The iPad mini had a brand new lease of life with the discharge of the sixth-gen pill in 2021, providing a considerable improve in contrast what got here earlier than it.
In addition to a boosted 8.3-inch show in the identical kind issue as its older sibling, the iPad mini 6 sports activities a refined design just like that of the iPad Air and iPad Professional, together with A15 Bionic efficiency and assist for the second-gen Apple Pencil.
It’s an important pill, however the upcoming seventh era will possible be a extra minor replace. Right here’s every part you could find out about its potential launch date, pricing and key specs.
When will the brand new iPad mini be launched?
Mark Gurman from Bloomberg, identified for dependable Apple insights, suggests in a Bloomberg article that new iPads will possible debut across the week of 6 Might. Nonetheless, this is applicable solely to the iPad Air and the iPad Professional.
Gurman says that Apple is engaged on a brand new iPad mini, however that it “gained’t be coming earlier than the tip of the yr on the earliest”. That open up the opportunity of it even being delayed till 2025. The identical tough launch window can be predicted for a brand new model of the common iPad.
For context, right here’s when the previous few generations have launched:
- iPad mini 6: September 2021
- iPad mini 5: March 2019
- iPad mini 4: September 2015
There’s no actual sample to the discharge schedule, so it may theoretically arrive at any time.
How a lot will the brand new iPad mini price?
The iPad mini was once one of many extra reasonably priced choices in Apple’s pill assortment, however that every one modified with the iPad mini 6. Right here’s how a lot it price at launch:
- iPad mini 6 (Wi-Fi, 64GB) – £479 / $499
- iPad mini 6 (Wi-Fi, 256GB) – £619 / $649
- iPad mini 6 (Wi-Fi + Mobile, 64GB) – £619 / $649
- iPad mini 6 (Wi-Fi + Mobile, 256GB) – £759 / $799
It’s unlikely Apple will cut back costs again down nearer to the iPad mini 5’s $399/£399 anytime quickly. However additional value rises are additionally unlikely, particularly if the upgrades are solely minor.
Nonetheless, we may even see costs within the UK lowered to match the US figures, as we’ve seen on another Apple merchandise – so $499/£499, slightly than $499/£569.
What specs and options will the brand new iPad mini have?
There are many leaks and rumours concerning what to anticipate from the iPad mini 7. We anticipate that the brand new iPad mini will characteristic a extra spectacular processor, alongside some small inside enhancements.
Design
With such a dramatic redesign on the sixth-generation iPad mini, it’s unlikely that Apple will implement any noticeable design adjustments on the next-gen pill – particularly when you think about that, entry-level iPad apart, all iPhones and iPads share the identical design language.
That’s to not say we wouldn’t wish to see any adjustments made to the small-screen pill. Whereas the 8.3-inch iPad mini 6 provides a tremendously improved design with slim bezels, a light-weight kind issue and the bounce to USB-C, there’s one huge omission: a wise connector.
The good connector is obtainable on the iPad Air and each variants of iPad Professional, providing a option to join Apple’s superior Magic Keyboard to show the iPad into one thing resembling a conventional laptop computer, however it’s not current on the iPad mini 6. That leaves the small-screen pill at a drawback in comparison with the almost-identical iPad Air.
So, whereas not confirmed, we’d like to see a wise connector (and accompanying Magic Keyboard) on the iPad mini 7.
The iPad mini is at the moment accessible in area gray, pink, purple, and starlight. It’s possible that it’s going to undertake a few of the colors launched with the iPad Air’s redesign in 2021, reminiscent of silver, rose gold, inexperienced, and sky blue.
With the daring color selections of the iPad tenth era, the iPad mini may even see a brand new palette. Nonetheless, the iPhone 15’s introduction of sunshine colors leaves uncertainty about Apple’s route for the iPad mini’s color choices.
Show
In accordance with a Korean discussion board submit (shared on Twitter by @FronTron), the iPad mini’s 8.3-inch show can be upgraded with 120Hz ProMotion assist.
We all know what you’re considering: that makes completely no sense if it’s a typical iPad mini and never an iPad mini Professional, and normally I’d agree. ProMotion is definitely a characteristic that Apple associates with Professional-level merchandise, making an look on the iPad Professional, iPhone 13 Professional and MacBook Professional, so introducing it on a non-pro iPad would muddy the waters.
Nonetheless, all of it comes down to at least one concern: jelly scrolling. Jelly scrolling was a scorching matter on the launch of the iPad mini 6, with some customers noting a tiny delay within the display’s refresh price when scrolling that created a wobbly impact not dissimilar to jelly.
Opposite to in style perception, that is regular behaviour for LCD screens. LCD panels refresh line by line, and there’s a tiny delay between when the strains on the prime and backside are refreshed.
It’s extra noticeable on the iPad mini 6 than most different small LCD shows, nevertheless, and whereas it hasn’t been formally acknowledged by Apple, it’s one thing that a variety of customers have observed – together with this author. It’s additionally one thing that’d be just about unnoticeable to the bare eye if the refresh price was cranked up from 60Hz to 120Hz.
Nonetheless, analyst Ross Younger prompt it wouldn’t occur again in June 2022:
We predict it’s additionally attainable that Apple may push an interim 90Hz show to the small-screen pill, however that’s solely hypothesis at this stage. And there most likely gained’t be any adjustments to the present 8.3-inch display dimension.
On a facet notice, Apple can be reportedly growing an iPad with a folding show, however it’s unlikely to be carried out on this mannequin.
Efficiency
It’s secure to imagine that the subsequent iPad mini can be extra highly effective than the present pill, however it’s at the moment unclear as to what chipset it’ll characteristic.
Mark Gurman at Bloomberg stated in April 2024 that “the iPad mini replace gained’t embrace far more than a processor improve”. Again in January 2022, Ming-Chi Kuo also claimed that the brand new processor can be “the primary promoting level” suggesting that little else will change on the next-gen pill.
On the time, Kuo didn’t specify the processor, however it’s now anticipated to characteristic the A16 chip, just like the one discovered within the iPhone 14 Professional and the iPhone 15 fashions. The hearsay comes through the identical Korean discussion board submit talked about above, which suggests Apple is engaged on an iPad mini with the identical A15 Bionic as the present iPad mini, however at an elevated 3.23GHz clock pace.
You see, whereas the iPad mini shares the identical A15 Bionic because the iPhone 13 sequence, it’s a slower clock pace – 2.9GHz vs 3.2GHz – and that ends in a slight lower in efficiency compared side-by-side.
The elevated clock pace of the brand new A15 Bionic may provide a lift in efficiency in comparison with the present iPad mini with out Apple having to fabricate extra of its (presumably extra advanced) next-gen chipset. That’ll allegedly be accompanied by the identical 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage as the present mannequin.
Nonetheless, it could be smart for Apple to improve it to no less than 8GB/128GB, contemplating difficult higher-quality cameras and software program. Equally, growing the utmost storage to 512GB could be logical, particularly if the baseline storage strikes as much as 128GB.
The unique submit mentions an iPad mini Professional, not the seventh-gen pill, so the above may apply to an interim Professional-focused iPad mini launched someday between now and the discharge of the iPad mini 7. It may be only a hearsay, so take this one with a hefty pinch of salt.
Elsewhere, we’re additionally hoping for enhancements to the cameras, battery life and charging speeds, however there aren’t any rumours concerning these thus far.
We’ll replace this text as soon as extra is revealed. Within the meantime, see our guides to the finest iPads and finest tablets.