In fact, this year’s iPad Air and iPad mini releases feature an almost entirely parallel set of upgrades from their predecessors. In addition to the new chips and Apple Pencil Pro support, here are a few of the smaller things that have changed in the new iPad mini (and the M2 iPad Air).

The timing of the new release has taken many by surprise. Apple’s smallest iPad has a faster processor, more storage and support for Apple Intelligence.

Apple quietly released an updated version of the pilot-favorite iPad Mini this week. If you’re like us, you ran down the spec sheet looking for a killer feature that might lead you to upgrade but likely came up empty. It has been over three years since Apple last updated the iPad Mini, leading many to expect more significant changes.