New iPad mini has a downgraded A17 Pro chipset

17 October 2024
It looks like a binned version with a less powerful GPU.

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  • St. Peter
  • mT1
  • 17 Oct 2024

DaFink, 17 Oct 2024That would only make sense if 1. Removing 'Pro... moreIt’s refreshing to read common sense comments like this one, especially when it comes to publicly-traded companies aiming to maximize profits. This is one of the fundamentals anyone would learn at an entry-level business or economics class.

Perhaps a single owner would prioritize other aspects like sustainability with well-meaning intentions. However, big corporations would only do so to be compliant or if it resonates with their customers (or both).

Apple has always been very good at squeezing out exactly what their customers are willing to pay through their tiered offerings. Why else would they still offer devices with 64GB of RAM and 60 Hz screens? Why else sell three or four generations of iPhones on their website? Why else offer regular, Pro, and Max chipsets?

It’s just like the airlines selling you flights with all kinds of extras like better seating, seat selections, prioritization at boarding, more luggage, drinks/meals, etc. They obviously are trying to make each of their customers pay the maximum of what they are willing to pay. Why leave money on the table?

Obviously, Apple and its competitors have similar strategies for good reason (maximizing profits).

    So, nothing new besides some colour variants maybe and a newer chip and of course an 60 Hrz LCD screen. All for the budget price (as from) 499 dollars... Hold the press, the world is saved.

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      • Faek
      • C@V
      • 17 Oct 2024

      so it is not A17 pro,
      but A17 lite

        • ?
        • Anonymous
        • tu6
        • 17 Oct 2024

        AnonD-1175487, 17 Oct 2024The what? lol If you are talking about the Lenovo tablet, ... moreActually there is a new version of Lenovo Legion Y700 released recently but yeah its software update is terrible.

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          • AnonD-1175487
          • snc
          • 17 Oct 2024

          Anonymous, 17 Oct 2024Having 60hz is like living in 2014, not 2024...Still, majority of people will use their phones/tablets to the default refresh rate settings. That means in many times their phone will be at 60Hz anyway to save battery life.
          I mean, not me, I like my refresh rate to be as the highest setting possible, lol.

          But the average users will probably use their phones/tablets the same way they came out of the box.

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            • AnonD-1175487
            • snc
            • 17 Oct 2024

            earworm, 17 Oct 2024Just get the y700The what? lol
            If you are talking about the Lenovo tablet, then there are two problems:
            1. Is not worldwide available. For example I didn't see it in Czechia. And here people are quite interested in tech products. So, the fact that is not available in here, it looks strange.
            2. Is a 2 year old tablet, with 2 year old Android version. I mean, ok, it doesn't matter that much in tablets, but still, is not new tablet like this iPad Mini.

            But your complaint is somehow correct. For people who want a small powerful tablet, there isn't too much too choose in Android world.
            Which is funny and sad at the same time, because some years ago, the market was flooded with 7-8" Android tablets.

            But who knows, maybe if this new iPad Mini will sell good (which I doubt), Android manufacturers will follow the trend (as usual). Because they will want a piece of the Apple pie (pun intended).

              • D
              • AnonD-1175487
              • snc
              • 17 Oct 2024

              DaFink, 17 Oct 2024What has four green dollar signs got to do with it? I highl... more"I highly doubt anyone is going to be willing to pay more or less for this device because the SOC has 'Pro' in it's name."

              You are overestimating the average intelligence of people. Lol.

                Just get the y700

                  • ?
                  • Anonymous
                  • LH6
                  • 17 Oct 2024

                  CargoJoe, 17 Oct 2024The minis have always used past generations chipset. Why th... moreWhile Mini 3 and 4 did use older chips, Mini 5 and 6 used the best phone chip that Apple had at the time (A12 - Xs was the newest, A15 - 13 Pro was the newest)

                    xPandamon, 17 Oct 2024It's about Apple giving you less than advertised. Of c... moreSo....are Apple advertising 5 gpu cores and providing 4 or something? says quite clearly on the website what is included as far as I can see 🤔

                    This new iPad is a minor refresh of the previous version in which you get a better SOC and twice the starting storage for the same money.

                    Look, I know whining about Apple is a popular pass time on this site, I'm just not seeing the major issue here. The presence or absence of 'pro' in the name on a single component is going to have no impact on the price, next to no discernible impact on the performance compared to other A17 pro based devices. And is in fact still a decent improvement over it's own direct predecessor, for the same money 🤷‍♂️

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                      • Anonymous
                      • wrc
                      • 17 Oct 2024

                      Anonymous, 17 Oct 2024this refresh rate thing is misunderstood. (60Hz is good for... moreHaving 60hz is like living in 2014, not 2024...

                        DaFink, 17 Oct 2024What has four green dollar signs got to do with it? I highl... moreIt's about Apple giving you less than advertised. Of course it's done to save money

                          Wow, so not even the real thing that already isn't the best choice for this? Unbelievable.

                            • g
                            • gG
                            • a3t
                            • 17 Oct 2024

                            Anonymous, 17 Oct 2024this refresh rate thing is misunderstood. (60Hz is good for... moreLTPO is only for less battery consumptions, if the content you are watching is 61-120 hz, the 60/120 hz adaptive one will use it’s 120hz and you wouldn’t notice anything different from LTPO.

                              Anonymous, 17 Oct 2024Apple is extremely greedy. You can't call it the A17 P... moreThat would only make sense if

                              1. Removing 'Pro' from the name of the SOC (one single component of the overall device) would have any impact on the final RRP.

                              2. It wasn't already the cheapest device to date featuring the A17 Pro.

                              I already said I would have named it the A17 myself, but for another reason, one which would have zero effect on the two above points. And of course Apple are greedy, they are a major publicly traded tech company. So that is just like saying rain is wet, but as I have said a million times on this site, Apple isn't any more greedy than their competition, they are just more successful at being greedy.

                                Anonymous, 17 Oct 2024this refresh rate thing is misunderstood. (60Hz is good for... more120 Hz is 120 Hz, not 60 Hz.
                                What is your claim again?

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                                  • Anonymous
                                  • 84G
                                  • 17 Oct 2024

                                  DaFink, 17 Oct 2024What has four green dollar signs got to do with it? I highl... moreApple is extremely greedy. You can't call it the A17 Pro if it doesn't function how the original A17 pro does. You should call it the A17.
                                  But oh. "Apple greed" won't let them.

                                    Anonymous, 17 Oct 2024this refresh rate thing is misunderstood. (60Hz is good for... moreas someone who's been using 144hz IPS your claims just doesn't sound stupid but literally doesn't make any sense

                                      Anonymous, 17 Oct 2024Because of 💲💲💲💲What has four green dollar signs got to do with it? I highly doubt anyone is going to be willing to pay more or less for this device because the SOC has 'Pro' in it's name.

                                      I would agree Apple maybe should have just labelled this as the A17, simply because it would have lined up better with the A18/A18 Pro series nomenclature. It wouldn't have affected the price though, and the differences between the A18 and it's pro counterpart go beyond the absence on 1 GPU core.

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                                        • Anonymous
                                        • wp2
                                        • 17 Oct 2024

                                        this refresh rate thing is misunderstood. (60Hz is good for any device)

                                        only LTPO with 1Hz to 120Hz is better.
                                        60/90/120 Hz adaptive is not. (it's basically 60Hz only)

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