Along with predictions surrounding the eventual release of a foldable iPhone in 2023, Ming-Chi Kuo also recently stated that Apple has plans to release a new iPad mini in the second half of 2021.
Though Apple revealed its new M1-powered iPad Pro last month, the tech giant didn’t show anything off related to a new iPad mini. As first reported by 9to5Mac, the tablet is expected to be a smaller version of the iPad Air (2020) with a 9-inch display. This would be a rather significant increase from the current iPad mini (2019)’s 7.9-inch size.
The research note doesn’t mention anything related to design, but the new iPad mini will likely feature squared-off edges and a fingerprint scanner built into its power button, similar to the iPad Air.
There’s a possibility Apple could have plans to reveal a new entry-level iPad alongside a refreshed iPad mini. The last update to the iPad mini was back in 2019, so the smaller tablet is definitely due for both a design and a processor refresh. The current iPad mini features an A12 Bionic processor and it’s likely that an updated version would include the A14 chip, the same silicon included in the iPad Air (2020).
Source: 9to5Mac