The iPad mini 7 is an update to the excellent iPad mini 6. Apple's newest tablet is not revolutionary, but it remains a great device for those who want the iPad experience in a smaller form factor.

What does the iPad mini 7 have to offer? First, it has a powerful A17 Pro chip, which allows users to edit high-resolution photos and play graphics-intensive games. It also comes with 128GB of storage, a big improvement over the previous 64GB. This tablet also offers the same portable design with great battery life.

Indeed, the iPad mini 7 is the best iteration to date and could easily make our best iPad and best tablet lists. However, it does have some drawbacks. Below are three reasons why you should buy the iPad mini 7 and two reasons why you shouldn't.

The new iPad mini 7 maintains the same portable design as its predecessor. In fact, when placed side by side, it is difficult to distinguish one from the other. This is actually a good thing, because this design is nearly perfect.

As before, the iPad mini 7 measures 7.69 x 5.3 x 0.25 inches and weighs 0.6 pounds. This is small and light enough to comfortably hold while immersed in a video or novel. It also barely feels like it's in my backpack when I'm out and about. And as always, this thin and light tablet is solidly built despite its small footprint.

Another design aspect that the iPad mini inherits from its predecessor is the 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display: thanks to its 2,266 x 1,488 resolution, the screen is bright, colorful, and sharp. Everything looks great on this miniature display. The only thing that doesn't is the relatively thick bezel.

The biggest upgrade to the iPad mini 7 is the A17 Pro chip underneath its slim chassis; as was the case with the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, this processor helps provide outstanding performance in Apple's new tablet As was the case with the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, this processor is helping to provide exceptional performance in Apple's new tablets. While not as good as the Apple M2 and Apple M4 chips that power the latest iPad Air and iPad Pro, respectively, the A17 Pro's performance does not disappoint--especially for a tablet of this size.

Even with a dozen Chrome tabs and YouTube running, the iPad mini 7 never slowed down. Even more surprisingly, the tablet handled the graphically intensive Resident Evil 4 without a problem. the iPad mini 7 is too small to do its job efficiently, but it should be fine for browsing the web and enjoying games on the go.

On a related note, the iPad mini now comes with 128 GB of storage. This is significant given that previous models only had 64GB. Given the large file sizes of certain apps and games, 128 GB of storage is appreciated.

The iPad mini 7 may be small, but it has a long battery life.

In a lab test with the display set to 150 nits and continuous web surfing over Wi-Fi, the iPad mini lasted 10 hours and 36 minutes. This is 20 minutes less than the iPad mini 6, but still more than a day's worth of battery life.

This may vary depending on usage, but in any case, there is no reason to worry about the iPad mini running out of battery at an inappropriate time.

All recently released iPads, including the iPad 10th generation, iPad Air, and iPad Pro, have landscape-facing front cameras. This was a welcome update, as most people tend to use their tablets in landscape orientation. Unfortunately, this is not a common design aspect of the new iPad mini.

As before, the iPad mini 7 places the portrait-facing camera on the smaller left side. This position makes it difficult to center oneself during video calls or when trying to take selfies. This may not be a big problem if you don't participate in these activities, but it may be a deal-breaker for some people.

Bad news for those who have Apple Pencil 2 and want to use it on iPad mini.

Both the Apple Pencil Pro and the Apple Pencil USB-C can be used with the iPad mini 7. The latter stylus has additional features such as squeeze and barrel roll. However, the Apple Pencil 2 is not available for the new iPad mini, even though it was available for the iPad mini 6. If you want to write or draw with the iPad mini and do not want to use an Apple Pencil alternative, the USB-C stylus is $79, Pro stylus for $129.

Despite some shortcomings, the iPad mini 7 is an excellent device for those who want the full iPad experience in a smaller size. Its design, display, and battery life are as great as ever, but with the bonus of faster performance and 128GB of storage.

If you're looking for a smaller tablet that's perfect for reading, watching videos, and gaming, the iPad mini remains the best option.