iPad Mini 7 Still Stuck at 20W Charging Speed — Is Apple Falling Behind Fast-Charging Rivals?

Sources confirm that the seventh-generation iPad mini features a capped charging speed, which stands at 20W, according to a Chinese regulatory filing.

The bad news: such a limitation doesn't look like an improvement over its predecessor, and one may wonder whether is it worth for Apple that the brand was able to offer the said charging speed, while others managed to speed up it.

iPad Mini 7 Charging Speed Confirmed

iPad Mini 7 Still Stuck at 20W Charging Speed

Taken from 91Mobiles' report on China Compulsory Certificate 3C certification, the listing of the iPad mini 7, along with its charging spec was confirmed to have the same charging speed.

According to the report, the new model has A2996, and its charging limitation is the same as that of the sixth generation model, which supports fast charging at 9VDC x 2.22A power output.

The Cupertino giant will retain the 20W USB-C charger but will also offer a 45W adapter, as stated in the report. It is important to note that the actual charging capacity the device can take is 20W, and it does not matter what the adapter looks like.

This effectively puts Apple's previous charging speeds and places this iPad mini far behind its competition with respect to its efficiency in charging. For example, an optional 67W fast charge on the OnePlus Pad 2 speaks to just how badly this iPad mini could fail when focusing on charging speed for users.

Apple's Charging Speed Methodology

The years saw iPad mini charge speeds increment up. While the sixth-generation iPad mini benefited in 2021 from the charging speed by having a USB-C port, the fifth generation had an 8W Lightning port. That all seemed rather promising at the time. However, with the seventh generation, Apple will not increase its charging speed past this 20W limit.

Oddly enough, that same trend applies to most of the other models in Apple's list, like capping the iPad Air at 20W and being able to claim the iPad Pro could hit a maximum rate of up to 30W, MacRumors reports.

It appears this conservative strategy means Apple prioritizes battery life over speedy charging. Rapid charging does produce heat, which eventually causes long-term damage to a battery. Caps to charging speeds can only seem to reach an optimization in battery lifespan as opposed to convenient charging right now.

iPads Mini Compare to the Strongest Competition

The charging speed for the iPad mini is not anything spectacular when comparing it to several of its biggest competitors, however. As an example, the OnePlus Pad 2 can turn from completely dead to a 100 percent charge on an overnight slate thanks to a 67W fast charging feature. If quick charging happens to be a requirement then one may consider that purchasing option.

This is unlikely to worry Apple's targets, however, as the iPad mini is primarily sold as a lightweight, portable device for general, rather than power-hungry applications. There is probably some balance that Apple wanted to strike between performance and durability; and besides, holding onto battery health after months of use does matter.

A Conservative Move by Apple

The charging speed on the seventh generation of iPad mini is retained at 20W as Apple prudently takes great care for maintaining the health and longevity of the batteries. Though the device still provides stable performance, it lags at the back in the fast-charging bandwagon, and most competing models provide much higher wattages.

For such a balance between speed and battery life, the iPad mini stands among the most dependable, though not the fastest charger around.