iPad Mini (2024) was launched by Apple earlier this week, and the company's first update to its smallest iPad model in three years is equipped with its A17 Pro chip. While this is the same processor that powers the iPhone 15 Pro models that were launched in September 2023, it appears that Apple has equipped the iPad Mini (2024) with a 'binned' version of the chip that powered its previous generation flagship smartphone. However, this is unlikely to impact the new tablet's performance in day-to-day use.
Apple's iPad Mini (2024) Appears to Feature Binned A17 Pro Chip
According to Apple's technical specifications for its recently launched iPad Mini, the A17 Pro chip on the tablet is equipped with a 6-core CPU and a 5-core GPU. Meanwhile, the specifications for the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max reveal that the A17 Pro chip powering last year's flagship phones has a 6-core CPU and a 6-core GPU.
This indicates that Apple might have equipped the iPad Mini (2024) with a binned version of the A17 Pro processor. When a microprocessor or memory module is manufactured, some units offer better performance than others, and these are "binned" — or sorted — on the basis of their thermal output, processing capabilities, and other criteria.
The company has already discontinued the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max models, and the A17 Pro chip wasn't reused in the iPhone 16 lineup this year. This suggests that the company could have repurposed some of its A17 Pro chipsets that didn't make their way into the iPhone 15 Pro lineup, in the new iPad model.
The technical specifications for the iPad Mini (2024) reveal that the chip powering the tablet only has one less GPU core, which suggests a small gap in performance in comparison with the iPhone 15 Pro Max. We can expect to learn more about how the A17 Pro on the iPad Mini (2024) performs via benchmark scores in the coming days — the new iPad goes on sale starting October 23.
