iPad mini 5G will take design cues from the iPad Pro: scoop
New information has come out on the iPad mini 2021. As the name implies, the mini models are targeted at people looking for a powerful small slate. They are updated infrequently - the current model was introduced in 2019, and the one before it was released in 2015.
The slate has been referred to as the "iPad Mini Pro," and it's not entirely clear if it's the same as the sixth-generation iPad mini expected this year.
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo recently indicated that a new iPad mini will be released in the latter half of the year. He had previously said that it would have a 9-inch display and could look like a smaller variant of the iPad Air with slimmer bezels and a side button-integrated Touch ID. Another source had said that the new iPad mini would sport an 8.4-inches screen. Sources are conflicted about the fate of the Home button.
The render pictured above envisions a pinhole camera and in-screen Touch ID, but that's unlikely to happen. Alleged picture of a dummy unit had implied that the iPad mini 2021 would retain its predecessor's design, but that also doesn't align with leaks.
Given that the iPad Pro now boast the M1 processor, it's likely that the iPad mini 6 will skip the A13 chip for the A14 Bionic, which also powers the fourth-generation iPad Air. It's expected to cost about the same as the current model, which had a starting price of $399 at launch. We may see it this fall alongside the ninth-generation iPad.
Next iPad mini could be a smaller version of the iPad Pro
Sketchy iPad mini 6 renders
The model will have thinner bezels like the new iPad Pro, per leaker @hwangmh01, who got the scoop from South Korean blog Naver. The site claims that the new device will be 5G-ready and it will come in at least two colors - silver and gray. The report says it will arrive in the second half of 2021.
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo recently indicated that a new iPad mini will be released in the latter half of the year. He had previously said that it would have a 9-inch display and could look like a smaller variant of the iPad Air with slimmer bezels and a side button-integrated Touch ID. Another source had said that the new iPad mini would sport an 8.4-inches screen. Sources are conflicted about the fate of the Home button.
The fifth-generation model features a 7.9-inches display and thick borders. It is underpinned by the A12 Bionic processor.
The render pictured above envisions a pinhole camera and in-screen Touch ID, but that's unlikely to happen. Alleged picture of a dummy unit had implied that the iPad mini 2021 would retain its predecessor's design, but that also doesn't align with leaks.
Alleged iPad mini 6 dummy unit (far right)
Given that the iPad Pro now boast the M1 processor, it's likely that the iPad mini 6 will skip the A13 chip for the A14 Bionic, which also powers the fourth-generation iPad Air. It's expected to cost about the same as the current model, which had a starting price of $399 at launch. We may see it this fall alongside the ninth-generation iPad.
If the lineup has you confused, here is a handy iPad buying guide to help you choose the one that fits your needs.
Things that are NOT allowed: