The current iPad Mini is really long in the tooth. Three years is an eternity in Gadget Land, and yet that's how long the 6th Generation iPad Mini has been on sale.
There were rumours the new model would be announced during the 'Let Loose' event on 7th May, but that was just for the OLED iPad Pro and new iPad Air. There were also (briefly) suggestions that it could launch during Apple's September event, but that was dedicated to the new iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Pro, AirPods 4 and Apple Watches.
Unfortunately, then, the wait for the new iPad Mini continues, but we do at least know a bit about it, including that it will have more power, more RAM and perhaps a larger screen, too.
iPad Mini 7: release date rumours
Apple's 'Let Loose' event took place on 7th May, and while the focus was solely on iPads, the new Mini did not make an appearance. The event focussed on the new iPad Pro (the first with an OLED screen) and a new version of the iPad Air.
The 'It's Glowtime' event followed on 9th September, but no iPads featured here, despite it being briefly rumoured that the new iPad Mini would be announced.
The latest rumours suggest that Apple will hold yet another event this October, and that the new iPad Mini will finally see the light of day then – along with new iMacs, MacBooks and a Mac Mini.
iPad Mini 7: price hearsay
There's very little word on price for the iPad Mini 7 yet. That's not surprising, given that the price is usually one of the last things to be decided about a new device.
One source posting on South Korean social network Clien (via TechRadar) reckons the new Mini will cost a little more than the iPad Mini 6. That wouldn't be surprising, given that that that model is three years old now, and prices are bound to rise.
The Mini 6 costs £479 / $499 / AU$749, so we could see the Mini 7 costing around £499 / $519 / AU$799. But nothing is set in stone.
iPad Mini 7: possible specs
Improvements are a given, but just what improvements will be made is less clear.
According to the same Clien source mentioned earlier, the iPad Mini 7 will have the same A15 Bionic chipset as the current model, but with a slightly higher clock speed. But another source (via 9to5Mac) says we can expect a new chipset – something also mentioned by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, and noted Apple watcher Ming-Chi Kuo, which definitely lends it credence. Either way, the tablet should deliver slightly nippier performance.
Other rumoured new specs give the tablet 4GB of RAM, and an entry-level capacity of 128GB, up from 64GB on the iPad Mini 6. That would make sense – people need more storage than ever, and 128GB would match the iPhone 15's lowest available capacity.
The iPad Mini 6 suffers from an issue known as 'jelly scrolling' – where the screen 'tears' during scrolling in portrait orientation, making text and images look fragmented due to varying refresh rates. According to one source (via MacRumors), this should be much less noticeable (or hopefully eliminated altogether) on the iPad Mini 7 thanks to the way the screen is assembled. But then the same source claimed the iPad Mini 7 would launch in October 2023 alongside the iPad Air 6, so we'll take this one with a pinch of salt.
Could the iPad Mini 7 get bigger? South Korean site ET News (via 9to5Mac) reported that it's not just the iPad Pro that will be getting an OLED screen, but multiple models of iPad, including the iPad Mini. It claims the Mini's screen will grow from its current 8.3 inches to 8.7. If Apple finds a way to slim down the bezel even more, it could possibly maintain the current device's footprint. However, this device isn't said to be launching until 2026, so is most likely the iPad Mini 8.
iPad Mini 7: early verdict
There has not been word on when the next generation of iPad Mini will arrive, so we eagerly anticipate any news. The Mini has always been reviewed well, and while its smaller screen makes it less stunning as a portable cinema than its larger siblings, it's still a very good device for its size. Here's hoping the next model can bring some meaningful upgrades.
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