One of the best surprises of the “California Streaming” event was the brand new iPad mini 6. With a redesigned look, better cameras, up to 256GB storage, Touch ID on the Top button, and 5G support, this is the best iPad mini ever created.
However, there are some things that Apple didn’t announce during the event that you may want to know before buying this new iPad mini. Check out our tidbits roundup.
iPad mini 6 is powered by the A15 Bionic
During the “California Streaming” event, Apple said that the new iPad mini is over 80% faster than the previous model, but it didn’t mention the processor. As a matter of fact, this new iPad mini is the only iPad that runs the A15 Bionic with 64-bit architecture, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, and 16-core Neural Engine.
Last year, Apple did the same thing when it introduced the iPad Air 4. It gave the tablet the most advanced chip for mobile devices at that time, the A14 Bionic — before announcing the iPhone 12.
More RAM
This iPad not only has the best processor available right now, but it also features more RAM than its predecessor. While the iPad mini 5 had 3GB of RAM, the iPad mini 6 has 4GB of RAM, as discovered by MacRumors.
No Smart Connector, only Magnetic Connector on the iPad mini 6
With this new design, the iPad mini 6 looks similar to the iPad Air 4, but it has an important difference: it doesn’t feature a Smart Connector. This means that it won’t work with a Smart Folio Keyboard or even the Magic Keyboard, and that Apple is probably not developing any keyboard for this tablet.
While the new iPad may not have a Smart connector for a keyboard, you can still enjoy a new Magnetic Connector, where you can attach the second-generation Apple Pencil. Now, the only iPad that uses the old Pencil is the ninth-generation iPad, also introduced during this week’s event.
5G support – but not the same as the iPhone 13 or the M1 iPad Pro
The iPad mini 6 is the second iPad to support a 5G connection, but you won’t be able to use the super-ultra-mega faster 5G that is promoted with the iPhone 13 and M1 iPad Pro because the new iPad mini doesn’t support the mmWave band. With 5G, you’ll get faster speeds than LTE but won’t get the multiple GigaBytes per second upload speeds possible with mmWave band support.
Here are all the 5G bands it supports:
- 5G NR (Bands n1, n2, n3, n5, n7, n8, n12, n20, n25, n28, n29, n30, n38, n40, n41, n48, n66, n71, n77, n78, n79).
Yes, the iPad mini 6 features a USB-C power adapter
Ever since Apple took the Power Adapter from the iPhone, it’s been important to let users know that the iPad keeps coming with a power brick.
The iPad mini 6 features a new USB-C port, which means, you’ll get a USB-C Charge Cable (1 meter) and the 20W USB-C power adapter in the box. The new iPad mini includes the same adapters as the iPad Air 4.
New cameras with 4K Video recording
The iPad mini 6 has brand new cameras. The FaceTime HD Camera now uses a 12MP Ultra Wide lens with a 122° field of view.
With the wider lens, Apple is bringing Center Stage to this tablet. Center Stage automatically pans the camera to keep users in view as they move around during video calls. When others join in, the camera detects them and smoothly zooms out to easily include them in the conversation.
Not only that but the main camera was also updated with a 12MP sensor. For the first time, users can record videos in 4K at 24 fps, 25 fps, 30 fps, or 60 fps with the iPad mini 6.
Wrap up
The new iPad mini 6 is available to order now and the first orders will arrive on Friday, September 24. It comes in four new colors: Space Gray, Pink, Purple, and Starlight, and is available in 64GB and 256GB of storage starting at $499.
Are you planning to buy the new iPad mini? Do you have any other tidbits to share with us? Just use the comment section below.
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