Apple iPad mini (A17 Pro, 128GB, Wi-Fi + Cellular)

Apple iPad mini (A17 Pro, 128GB, Wi-Fi + Cellular)

By Apple · Tablets · Phones & Computers

  • A17 Pro chip
  • 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display, 2266x1488, 326 ppi
  • Up to 10 h web/video over Wi-Fi, 9 h over cellular
  • 0.66 lb (297 g) with Cellular

Lowest price seen
~$749.00 (approx.)
from $749.00 at Amazon

Prices are snapshots. Check the current price with the store.

Summary

Apple’s smallest tablet, updated with the A17 Pro chip from the iPhone 15 Pro, 128GB of base storage and Apple Pencil Pro support — built for travelers, readers and note-takers who want full iPad power one-handed. Check the 60Hz display and the portrait front camera before you buy; both are carryovers from the 2021 model.

Strengths

  • One-handed use at 297 grams — the most portable iPad Apple makes.
  • The A17 Pro chip handles browsing, media, note-taking and moderate gaming with ease.
  • 128GB of base storage doubles the previous generation.
  • Apple Pencil Pro support makes it a serious note-taking and sketching tool.
  • Reviewers found the battery sufficient for transcontinental flights.
  • Wi-Fi 6E and 5G keep it connected without tying up your phone.

Weaknesses

  • The 60Hz LCD display has no ProMotion — a frustration at this price.
  • The portrait-oriented front camera makes landscape video calls awkward.
  • No Stage Manager: the A17 Pro is not an M-series chip.
  • Jelly scrolling is improved from the 2021 model but still present, per PCMag.
  • Owners in r/ipadmini report thermal throttling in games — only about a 15% real-world gain over the mini 6.
  • No waterproofing, no Apple-made keyboard, and the Apple Pencil 2 does not work with it.

Verified specifications

ModeliPad mini (A17 Pro), 7th generation, model A2995 (US cellular).
ReleasedOctober 23, 2024.
ChipA17 Pro (3nm), 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine.
RAM8 GB.
Storage128GB (256GB and 512GB also available).
Display8.3-inch Liquid Retina LCD, 2266x1488 at 326 ppi, 500 nits, 60Hz.
Rear camera12MP Wide, f/1.8, 4K video up to 60fps.
Front camera12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, 1080p video, Center Stage, portrait-oriented.
Battery19.3 Wh; up to 10 hours web/video over Wi-Fi, 9 hours over cellular.
ChargingUSB-C, 20W adapter included, USB 3 (10 Gb/s).
WirelessWi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, 5G sub-6GHz, Gigabit LTE.
SIMeSIM only — no physical SIM tray.
BiometricsTouch ID in the top button.
Apple PencilApple Pencil Pro and Apple Pencil (USB-C) supported; Apple Pencil 2 not supported.
ColorsBlue, Purple, Starlight, Space Gray.
Materials100% recycled aluminum enclosure, glass front.
Dimensions7.69 × 5.3 × 0.25 in (195.4 × 134.8 × 6.3 mm); 297 g cellular, 293 g Wi-Fi.
In the boxiPad mini, USB-C cable (1 meter), 20W USB-C power adapter; no Pencil, case or keyboard.
SoftwareiPadOS 18 at launch; the current version is iPadOS 26.
Warranty1 year standard; AppleCare+ available.
Full research notes and sources

Size, display and cameras

The mini’s size is the whole story: at 297 grams and 6.3 mm thin, it is the only current iPad you can use one-handed, and owners consistently praise the portability. The 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display is sharp at 326 ppi and hits 500 nits, bright enough for outdoor use, but it remains a 60Hz LCD — no ProMotion, and no OLED like the Pro models. Jelly scrolling, the uneven refresh banding that plagued the 2021 mini, is improved but still present according to PCMag; WIRED’s reviewer did not see it on their unit, so treat it as unit-to-unit variation. The front camera is still on the short edge in portrait orientation, which makes landscape video calls awkward — every other current iPad has moved to landscape.

Performance and battery

The A17 Pro is the chip from the iPhone 15 Pro, with one fewer GPU core (5 instead of 6). It is not an M-series chip, so Stage Manager multitasking is not available. PCMag measured 2,972 single-core and 7,362 multi-core on Geekbench 6; PhoneArena saw 2,860 and 7,002. Sustained gaming is where the small body shows: owners in r/ipadmini report thermal throttling and only about a 15% real-world gaming gain over the mini 6, and Laptop Mag’s 3DMark Wild Life run maxed out at 59.9 fps — nearly identical to the iPad Air 6’s 60 fps, with the A17 Pro performing on par with the Air’s M2 in games.

Battery life is solid. Apple rates 10 hours over Wi-Fi and 9 over cellular. PCMag’s video-streaming test ran 7h 23m; Tom’s Guide’s web-browsing test ran 10h 34m. The included 20W adapter recharges fully in about 1h 50m (1h 59m in PhoneArena’s test), and PhoneArena saw 35% in 30 minutes. A 10-month YouTube long-term review still showed 100% battery health. PCMag measured speaker output at 90.0 dB and 5G downloads at 385 Mbps.

Accessories and running costs

The box contains the iPad, a 1-meter USB-C cable and a 20W adapter — no Pencil, case or keyboard. Apple sells the Pencil Pro for $129, the USB-C Pencil for $79 and the Smart Folio for $59. If you own an Apple Pencil 2, it will not work here; only the Pencil Pro and USB-C Pencil are supported. Apple makes no keyboard for the mini, so productivity typing means a third-party Bluetooth keyboard. The standard warranty is one year, with AppleCare+ available for extended coverage, and Apple’s refurbished store lists cellular models at lower prices. Nobody has published a failure rate or long-term reliability study for this model, so judge it on the usual Apple build quality — the aluminum chassis feels sturdy and premium.

Is it worth it?

Apple launched the 128GB Wi-Fi model at $499 in October 2024 and the cellular model at $649. In June 2025 Apple raised prices by $100, citing memory and storage cost increases, taking the Wi-Fi model to $599. Cellular adds $150, which puts the 128GB cellular model at roughly $749. At that price the mini faces competition from Apple’s own lineup: PCMag points out the standard iPad (11th generation) offers a larger screen at $399, and the iPad Air (M4) delivers significantly more performance at $649 — $50 more than the mini. The mini makes the most sense for buyers who specifically want the smallest possible iPad — for travel, reading, note-taking or as a second device. If you want landscape video calls, Stage Manager, ProMotion or keyboard productivity, a larger iPad is the better buy.

Which model this is

This page covers the iPad mini (A17 Pro), 7th generation, 128GB Wi-Fi + Cellular, model A2995 for the US (A2993 is the Wi-Fi version, A2996 the China cellular model). It sold at launch as MYHD3LL/A. The cellular model is eSIM only — no physical SIM tray — so check your carrier’s eSIM support before you buy. Do not confuse it with the iPad mini 6 (2021, A15 Bionic), the iPad Air or the iPad Pro. The US Amazon listing for this configuration is ASIN B0DK3YM6KP.

Sources

Manufacturer:

Independent reviews:

Owner reports:

Reference:

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