Apple introduces new iPad Mini with AI features. Here are its specifications
Apple has launched a new iPad Mini powered by artificial intelligence (AI).
In a blog post, the tech giant said it's now available for pre-order and will hit the United States market starting Oct. 23.
The new iPad Mini is priced at $499 (P28,000) for the WiFi model and $649 (P37,000) for the WiFi + Cellular model.
The item is available in four colors: blue, purple, starlight, and space gray. It's designed with 100% recycled aluminum in the enclosure, 100% recycled rare earth elements in all magnets, and 100% recycled gold plating and tin soldering in multiple printed circuit boards. It's free of mercury, brominated flame retardants, and PVC.
The packaging is also 100% fiber-based, in line with the tech giant's goal to remove plastic from all packaging by 2025.
Here are the specifications of the new iPad Mini.
A17 Pro chip
The chip has a 6-core central processing unit (with two performance cores and four efficiency cores), allowing for a 30% boost in performance compared to the previous generation. Its 5-core graphics processing unit, meanwhile, delivers a 25% jump from the previous generation.
Users will have a smoother and faster experience in using pro apps for photo editing, augmented reality, and more, as well as in playing video games.
Apple Intelligence
Apple Intelligence includes generative AI tools for writing assistance, image generation, and smarter interaction with digital assistant Siri.
The Writing Tools feature helps users refine their words by rewriting, proofreading, and summarizing text nearly everywhere they write, including Mail, Notes, Pages, and third-party apps.
Photos will have Memories, enabling users to create the movies they want to see by simply typing a description, and Clean Up, a tool that can identify and remove distracting objects in the background of a photo without accidentally altering the subject.
Over the coming months, Apple Intelligence will also have new features like Image Playground, allowing users to create playful images in their moments; Image Wand, a new tool that can transform a rough sketch into a polished image; and Genmoji, which creates emoji based on a text prompt or photo of a loved one.
12MP camera
The wide back camera, which already delivers high-definition photos, supports Smart HDR 4 for even more detailed and vivid shots.
The Camera app is also powered by AI, allowing users to use the new True Tone flash to remove shadows from the document.
Apple Pencil Pro interactions
Apple Pencil Pro has new advanced features found on pens for dedicated drawing tablets, like a squeeze function to quickly switch between tools, light weights, and colors; a gyroscope to rotate it for precise control of shaped pen and brushed tools; and added support for Apple’s device locator app, Find My, in case it’s misplaced.
It attaches, pairs, and charges magnetically on the device.
Other features
Calculator may be used with Apple Pencil to solve expressions, as well as basic and scientific calculators. In Math Notes, users may type mathematical expressions or write them out as they get solved instantly. They can also create and use variables, and add an equation to insert a graph.
The Notes app allows handwritten texts to become easier to read with the Smart Script feature. With the help of Apple Pencil, they may edit handwritten text, add space, or even paste typed text in their own handwriting, which will be automatically refined in real time to be smoother, straighter, and more legible.
Audio Recording and Transcription can capture a lecture or conversation, with the transcripts synced with the audio, allowing users to search for an exact moment in the recording.