My favorite iPad for traveling is not the Pro or Air model – and it's $100 off for Black Friday

ZDNET’s key takeaways

• The iPad Mini 7 is now available for $500, although it’s been reduced to $400 on Amazon.
• The compact iPad Mini 7 has gone everywhere with me this past week, fitting easily into bags and purses without weighing them down.
• Aside from the more powerful A17 Pro chip, the iPad Mini 7 isn’t much of an upgrade (especially for 6th-gen users), plus its display tops out at 60Hz.

$469 at Amazon$469 at Best Buy$499 at B&H Photo-Video

I’ve used many tablets in my day 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. 

Also: The best Black Friday deals live now

However, my perception changed when I began using the recently released 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. 

Also: iPad Air (2024) review: Apple’s M2 tablet is the iPad most people should buy

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 once iPadOS 18.1 was released a few days ago. This software update includes Writing Tools, the redesigned Siri, Priority Notifications and Messages, Summarization tools, Smart Reply, and the Clean Up tool in Photos.

Also: The iPad Mini 7 is almost perfect for me – except its missing one critical feature

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 the 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, and given that the release date for the rest of Apple Intelligence features is TBD, 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. 

ZDNET’s buying advice

The iPad Mini 7 is compact and fast, and its Apple silicon processor is built to last for years. While I wouldn’t buy it for the AI features or to edit media, it’s an excellent companion tablet for Apple users looking for a device that can 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 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.