The iPad mini 6 is one of the most anticipated Apple devices of this year. While the iPad Pro was already announced, speculations continue to swirl around other iPad devices, but more so about the iPad Air and the iPad mini.
Back in March, supply chain exfiltrator extraordinaire Kuo Ming-Chi, revealed that the tech giant was planning to upgrade the 7.9-inch iPad mini with a mini LED display in 2020. Mini LED is a technology that replaces the traditional LCD with pixel-level backlights for better local dimming.
Then, this month, Kuo added that Apple would also release a new 10.8-inch iPad by the end of the year and an 8.5/9-inch iPad in the first half of 2021. The first one is presumed to be a new iPad Air, and the second is believed to be a new iPad mini, either with a bigger display or smaller bezels.
How Would the Next iPad Pro and Mini Look?
It might seem like the gap the first iPad mini filled so well has tightened over the years. Apple could again do what he did with the 12.9-inch iPad Pro and Thanos-snap off part of the bezels, keeping the same display size but making the overall casing size smaller. The exact same thing suggests Kuo’s reports from March.
Obviously, the iPad mini is different. Compared to iPhones, which are slightly wider than 2 by 1, the iPad has an aspect ratio of 4 by 3, which means the pages of books fit better in the screen, side-by-side apps are doing great in portrait mode, and the keyboard doesn’t wipe out the screen in landscape mode.
Rather than these methods, Apple could do what they did with the 11-inch iPad Pro: still Thanos-snap half the bezels, but keep the same casing size and increase the screen dimensions. That matches up with Kuo’s May reports, even if that actually makes the iPad mini not that mini anymore.
There’s no information whether or not the iPad mini will actually receive the new iPad Pro design system. Apple can decrease the bezels either way, but keeping Touch ID rather than featuring Face ID restricts the amount of vertical bezel that can be removed. However, if the company decides to mount a side button or under-display Touch ID, things would be different.
iPad Mini 6’s Future
That said, we should also admit that it is also possible a ‘super cheap’ (aka expensive) small iPad mini and a Pro could head to the market, but it simply isn’t there. And rather, the iPad mini should stay where it is now – right in the middle. It would be great to slowly get some features that come down from the Pro series, if and when it’s necessary, but always staying a few steps behind.
Mini LED, and a larger screen doesn’t seem to be packed on an entry-level device, even a mid-range product. However, 8-inch is below the current 10-inch minimum for the Smart Keyboard and 11-inch minimum for a Magic Keyboard, so we’ll probably get something premium but not Pro.
If you’re wondering whether to upgrade to iPad mini 6 when it launches or buy another Apple device, check out this comparison article.
