Of all the iPads in the Apple range, the iPad mini has not been updated the longest. The iPad mini 5 appeared in the spring of 2019. Since then, it has been quiet around the smallest iPad. Time for something new! A new iPad mini 6 may be released this year. What are the iPad mini 2021 expectations at the moment?
A bigger screen
The iPad mini is Apple’s most compact iPad. Since the first edition, it has a 7.9-inch screen. But that is now changing. The iPad mini is rumored to have an 8.3-inch screen – although there are also rumors of 9 inches. Whatever it becomes, the mini will remain a small iPad anyway. That’s because the edges around the screen become narrower. The housing therefore remains about the same, only you have a much more screen in proportion.
There are rumors that the iPad mini will have a mini LED screen. However, there are also doubts about this. Until now, only the iPad Pro 2021 has such a Liquid Retina XDR Display – and then only the large Pro, the small has to do without. So it would be a remarkable move if it comes to the iPad mini.
iPad mini 2021 design
The current iPad mini looks a bit dated. But the future iPad mini will have a much more modern look. The screen gets rounded corners, the edges around it become a lot narrower – not least because the home button is no longer available. The sides become flatter and more robust, as can be clearly seen in the iPad mini mold above. In short: the iPad mini will soon resemble the smaller brother of the iPad Air 2020 or iPad Pro.
No Face ID
The iPad mini’s home button disappears. Does that mean the iPad mini 6 will get Face ID, just like the iPhones without a home button? Probably not. We think the iPad mini will get Touch ID. Just like with the iPad Air 2020, the fingerprint scanner is then processed in the sleep button on top of the iPad.
Connections and Connectivity
The iPad mini is expected to get a USB-c connector instead of a Lightning port. That makes the iPad mini better suited for connecting external accessories. The iPad Air and iPad Pro predated the iPad mini. The iPad mini would also get a Smart Connector, with which you can connect certain Apple accessories such as a Magic Keyboard. And you may be able to magnetically snap a second-generation Apple Pencil to the side of the mini.
The iPad mini will, as always, be available in two versions: one with Wi-Fi only, and one with Wi-Fi plus mobile internet. If you choose the latter, you can use the super-fast 5G network. Speaking of speed: the mini may get the A14 chip that is also in the iPhone 12.
iPad mini 2021 release
We expect the iPad mini 2021 to be released this fall. It may already be announced at the iPhone 13 event in September. And if not, he will undoubtedly follow at another event this fall.