rewrite this title The iPad Mini is 20% off, making my favorite portable tablet even easier to recommend

The iPad Mini 7 is currently $100 off at Amazon, starting at $399. This deal applies to all three storage options.

I’ve used many tablets but never considered getting an iPad Mini. Because of its size, the small 8.3-inch tablet has always been the go-to for my nieces and nephews, and I never really saw a need for a small tablet when I already have a 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Pro Max. 

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However, my perception changed when I began using the latest iPad Mini 7. I’ve always loved a big display on a tablet, but I underestimated just how convenient a compact iPad would be in my daily life. I’ve taken the iPad Mini 7 everywhere the past month, able to slip the 8.3-inch device into my purse without it weighing down — or sticking out of — my bag.

As a result, I’ve used the iPad Mini in different situations where I’ve found myself looking for entertainment, including during long medical infusions that required me to sit in a chair for nearly five hours. 

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Unfortunately, that’s where the iPad Mini 7 hits its limits: entertainment. This small tablet isn’t a power user’s dream or a remote worker’s take-anywhere solution. Truthfully, it’s easier to work on my cheaper iPad 10th Generation than on the $500 iPad Mini 7, so it’s hard to justify the price for a tablet that’s mostly good for playing games and consuming media. 

The iPad 10th Generation’s larger screen gives me more real estate to edit photos and videos, and there are many reputable keyboard options for writing and editing documents. However, the iPad 10th Generation doesn’t support the Apple Pencil Pro or Apple Intelligence, which the iPad Mini 7 does. 

The iPad Mini 7 features the A17 Pro chip, the same processor found in the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max, and is also compatible with Apple Intelligence. 

I tried Apple Intelligence features in the iPad Mini 7 as soon as iPadOS 18.1 was released, and ever since. This software update included Writing Tools, the redesigned Siri, Priority Notifications and Messages, Summarization tools, Smart Reply, and the Clean Up tool in Photos. More updates have added extra tools, like ChatGPT in Siri, and I really like having text conversations with the virtual assistant now. 

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I found more glitches in Apple’s Game Mode than I did using Apple Intelligence, but I wasn’t wowed by the iPad Mini’s generative AI features. In the iPad Mini’s defense, the Game Mode glitches appear to be an iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 issue rather than a device-specific issue. I’ve encountered the same ones in my iPhone 14 Pro Max since updating to iOS 18. 

As someone who uses ChatGPT and other generative AI tools daily, I find that Apple Intelligence features need to be more polished and further developed. This isn’t all that surprising since Apple has notoriously fallen behind in the AI race, but I, like many other Apple users, was hoping for more.

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For this reason, I would not recommend buying an iPad Mini 7 simply because of the AI features. But I recommend it to someone looking for a future-proofed entertainment tablet that can go almost anywhere. And I do like that I can generate emojis and images with AI and then use them in my iPhone 14 Pro Max, which doesn’t support Apple Intelligence.

ZDNET’s buying advice

The iPad Mini 7 is compact and fast, and its Apple silicon processor is built to last for years. It’s an excellent companion tablet for Apple users looking for a device to go with them. It also performs well for quick work, like editing a video in CapCut or a social media post in PS Express. 

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Apple appears steadfast in making Apple Intelligence its future, but the road has been full of obstacles and stumbles. While Apple promises a great generative AI toolset, the company currently has a lot of balls in the air. If you’re on the fence, buy the iPad Mini 7 for the entertainment tablet it is, and not what Apple promises it could be. If you’re a power user looking for a more capable tablet, you’d do best to look elsewhere.

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