After a long period without renewal, Apple has finally decided that it is time to boost the features of the iPad mini. The company announced via a press release a 7th generation iPad mini, the opportunity to have new features and above all increased performance. However, what do the first people who were able to test the new tablet in mini format say? The first tests reveal good points!
The iPad mini 7 has a lot of advantages
As before every new product launch, Apple sends its new device to the media and influencers so that they can publish an overall opinion. At the start of the week, several American media editorial offices received the new iPad mini 7, the opportunity to test all the new features of this entry-level tablet. Is the new iPad mini worth it or should we prefer to get closer to an iPad Air?
The major improvement concerns the jerky scrolling problem, well and truly resolved:
Jason Snell, writing for Six Colors :
My understanding is that the display circuitry of the new model is different from the old model, and I was not able to detect any “jelly scrolling” in my usage. That doesn’t mean it’s definitely gone, and I eagerly await the eagle-eyed “jelly scroll” experts to report their results, but I certainly couldn’t see it, even when I am recorded scrolling at a high frame rate and played it back frame by frame.
Nathan Ingraham for Engadget :
One piece of good news regarding the screen is that it appears Apple has fixed the “jelly scrolling” issue that plagued the previous iPad mini. Jelly scrolling occurs when one side of a screen doesn’t refresh at exactly the same rate as the other, and this effect was noticeable in portrait mode with the old iPad mini. This isn’t something I’ve ever noticed while using the new iPad mini. I’m curious to see if the issue has been fully resolved or if my eyes just haven’t picked up on it, but I’ll continue to use the iPad mini in the coming weeks to see if I spot any display issues.
Brenda Stolyar, writing for WIRED :
But I can’t talk about the iPad Mini’s screen without reviewing the infamous “jelly scrolling” fiasco on the 2021 model. iPad Mini owners complained that one side of the The screen refreshed slower than the other when scrolling up and down the screen. I haven’t experienced this with my Mini, but Apple made a point of optimizing the LCD screen in the latest model to alleviate this problem. Apple was tight-lipped about what exactly it changed, but for what it’s worth, I haven’t seen any issues on my review unit yet.
The good points
- The Jelly Screen is gone : as mentioned in several tests, there are no longer jerky effects when scrolling a page on Safari or another application. The Jelly Screen was one of the major weak points of the iPad mini 6 and Apple managed to completely resolve it. Now the experience is completely smooth when scrolling a page! Only one editorial team, that of The Verge, mentioned that the Jelly Screen was still present.
- Performances on point : another strong point is the performances. Apple has not integrated the A18 chip found in the latest iPhones, however the A17 Pro chip which has been added is very effective for games and applications that are demanding on performance. As a reminder, the A17 Pro chip will allow you to take advantage of Apple Intelligence features which will soon be available in the US.
- WiFi 6E : some editorials have praised the significantly better speeds on the iPad mini 7. Thanks to compatibility with WiFi 6E, it is possible to download films more quickly, install the latest updates for our applications more quickly… In short , it’s more comfortable!
- Last year, Apple released Final Cut Pro for iPad Pro and iPad Air models with an M1 chip or newer, and now the app is also compatible with the new iPad mini.
Weak points
As for the weak points, there are few that have been expressed in the American media tests. Among the things that created disappointment, we find the refresh rate limited to 60 Hz which is considered to be shocking in 2024 for a tablet or the absence of WiFi 7. But the latter is reserved for the iPad Pro M4.
Last negative point, the absence of Stage Manager. Damage.
Conclusion of the tests
Overall, the journalists who had preview access to the iPad mini 7 are satisfied, the new tablet has no major fault that could dissuade a consumer from buying it!
The iPad mini 7 will be available in France tomorrow from 609€ on Amazon and at Apple. It has already been available for pre-order since Tuesday of last week.
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