iPad mini 7 2024 launch date, worth, specs, rumors

It’s been a very long time since Apple up to date the iPad mini. Apple’s smallest iPad was given a considerable facelift on the finish of 2021. The Sixth-generation iPad mini sports activities a whole redesign with a much bigger show, Contact ID on the facility button, USB C as an alternative of Lightning, and an upgraded entrance digital camera. This represented the primary main change to the design for the reason that iPad mini was first launched again in 2012.

Almost three years after the final iPad mini replace our consideration has turned to what’s coming subsequent. With no new iPad mini in 2022 (regardless of it being its Tenth anniversary) and no new iPad mini in 2023, absolutely 2024 will carry some huge updates for the littlest iPad.

With the iPad Air M2 and iPad Professional M4 launching in two sizes: 11-inch and 14-inch earlier in 2024, may we we see the iPad mini take up the function of the smaller iPad with an identical specs to that gadget? And with the appearance of AI and Apple Intelligence, which requires an appropriate chip, are we about to see a giant leap to a brand new processor?

Learn on to seek out out what could possibly be coming to the iPad mini in 2024.

iPad mini 7 launch date: Is a brand new iPad mini popping out in 2024?

• Attainable launch: October 2024

It’s been nearly three years for the reason that Sixth era iPad mini launched in September 2021, making it the oldest iPad within the lineup at the moment and lengthy overdue for an replace. The excellent news is that this replace may arrive quickly, with inventory dwindling throughout Apple’s shops. It’s potential that Apple will replace the iPad mini in October, though it’s not but identified if there will likely be an October Apple occasion in 2024.

Nevertheless, it’s not unprecedented for the iPad mini to have a protracted interval of neglect. After the launch of the iPad mini 4 September 2015, there was a delay of round 42 months (nearly three and a half years) till it was up to date once more in March 2019. On the time of writing, it’s solely been 35 months for the reason that iPad mini Sixth-gen went on sale.

Right here’s how lengthy the present iPads have been on sale:

• iPad mini (Sixth gen) on sale since September 24, 2021
• iPad (Tenth gen) on sale since October 26, 2022
• iPad Air M2 out there Might 2024
• iPad Professional M4 out there Might 2024

If now we have to attend 42 months, as with the 4th era, then we would not see the iPad mini refreshed till February 2025.

Hopefully, it received’t be that lengthy. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman stated in a September report that the iPad mini is “on deck” for an October launch. This confirms what Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo recommended again in November 2023. He anticipated the Seventh-gen iPad mini to reach in the second half of 2024.

iPad mini 7 worth: How a lot will the brand new iPad mini price?

It’s unlikely that the worth of the brand new iPad mini will change in comparison with the Sixth era.

The Sixth-gen iPad mini has had a couple of worth adjustments outdoors the U.S. since its launch in 2021. When it launched the U.Okay. worth was £479, then there was an increase to £569 a couple of months after launch. However the excellent news is that the worth dropped again to £499 in Might 2024. There was no adjustment for the iPad mini worth within the U.S.

When the Seventh-generation mannequin launches we anticipate that the worth will stay at $499/£499.

• iPad mini Sixth era: $499/£499 (as of Might 2024)
• iPad mini fifth era: $399/£379

iPad mini design: What is going to the brand new iPad mini seem like?

We anticipate that the iPad mini 7 design will likely be largely the identical because the Sixth-gen mannequin.

One of the crucial apparent adjustments to the iPad mini Sixth era was the brand new palette of colours that Apple made out there, together with area grey, pink, purple, and starlight. The colours might get a refresh with the brand new era, maybe following within the footsteps of the iPhone 16 and Tenth-gen iPad with a bolder and darker shade scheme.

Actually, the brand new iPad mini for 2024 may look much more like the usual iPad if Apple chooses to unify each fashions as a giant and small model because it has with the 11-inch and 14-inch iPad Air and iPad Professional fashions.

We aren’t anticipating the scale of the iPad mini to alter this time spherical: In 2021 the display dimension jumped from 7.9-inches to eight.3-inches.

iPad mini 7 specs: What new options will the iPad mini have?

There’s an expectation the brand new iPad mini will function a extra spectacular processor than it does at the moment. Certainly, the iPad mini will want an appropriate processor whether it is to have the ability to reap the benefits of Apple’s new Apple Intelligence AI-powered options. Certainly, it will be unusual if Apple launched a brand new product unable to reap the benefits of these new options.

With that in thoughts, right here’s what we anticipate:

A17 processor

The iPad mini 6 affords the A15 Bionic chip as discovered within the iPhone 13, mini, Professional and Max, nevertheless, this chip is down-clocked in comparison with the one contained in the iPhone 13 collection. Right here’s how that chip compares to the remainder of the vary and what’s anticipated for the subsequent era.

• iPad Professional: M4.
• iPad Air: M2.
• iPad mini (Sixth gen): A15, as present in iPhone 13 collection. The subsequent era is anticipated to get A16, as discovered within the iPhone 14 Professional and iPhone 15.
• iPad (Tenth gen): A14, as present in iPhone 12 collection. The subsequent era is anticipated to get A16, as discovered within the iPhone 14 Professional and iPhone 15.

Kuo reported in December that the iPad mini’s “foremost promoting level” can be the brand new processor. He didn’t specify which processor, however on the time it was thought that it will be A16 chip discovered within the iPhone 14 Professional and Max and the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus. Nevertheless, we now know that the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus should not in a position to reap the benefits of Apple Intelligence, so it appears extra doubtless that Apple would leap to the A17 Professional that was featured within the iPhone 15 Professional and Max once they launched in 2023.

You might be trying on the iPad Air and questioning if the iPad mini would possibly get an M1 chip like that beforehand discovered within the iPad Air. Maybe it’s one thing Apple would possibly take into account down the road, however the rumors across the launch of the iPad Air indicated that Apple’s motive for utilizing the M1 was the diminished of availability of the A16 on the time, as per this tweet from Mark Gurman.

Extra RAM

It’s additionally potential that Apple will double the RAM within the iPad mini from 4GB to 8GB so it may possibly assist Apple Intelligence when it arrives in iOS 18.1.

Elevated storage

On the present iPad mini Sixth era, the bottom mannequin begins off with a somewhat paltry 64GB of storage. For a tool like an iPad, the place you may retailer films, TV reveals, books, comics, magazines, video games, and a variety of apps, that quantity can typically change into an issue, particularly if you wish to take your iPad away on vacation or use it to your commute without having to handle the storage.

Though Apple has one thing of a historical past of giving base fashions low storage capacities, we expect it will be a clever transfer to improve the entry-level iPad mini Seventh era to a minimum of 128GB. File sizes are rising on a regular basis, attributable to higher-quality cameras and software program, so doubling the prevailing 64GB can be a really consumer-friendly answer.

Alongside these traces, there’s additionally the likelihood that the higher restrict of the storage could possibly be elevated. On the time of writing, probably the most storage out there on the iPad mini Sixth era is 256GB. Transferring as much as 512GB can be the logical step, particularly if the baseline storage strikes to 128GB.

iPad mini 7 show: Will the iPad mini get a brand new display?

IDG

IDG

IDG

It’s unlikely that the design will change, however the brand new iPad mini is anticipated to incorporate a brand new show controller designed to mitigate an issue described as a “jelly scrolling difficulty” that reportedly makes content material look laggy.

There have been stories for some time that Apple will transfer the show know-how to OLED however this appears prefer it received’t occur till a minimum of subsequent 12 months. Apple is alleged to be speaking to LG, Samsung, and different firms concerning energetic matrix OLEDs (AMOLEDs). However, in line with market analysis firm Omdia: “Apple is constantly discussing the opportunity of extensively adopting OLED know-how for the iPad mini and iPad Air lineup as the subsequent section of its technique from 2026 onward.”

Display screen dimension

The iPad mini display was 7.9-inches up till the present iPad mini Sixth era launched in 2021. The iPad mini Sixth era display is 8.3-inch due to the removing of the House button.

A report from ET Information in November 2023 recommended that an iPad mini with a bigger 8.7-inch OLED show is within the works. Nevertheless, this variation won’t occur with the Seventh era because the iPad mini with OLED display isn’t anticipated till 2026.

ProMotion display

The display within the Seventh gen mannequin isn’t anticipated to develop from the present 8.3-inch, however there could also be new display know-how. A publish on a South Korean discussion board again in November 2021 indicated Apple had ordered 8.3-inch shows from Samsung that assist 120Hz most refresh charges. If true, the publish on Clien (translated right here) may imply the subsequent mini affords the ProMotion ultra-smooth scrolling function at the moment seen on the iPad Professional, iPhone 13 Professional fashions, and 14- & 16-inch MacBook Professional. This might handle the minor difficulty of “jelly scrolling” that some customers have complained about with the present iPad mini.

Nevertheless, it’s not trying like this specific rumor is correct. Analyst Ross Younger, CEO of Show Provide Chain Consultants, doesn’t consider that Apple will likely be giving the iPad mini a ProMotion show but. He signifies that doing so would require important {hardware} adjustments. This is able to require a “complete new stage of engineering,” in line with Younger.

We stay skeptical of a ProMotion improve because it’s one of many foremost differentiators between the usual and Professional gadgets Apple sells.

Folding show

Apple is alleged to have been engaged on an iPad with a folding show, but it surely’s unlikely to return to this mannequin. In December 2022, Ming-Chi Kuo stated that stories of a folding iPad mini in growth have been incorrect “as a result of a foldable iPad may have a markedly greater worth than an iPad mini, so such a substitute just isn’t cheap.”

We’ll replace this text as extra particulars change into out there, however till then, make sure you learn our iPad shopping for information to see which fashions we’d advocate if you wish to purchase one among Apple’s tablets at this time. And verify our roundup of the finest iPad mini offers for the most recent bargains on the present vary.