Apple plans to release new iPad Mini next year, analyst says

The sixth-generation iPad Mini has been Apple's top choice for compact Apple tablet since its debut in 2021, but it could be updated sometime next year.

TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that Apple plans to release the successor to the sixth-generation iPad Mini in late 2023 or early 2024. The latest iPad Mini was redesigned when it debuted in 2021, with squared-off edges and a rounded display like the rest of the iPad line. It's a huge improvement over the fifth-generation iPad Mini, but leaves some users wanting more in a few key areas. The display isn't on par with the high-end iPad, and the processor lags behind. With a fairly high starting price of $499, it's easy to see why some people are ditching the sixth-generation iPad Mini in favor of other options.

Kuo, well versed in the tech industry's supply chain and often predicting product launches before they happen, shared his thoughts in a Dec. 27 Twitter post. "I think it is unlikely that Apple will use the foldable iPad in 2025," Kuo said, "which may be contrary to some media's previous predictions." The analyst cited the foldable iPad's expected price point as a potential replacement for it. s reason. The iPad Mini is about the same It's the same size as the Galaxy Z Fold 4's inner screen, but at a quarter the cost of the Z Fold 4.

Instead Of A Foldable iPad, Apple's Coming With An iPad Mini 7

While Apple doesn't see the foldable iPad as a viable replacement for the iPad Mini, that doesn't mean the sixth-generation iPad Mini is here to stay. "Apple is currently developing a new version of the iPad Mini with the new processor as the main selling point," Kuo added. Analysts expect mass shipments of the seventh-generation iPad Mini to begin in late 2023 or the first half of 2024.

This timeline will coincide with Apple's release schedule for recently refreshed iPad models, which typically debut in October. This year, the company unveiled the redesigned 10th-generation iPad and the M2-equipped iPad Pro on October 18. According to Kuo's prediction, the seventh-generation iPad Mini may be released in October 2023.

The new processor would be a welcome addition to the iPad Mini, but that may not appease users if that's the only updated part of the tablet. Buyers have been asking for an iPad that combines the high-end features of the iPad Pro with the small form factor of the iPad Mini. to find out whether Products will never materialize, and users will have to wait about a year for the expected release of the seventh-generation iPad Mini to see if there will be a so-called "iPad Mini Pro."

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