Much like the latest iPhone 16 and 16 Pro, Apple has never been afraid to blur the lines between its products. Their latest tablet is no exception, to a certain extent.
The tech giant's seventh-generation iPad mini – officially the iPad mini (A17 Pro), but we're calling it iPad mini 7 for simplicity's sake – continues a budget-friendly yet powerful small device that has carved its own niche among its bigger, flashier counterparts, and amid a tablet market Apple is dominating.
It's been a little more than three years since we got our hands on a new iPad mini – that's the second-longest idle time for the mini since the gap between the fourth and fifth generations – so let's see what it has to offer.
Form: Just a new hue of blue
We're going to be upfront here: aesthetically, there's no difference between the iPad mini 7 and its predecessor that was launched in 2021. The only major addition is a new colour, blue, which supplants pink and joins purple, space grey and starlight as your options.
The bezel width remains the same, roughly 9mm according to our trusty tape measure. That's practically the same as the bigger iPads but it's much more noticeable on the mini relative to its size.
This begs the question: if Apple can make iPhones with incredibly thin bezels, why not do it for the iPad? We think this is long overdue and would give the iPad mini an even sleeker look (ditto for the bigger iPads) to complement its portability.
The usual buttons are in their place: on its default portrait position, the volume buttons are on the top-left corner and the power button, which also houses Touch ID, is on the top-right (Apple removed the home button and shifted the volume buttons on the sixth-generation iPad mini).
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
The display remains at about 21cm and still uses a liquid retina display, though it's rumoured that an OLED iPad mini will come out in 2026. Its single-lens camera is still at 12MP and, again, supports only eSIMs.
It also does not have NFC – which means you can't use Apple Pay – nor does it have MagSafe compatibility. We know wireless charging is super-slow but it would've been a welcome alternative.
What's inside?
Powering the new iPad mini is the A17 Pro chip, which was used in last year's iPhone 15 Pros. So it's fair to ask why they didn't use the A18, which would've streamlined their new product line-ups considering the new iPhone 16 devices use the same latest processor.
We're guessing Apple is saving the A18 for a refresh of the bigger iPads, which begs another question: why only a new iPad mini right now? It would've been great if an 11th-generation standard iPad was also launched, since the latest Air and Pro were released only in May.
Apple says the A17 Pro gives a 30 per cent and 25 per cent boost in CPU and GPU performance, respectively, which comes in handy to optimise and maximise battery life.
And, in an absolute blast of a move, the new iPad mini now comes in a 512GB variant – no longer will you be stuck with very limited storage on such a device (don't forget about iCloud, of course).
How long does it last?
Which directly brings us to battery life. Apple says the new iPad mini can last up to 10 hours, which has been the ceiling since the very first iPad mini in 2012 – and practically across the entire iPad range.
In our one-hour YouTube-at-full-brightness test, the device lost 15 per cent, which is middling compared to our reviews of the 10th-generation iPad and M2 iPad Pro. Mixed along with other activities, you're good to last a day.
As for charging – using the in-the-box 20W power brick – the iPad mini 7 barely hit 50 per cent in an hour and took a little more than two hours to fully charge – and that's while letting it sit idle.
We're genuinely surprised that a charging brick is still included in iPads, considering Apple has stopped including them since 2020s iPhone 12. We expect them to be gone sooner or later because of Apple's sustainability commitment and the positive reception garnered by that move from environmentalists.
New Apple Intelligence and Pencil tricks
We've already discussed Apple Intelligence a number of times and we'll be able to finally play with it when it comes out with the iPadOS 18.1 update next week.
But for a little refresher, here we go: the iPadOS 18.1 update is expected to include Writing Tools (summarising, proofreading content), Clean Up, Memory movie creation and natural language search in Photos, notification summaries, Reduce Interruptions Focus (which prioritises notifications), message priorities in Mail, Smart Reply and Summaries in Mail and Messages, and an overhaul of Siri that makes it more accurate.
And what's an iPad without its trusty Apple Pencil? For starters, the iPad mini 7 supports the budget-friendly USB-C Pencil and the top-end Pencil Pro, which brings more versatility to users.
But aside from the artistry and doodling we're all familiar with, we're more interested in the more complex things it can accomplish, starting with Math Notes: basically, it allows you to write, with the Pencil, maths problems on the calculator app, then watch iPadOS 18 solve it.
The most interesting thing about it is how it handles variables: in an algebraic equation, if you change up some letters, iPadOS 18 will quickly rework the results and even generate and insert the corresponding graphs. It can even mix different units like, for example, adding figures in inches and metres.
Pretty impressive, though there have been samples on the web in which the results weren't correct.
There's a lot more to digest about Apple Intelligence. And it won't be long until we can fully experience the much-hyped AI platform.
Verdict
The Apple iPad mini (A17 Pro) presents a compelling choice: with support for the Pencil Pro and a really generous 512GB ceiling storage, it's a clear indication that the smallest iPad is becoming a really big deal.
You still don't get higher-tier storage, display and cameras, but that gets evened out by the device being a handy and very portable machine that packs in the power of Apple's offerings.
And to top it all off, it's more affordable – starting prices for the Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi-plus-cellular models are Dh2,099 and Dh2,699, respectively, which are both Dh30 cheaper than their predecessors.
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
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Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
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In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
The biog
Favourite book: Men are from Mars Women are from Venus
Favourite travel destination: Ooty, a hill station in South India
Hobbies: Cooking. Biryani, pepper crab are her signature dishes
Favourite place in UAE: Marjan Island
BRIEF SCORES
England 353 and 313-8 dec
(B Stokes 112, A Cook 88; M Morkel 3-70, K Rabada 3-85)
(J Bairstow 63, T Westley 59, J Root 50; K Maharaj 3-50)
South Africa 175 and 252
(T Bavuma 52; T Roland-Jones 5-57, J Anderson 3-25)
(D Elgar 136; M Ali 4-45, T Roland-Jones 3-72)
Result: England won by 239 runs
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The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
- Flexible work arrangements
- Pension support
- Mental well-being assistance
- Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
- Financial well-being incentives
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Analysis
Maros Sefcovic is juggling multiple international trade agreement files, but his message was clear when he spoke to The National on Wednesday.
The EU-UAE bilateral trade deal will be finalised soon, he said. It is in everyone’s interests to do so. Both sides want to move quickly and are in alignment. He said the UAE is a very important partner for the EU. It’s full speed ahead - and with some lofty ambitions - on the road to a free trade agreement.
We also talked about US-EU tariffs. He answered that both sides need to talk more and more often, but he is prepared to defend Europe's position and said diplomacy should be a guiding principle through the current moment.
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
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Sheikh Zayed's poem
When it is unveiled at Abu Dhabi Art, the Standing Tall exhibition will appear as an interplay of poetry and art. The 100 scarves are 100 fragments surrounding five, figurative, female sculptures, and both sculptures and scarves are hand-embroidered by a group of refugee women artisans, who used the Palestinian cross-stitch embroidery art of tatreez. Fragments of Sheikh Zayed’s poem Your Love is Ruling My Heart, written in Arabic as a love poem to his nation, are embroidered onto both the sculptures and the scarves. Here is the English translation.
Your love is ruling over my heart
Your love is ruling over my heart, even a mountain can’t bear all of it
Woe for my heart of such a love, if it befell it and made it its home
You came on me like a gleaming sun, you are the cure for my soul of its sickness
Be lenient on me, oh tender one, and have mercy on who because of you is in ruins
You are like the Ajeed Al-reem [leader of the gazelle herd] for my country, the source of all of its knowledge
You waddle even when you stand still, with feet white like the blooming of the dates of the palm
Oh, who wishes to deprive me of sleep, the night has ended and I still have not seen you
You are the cure for my sickness and my support, you dried my throat up let me go and damp it
Help me, oh children of mine, for in his love my life will pass me by.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
The bio
Studied up to grade 12 in Vatanappally, a village in India’s southern Thrissur district
Was a middle distance state athletics champion in school
Enjoys driving to Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah with family
His dream is to continue working as a social worker and help people
Has seven diaries in which he has jotted down notes about his work and money he earned
Keeps the diaries in his car to remember his journey in the Emirates
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Six large-scale objects on show
- Concrete wall and windows from the now demolished Robin Hood Gardens housing estate in Poplar
- The 17th Century Agra Colonnade, from the bathhouse of the fort of Agra in India
- A stagecloth for The Ballet Russes that is 10m high – the largest Picasso in the world
- Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1930s Kaufmann Office
- A full-scale Frankfurt Kitchen designed by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, which transformed kitchen design in the 20th century
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Why seagrass matters
- Carbon sink: Seagrass sequesters carbon up to 35X faster than tropical rainforests
- Marine nursery: Crucial habitat for juvenile fish, crustations, and invertebrates
- Biodiversity: Support species like sea turtles, dugongs, and seabirds
- Coastal protection: Reduce erosion and improve water quality
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
