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Apple pulled off a real surprise at its "California Streaming" event with the iPad mini 6. It remains the star of this virtual September keynote.
With a brand new design, better cameras, up to 256GB of storage, Touch ID on the standby button and 5G support, it's the best iPad mini ever. But of course there are details that Apple didn't mention during the presentation. We'll cover them below.
The heart of the matter
During the launch, Apple said the brand new iPad mini is over 80% faster than the previous model, but did not mention the processor directly. In fact, the new iPad mini is the only iPad equipped with the A15 Bionic with 64-bit architecture, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU and 16-core Neural Engine. Last year, the fourth-generation iPad Air with the A14 chip underwent a similar transformation - with success.
Apple increases RAM
But the small mini tablet not only has the currently best mobile processor but also more RAM. While the iPad mini 5 had to make do with 3 GB of RAM, the new version can look forward to 4 GB of RAM.
The Smart Connector is missing
At first glance, the iPad mini 6 looks like a shrunken version of the iPad Air 4. There is, however, one difference. The small mini tablet does not have the Smart Connector. This means that the device does not work with a Smart Folio Keyboard or even a Magic Keyboard. For this reason, Apple has not introduced any such accessories. However, it does have a magnetic connector and is therefore compatible with the Apple Pencil 2.
5G support
Apple is now making efforts to gradually equip its devices with 5G. But anyone interested in connectivity should consider one small detail. The iPad mini 6 is similar to Apple's other 5G-capable devices. The mmWave band remains exclusive to the USA. This means that Apple devices in this country continue to only support the sub-6 GHz standard.
4K video recording
In addition to a brand-new design, more performance, and a better display, the iPad mini 6 also features new cameras. The FaceTime HD camera now uses a 12MP Ultra Wide lens with a 122° field of view. With the wider lens, Apple brings "Center Stage" to this mini tablet. Center Stage automatically pans the camera to keep users in view as they move during a video call. When other people join, the camera detects them and smoothly zooms out to easily include them in the conversation. This feature was originally introduced with the M1 iPad Pro and is a really great feature. In addition, the main camera also has a 12MP sensor. This means that for the first time, users can record 4K video with the iPad mini at 24 fps, 25 fps, 30 fps, or 60 fps.
From now on with USB-C port
If you missed the connection topic, here's a reminder. From now on, the iPad mini will use USB-C and no longer Apple's Lightning port. The iPad mini 6 will be delivered with a USB-C charging cable (one meter long) and the 20W USB-C power adapter.
iPad mini 6: Two storage variants, five colors
The iPad mini 6 is now available with 64 GB or 256 GB in the colors Space Gray, Rose, Violet and Polar Star pre-ordered Depending on the features, the device will cost between 549 euros and 889 euros. Delivery will begin on September 24th. (Image: Apple)
