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There are a bunch of noteworthy things about the new iPad mini, which Apple rolled out today with an early-morning press release.
The relatively low-key debut belies some interesting design choices. The new mini might seem like a routine chip-and-ship update, but it’s a bit more interesting.
One is the new screen. The new iPad mini sports a gorgeous OLED panel that also doubles as part of the speaker system!
Yeah, the screen is now called an Acoustic Display. Audio comes from behind the screen, eliminating the need for speaker holes. No doubt we’re going to see more of this on other devices.
Then there’s the brawny chip: Apple’s A20, with a dual 16-core Neural Engine, which also powers the latest Pro iPhones. This is clearly overkill for Netflix and chill, but necessary for running local AI models. It sets the A20 as the baseline for future AI-capable devices.
Lastly, the iPad mini is now IP67 water- and dust-resistant — a first for the iPad. OK. That’s nice, but so what?
Unfortunately, along with the capable hardware, the new mini also gets a hefty price hike, which no one is going to like.
But a big part of the Apple buying equation has always been value and longevity — and the IP67 rating will help Apple’s teeniest tablet last for years to come.
It’s not perfect — there are some disappointments — but there’s a lot to like about Apple’s newest tablet.
Also in today’s newsletter:
Talking of harbingers, the new touchscreen MacBook Pro — coming Wednesday — is also likely the shape of MacBook Pros to come.
There’s some great new stuff in iOS 27.2, the first major iOS 27 upgrade. Here are a few things to check out after upgrading.
🔥 DEAL OF THE DAY: Amazon has dropped the single AirTag 2 to its lowest price to date: $23 a pop. (The $89 four-pack is still a slightly better deal if you want to stock up). #affiliate
I checked out the iPhone Duo at an Apple Store this weekend, and came away impressed. It’s a beautifully made device. It was interesting to see lots of people curious about it, while the Vision Pro table was crickets. iFixit’s teardown of the device reveals some fascinating engineering details.
Uh oh! Here it is — crackgate! Apple admits some Duos are breaking right out of the box.
And if that’s not bad enough, one of the first independent drop tests of the Duo reveals you’ll definitely want to put it in a case.
— Leander Kahney, EIC.
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Using this thing is remarkable. It's so much more intimate than a laptop, and it's so much more capable than a smartphone with this gorgeous, large display.
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