Apple is rumored to hold an event later this month, and if rumors are to believed, it will be all about iPads, and likely the AirTags too. So far, Apple is yet to officially confirm any upcoming event this month, but multiple sources with a fairly solid track record insist that it is indeed happening. Now, we are expecting a new iPad Pro to make its debut alongside an updated iPad Mini. Until a few weeks ago, an iPad Mini seemed out of the picture, but a refresh is now heavily rumored to make its debut this month. Here’s everything we know about the sixth-gen iPad Mini:
A larger 8.5-inch display, apparently with thinner bezels this time.
Back in June last year, noted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted that an iPad Mini is in the pipeline and will be launched in the first half of 2021. Specifically, he mentioned that the new iPad Mini will come equipped with a larger 8.5-inch display, compared to the 7.9-inch panel on its predecessor. However, if you’re hoping for a high-refresh display similar to the iPad Pro, it would simply amount to day-dreaming considering the price bracket and target audience of the device.
We don’t know if the size of the device will also go up, but if Apple manages to keep the chassis size unchanged, we might see thinner bezels and a modern design. Finally! Apple has already updated iPad Air’s design too, so we can hope for some aesthetic refinements being done on the iPad Mini too.
A hole-punch time and Touch ID button floating in a sea of pixels?
As per an alleged CAD-based render of iPad Mini (Gen 6), the bezels will be significantly thinner, while the Touch ID button at the bottom will be surrounded by screen real estate. Additionally, the front camera will be housed inside a circular hole-punch at the top. Needless to say, this would be a radical design change for many reasons, and therefore, a tad unlikely too.
Then in November, we came across another leak supporting the 8.5-inch display theory for the upcoming iPad Mini. It even added that the device will feature a Liquid Retina display and will have a boxy design. More importantly, it will come equipped with a USB Type-C port instead of the Lightning connector. Camera hardware will reportedly be identical to that of the iPad Air 4, complete with Apple Pencil support.
Bionic A13 inside, a boxy design, and no fancy bells and whistles
Inside, the A14 Bionic will handle things inside, the same chip Apple has fitted inside the iPhone 12 family. However, some rumors claim that the sixth-gen iPad Mini will draw power from the A13 chip – with the decision to go with an older chip coming as a cost-cutting measure to keep the price low. However, we certainly hope the cameras get an upgrade, especially the poor 1.2MP selfie camera on the 2019 model.
Another report from Macotakara claims that the iPad Mini’s screen size is going from 7.9-inch, all the way to 8.4-inch this year, but without an increase in its dimensions. However, Apple is still sticking with Touch ID embedded in the home button, instead of going for a side-mounted design like the latest iPad Air. What we can say with certainty is that Face ID is out of the picture here.
Apple will likely stick with an LCD display on this one. No OLED or mini-LED for now!
The sixth-gen iPad Mini is not going to bring any new innovation or groundbreaking features, as that part is usually reserved for the iPad Pro line. Apple is heavily rumored to employ mini-LED panels for its upcoming products, with some reports claiming that an OLED iPad might arrive next year. But for the upcoming iPad Mini, Apple will most likely stick with an LCD panel to keep the cost in check.
No information has surfaced online regarding the iPad Mini 6’s asking price. But given the target audience, Apple will likely price it below the $500 mark to keep the charm of a ‘smaller and more accessible’ iPad intact. We’ll know more in the upcoming weeks!
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