Apple just announced, in a somewhat understated fashion via a press release, a new iPad Mini. It’s the first upgrade for Apple’s smallest tablet since 2021.
The new Mini is mostly a spec bump: it runs a new A17 Pro chip, which Apple says has a 30 percent faster CPU, 25 percent faster GPU, and a Neural Engine twice as fast as the previous model. The device also supports the new Apple Pencil Pro, which is a nice touch for the Mini-toting artists out there. As before, it starts at $499, and is up for pre-order now and goes on sale next Wednesday.
The last-gen Mini was a pretty big overhaul, with a new design and a USB-C port along with a bunch of spec upgrades. Given that that was the first redesign since the original Mini in 2012, it’s not…