As we reported last month, all iPhone 16 models feature a new system that lets users restore the device’s firmware wirelessly from another iPhone or iPad. Now we’ve learned that Apple is also expanding this system to the recently announced iPad mini 7 with the A17 Pro chip.
iPad mini 7 has the same wireless recovery system as the iPhone 16
As analyzed by 9to5Mac, the iPadOS 18 firmware for the iPad mini 7 includes the same RecoveryOS partition added to the iPhone 16 models. If your iPhone 16 or iPad mini 7 enters Recovery Mode for some reason, you can simply place it next to another iPhone or iPad to start the firmware recovery.
Although only iPhone 16 models and the iPad mini 7 can be restored wirelessly from another device, any iPhone or iPad running iOS 18 can be used to restore a bricked device. This recovery system was first introduced for Apple Watch with iOS 15.4 and watchOS 8.5, and then expanded to Apple TV with iOS 17 and tvOS 17.
Interestingly, 9to5Mac first reported that Apple was working on this tool back in 2020.
It was previously unclear whether the RecoveryOS partition was something included with the A18 chip, but now we know that this is not the case. Still, it seems that the partition is pre-loaded on the devices before they’re shipped from the factory, which is why the new system isn’t available for other devices.
It’s worth noting that iPad mini 7 is shipping with iPadOS 18.0. Apple will release the iPadOS 18.1 update with Apple Intelligence next week.
More about the new iPad mini
In addition to the A17 Pro chip with 8GB of RAM, iPad mini 7 also features Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 for faster wireless connectivity. The USB-C port has also been updated with USB 3.1, which supports data transfer speeds of up to 10 Gbps (versus 5 Gbps on the previous model).
Pre-orders for the iPad mini 7 are now available on Apple’s website, but you can also find good deals on other iPad models on Amazon.
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- iPad mini 7 vs 6: Here’s what’s upgraded plus buyer’s guide
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