Apple has introduced an update to the iPad mini, focusing on artificial intelligence features. The new tablet has 8 GB of RAM and an A17 Pro processor, which should provide the necessary power to support Apple Intelligence. However, the functionality of the platform will be somewhat limited initially.
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As Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports, Apple’s Intelligence platform won’t be available until five days after the iPad mini goes on sale on October 23. Buyers will have to install the update themselves, which may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but given how easy it is to install updates to Apple’s operating systems these days, it’s unlikely to be a major problem.
The main difficulty, according to Gurman, is that not all artificial intelligence functions will work at the start. Apple highlights four key items in its marketing materials, but three of them won’t be available until December, and some won’t be available until March. At first, users will only be able to create notification summaries, which, while useful, may be underwhelming compared to offerings from competitors like Google, OpenAI, and Meta✴.
Research within Apple itself shows that its AI technologies still lag behind market leaders. According to sources, OpenAI’s ChatGPT is 25% more accurate than Siri and can produce 30% more answers. Some at the company believe their current generative AI technologies are two years behind competitors—at least for now.
However, “Apple has a good chance of catching up with its reputation, resources and experience of emerging as a leader, even if it starts out behind,” Gurman said. At the same time, Apple’s strength remains its ability to introduce new features into a huge base of devices. For example, all new iPad minis are already equipped with the necessary technology to work with Apple Intelligence. In the near future, the same will be seen on new Macs with M4 processors. And by 2026, almost all Apple devices will support this platform, including the iPhone SE and basic iPad models.
Despite this, Apple has not yet shown serious breakthroughs in the field of artificial intelligence, and today this option is not a key argument in favor of purchasing new devices from the company. The main focus of the latest iPhone’s promotion is camera improvements, and will likely be the main factor determining sales success this year. At the same time, investors remain confident in the company’s potential, reflected in Apple’s record market value of $3.6 trillion, driven in part by the AI hype.