Apple leans on AI silicon as reviewers call its Mac refresh incremental, question iPad mini pricing

Apple's late-October hardware updates put on-device artificial intelligence at the center of devices that otherwise change little, as rising memory costs push prices higher. The new iPad mini, announced on October 26, and the M6-based iMac and entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro, announced on October 27, all pair new chips built for local AI workloads with the company's Siri AI assistant. Early coverage described the two Macs as modest chip upgrades and the iPad mini as a substantial redesign that now costs more.