Apple iPad mini 8.3" A17 Pro Purple 2024

The iPad mini A17 Pro is the fastest small tablet you can buy, with a genuinely pocketable design and 128GB base storage. The 60Hz display is the one real letdown, especially if you're used to modern phones. At USD 380 for a renewed model it's a steal, at USD 649 it's a harder sell.

The A17 Pro chip is the star here. This is the same silicon family as the iPhone 15 Pro, and it shows. Apps launch instantly, multitasking is smooth, and even heavier creative work feels responsive. The 8GB of RAM helps keep things snappy. But the 60Hz display holds the whole experience back. Scrolling feels choppy compared to any modern phone, and if you're coming from a 120Hz device, the motion blur is noticeable. The 500 nits brightness is fine indoors but struggles in direct sunlight. For reading and note-taking it's great. For anything motion-heavy, the screen reminds you it's 2024 tech in a 2026 world.

Against the Microsoft Surface Pro 11, the iPad mini wins on portability but loses on productivity. The Surface has a bigger, higher-refresh display and a real desktop OS. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra is a different beast entirely, a 14-inch monster that makes the mini look like a phone. The Lenovo Yoga Tab Plus and Xiaomi Pad 7 both offer 120Hz+ displays at lower prices, but neither matches the mini's pocketability or Apple's app ecosystem. If you want a small tablet, there's no real competition. If you want a big screen, look literally anywhere else.

Pricing is all over the place right now. We're seeing USD 380 to USD 649 across eight US listings, which is a massive spread. At the low end, this is an easy recommendation. At the high end, you're paying flagship money for a 60Hz screen and bezels that belong in a museum. The best deal in our database is the renewed Wi-Fi+Cellular model at USD 380, which undercuts everything else by a wide margin. If you can find it near that price, it's a steal. At full retail, you're paying the Apple tax for the form factor.

The iPad mini A17 Pro is Apple's smallest tablet getting a serious chip upgrade. Same 8.3-inch form factor, same 60Hz screen, but now with the A17 Pro under the hood and support for Apple Intelligence. It's the mini most people wanted, even if the display tech feels a generation behind.

At 295 grams it disappears into a bag or even a jacket pocket. The 128GB base storage is a welcome change from the old 64GB starting point. If you want a pocketable tablet that actually feels fast, this is basically the only game in town.

Skip this if you need a high refresh display for gaming or video work, the 60Hz panel will drive you nuts. Also skip it if you want a laptop replacement, iPadOS on an 8.3-inch screen is not that. And if you're coming from Android and hate learning new interfaces, the adjustment period might frustrate you more than the portability delights you.

This is the tablet for people who want an iPad but hate carrying an iPad. The A17 Pro makes it fast enough for anything you'd reasonably do on an 8.3-inch screen, and the portability is genuinely liberating. The 60Hz display is the one thing that keeps it from being a no-brainer. If you can live with that, and you value size over screen real estate, this is the best small tablet on the market. Buy it for reading, note-taking, and travel. Don't buy it as your only computer.