The iPad mini may be getting a refreshed design that will make it look more like an iPad Air, according to a new leak. Apple hasn't updated its littlest tablet since 2019, so it would not be surprising for a new version to be released later this year. There have also been rumors of a pro version of the iPad mini coming in the future. With Apple pushing most of its products to a new level of performance, this all seems to suggest the new iPad mini will be the most exciting small tablet Apple's ever made.
The first iPad mini launched in 2012, Apple's response to the growing number of low-cost, 7-inch Android tablets. The iPad mini came with an A5 processor that was one generation behind the current 10-inch iPad and had an 8-inch display. Priced about 50-percent higher than Android tablets, Apple continued its early reputation as being the more expensive option, even with its least expensive iPad. Over the years, Apple expanded its tablet range to include several sizes and models, becoming competitive on price, while leading the industry on performance and offering the most tablet-specific apps in its App Store.
Now, according to Jon Prosser of Front Page Tech, the next iPad mini is in the works — and it sounds very interesting. The new design doesn't sound like anything revolutionary but may finally bring Apple's smallest tablet up to date with the more modern look revealed with last year's iPad Air 4. Apple's mid-range tablet challenged the iPad Pro lineup with a powerful A14 processor and matched its flat-edged design. With a USB-C port as well as compatibility with the Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil 2, the 2020 model really blurred the line between the Air and Pro models of the iPad. What Prosser described sounds like a smaller version of the iPad Air, which, if real, Apple might decide to designate as an iPad mini Pro, as a rumor from yeux1122's blog claimed in March.
2021 iPad mini Specs & Pricing
Some specifications were leaked in the Front Page Tech report, suggesting the rumored 2021 iPad mini may not have a home button and bezels might be thinner. If the new tablet keeps the same outer dimensions, as Apple often does, the changes would allow more room for a larger display. A quick check of the current iPad mini 5 indicates the diagonal screen measurement could be as large as 8.7-inches, a nice increase from the current 7.9-inches. If Apple actually does release an iPad mini Pro, it could even contain an M1 chip, though an A14 is more likely due to thermal limitations. LiDAR which is standard on iPad Pro models would fit in an iPad mini however and would make for a much more portable scanning solution.
Prosser says the new iPad mini will opt for Touch ID in the sleep button rather than Face ID, and an A14 processor, both of which align with the mid-range iPad Air rather than most expensive tablets. Front Page Tech also revealed a supposedly new Apple Pencil that is sized to fit better on an iPad mini. This was called into question in the post, suggesting it may simply be an Apple Pencil 3 which may not be compatible with the new iPad mini. So it isn't entirely clear how Apple would position this new small tablet. Based on the most recent report, rather than an iPad mini Pro, this may simply be called the iPad mini 6, continuing the practice of updating it with last year's technology, with the twist that it may borrow from the iPad Air rather than the budget iPad model. As such, there might be a small price increase to account for the higher performance and more expensive Touch ID.
Source: Front Page Tech, yeux1122's blog