact iPad Mini 7 at £499/$499 falls into the category of the highly portable 8.3-inch display, while iPad Air 6 at £599/$599 offers larger screens and more power from 11 inches to £799/$799 for 13 inches.
The iPad Mini 7 already features the A17 Pro chipset, which produces great performance, but the iPad Air 6 has additional power thanks to the M2 processor, which provides desktop-level capabilities. While both devices support the Apple Pencil Pro and Magic Keyboard, only the iPad Air 6 does so for enhanced productivity in professional settings.
Pricing and Availability
Pre-orders for Apple's iPad Mini 7 are now available in India. While the Wi-Fi variant will be available starting at Rs 49,900 for 128GB, Rs 59,900 for 256GB, and Rs 79,900 for 512GB, the 5G LTE variants will be a premium, priced starting at Rs 64,900 for 128GB, Rs 74,900 for 256GB, and Rs 94,900 for 512GB.
Apart from such discounts, Apple also launched education discounts on the iPad Mini 7. This starts at Rs 44,900 for eligible students, parents, faculty, and staff, as well as all home-school teachers across grade levels. Available in both Wi-Fi and 5G models, this iPad could be the revolutionary product we have all been waiting for:.
Well, now Apple, like it will for any other Apple product, opened preorders for the iPad Mini 7 to its website, in the online versions of its Apple Stores as well as Apple Authorized Resellers. Official reports say the iPad Mini 7 will be available on October 23.
Screen Size and Resolution
One of the main differences is that of the screen size. The iPad Mini 7 sports an 8.3-inch display, making it the smallest tablet in the offerings from Apple, easy enough to carry around with zero hassle for transportation. It is very handheld one-handed, easily accommodated in small bags or large pockets, but the iPad Air 6 comes in two sizes – both 11 inches and 13 inches.
But the interesting thing is that although these tablets differ in size, they nearly boast the same resolution. The one exception is when it comes to pixel density – iPad Mini has a pixel density of 327 ppi, while iPad Air boasts only 264 ppi; that means the latter – the smaller-sized iPad Mini – shows sharper visuals.
Performance
From a performance point of view, the iPad Air 6 is better positioned. In fact, the Apple A17 Pro chipset used by the iPad Mini 7 is the same as the one on the iPhone 15 Pro Max. This provides good performance but cannot be compared to the might of the M2 chip in iPad Air 6. The M2 chip used in the MacBook Air boasts with desktop-level performance, making iPad Air 6 more suitable for having multiple things going on at one time, games, and serious work. The features of the iPad Air include supporting connectivity to external displays through USB-C, among others.
Apple Intelligence and Software
Both tablets support Apple Intelligence, a set of smart features coming with iPadOS 18. These include text and email rewriting, image clean-up tools, and notification summaries. However, advanced features like Genmoji and upgraded Siri capabilities will be rolled out later. Apple Intelligence will first launch in the US, but users in other regions can access it by changing their settings to English (US).
Accessories
The two instruments, iPad Mini 7 and iPad Air 6, come with an Apple Pencil Pro. This features squeeze detection that facilitates easier brush and line settings as well as gyroscope tech that works for precise rotation detection. The Magic Keyboard, however, is only supported by the iPad Air 6. This comes with a trackpad as well as an adjusted hinge, and this is similar to how it exists on the 12.9-inch iPad Pro models. The iPad Mini 7 can accommodate third-party keyboard cases, while the official Magic Keyboard is not available.
Which One Should You Buy
For those who value portability and affordability, an iPad Mini 7 is great, but if you require more power and more display, then get the iPad Air 6, especially for professional use or multitasking.