Apple released the 7th generation iPad mini, which was introduced with the A17 Pro chipset, also seen in the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. However, the official site states something different – the tablet only has a 5-core GPU, which looks like a downgraded version of the A17 Pro.
Chipsets like this are often called binned because they don’t go through the same quality control process during manufacture. It’s likely that the version with a 6-core CPU and 5-core GPU isn’t powerful enough for the iPhone, but there’s a big enough batch to equip the new iPad.
We should also point out that Apple discontinued the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max after launching the 16 Pro duo, meaning there may be some extra chips originally set aside for those phones.
The chip will still work fine, with just one core disabled to compensate for performance. Considering this is the A17 Pro, we expect the iPad mini (2024) to have Apple Intelligence with iOS 18.1 once it launches. The tablet is up for pre-order with prices starting at $499, and sales will begin on October 23.
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