I think the Mini will be refreshed but Apple's waiting for the A18 to be 'out' to put in it. It'll probably be whatever the iPhone 16/16 Plus get with maybe the extra GPU grunt, similar to how the current Mini has a hybrid of the two A15 variants.
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Apple Reportedly Developing OLED iPad Mini for 2026
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I think the Mini will be refreshed but Apple's waiting for the A18 to be 'out' to put in it. It'll probably be whatever the iPhone 16/16 Plus get with maybe the extra GPU grunt, similar to how the current Mini has a hybrid of the two A15 variants.
Haha, yeah. I was being a little sarcastic... both about the Micro LED delay and the glacial page the cheaper iPads get any upgrades.
So in other words, you're just saying it's gonna get a binned A18 SoC. I agree, but if binned A18, that would be 2024-2025 without OLED.
It’s already outdated by now. Every tablet vendor already comes with oled and 120 hz refresh rate. Snapdragon x entire is their first iteration of Qualcomm and it already gives the M4 a hard time. I’m not surprised if their next generation will smoke the m4 or m5 on all fronts. Apple isn’t as nimble and eager for innovation as it used to be.
How many tablets are you aware of that require a fan? The snapdragon x is entirely irrelevant when talking tablets.
Well, I wasn’t either but since both os-es are looking more and more like each other, the pricey walled garden of Apple is more feeling like a prison than it’s offering benefits to me. I’m living in Europe and most of apples services are half baked over here compared to the US. Most smart home devices won’t work with HomeKit. If they do, they’re mostly 2x the price.
….. and I wonder how many of these folks would be willing to pay $250 for a Barbie-sized keyboard that you can only type on with two fingers.
That's my point, there will be a Mini 7 with LCD this year, and then a Mini 8 with OLED a few years down the road. The person I was replying to was worried there wouldn't be any new Mini until 2026.
Ipad OS is really getting dated. You’re right, I hate fans in a tablet and will never buy one that will come with it. What I do miss on the other hand is some sort of MacBook with detachable display that you could use as a tablet. Convergence between Mac OS and iPad OS.
I don't think that's ever going to happen to be honest. Even former Microsoft execs think the idea is a usability nightmare.
I do think we're going to see some sort of "other way" that enhances sidecar/handoff and/or the virtual screen aspects of VisionOS that get baked into the ecosystem more.
10th of June will be judgement day for me. If iPad OS is still the crippled OS it is today, I’ll will go android. Can’t use iPad OS for real productivity anyway so why spend so much on a device what only excels at media consumption. I’ll will go to the other side for that. Benefiting from 120hz oled displays and more than half the price.
Does that mean we will have 3 iPad Airs in a few years? The 8" (some will still call it mini), the 11" and the 13". The Pro will also come in 3 sizes. 11", 13" and 15". All of them with OLED. I still don’t know if they can put a Mx in the 8“ iPad Air.
The iPad will be gone. The cheapest iPad will be the 11" iPad Air from the previous generation.
What do you think of this?
The iPad will be gone. The cheapest iPad will be the 11" iPad Air from the previous generation.
What do you think of this?
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I’ve never had a problem with PWM on any of my iPhones but I had to return my recent M4 iPad Pro because I had so much eye strain just looking at the screen for more than fifteen minutes. I’ve never experienced this with any screen and I have been staring at screens for 30+ years. It’s a shame because other than that, I really liked it. I wonder if I am not going to be able to use iPads in the future because of this move to OLED for all screens. My M2 iPad with its MiniLED screen is a pleasure to look at and there is very little difference between the M2 and the M4 but apparently that’s not the tech that Apple intends to use.
I’m a big advocate of getting the tools you need. I’ve heard the Samsung Tabs are the best of the best tablets in Android world so maybe look into one of those.
Personally I’m very happy with my iPad mini 5 as my side device. When I really need to digest documentation I pull it up on there because I can’t focus the same way on my external monitors when it comes to deep reading (meaning not just skimming).
Most of my time is on my Thinkpad X13 gen 2. I’m not in love with windows, but my role as a sysadmin means I’m solving technological puzzles every day for our end users so it is fun to work “behind the scenes” in administering it.
Edit: Didn’t mean to go off topic, I legitimately thought I was in the Windows 11 thread 😅
I agree with research firm Omdia. We probably won't get a new iPad Mini until 2027, after they release the spec bumped Mini 7 later this year.
The gap between the Mini 5 and 6 was 2.5 years. If a new Mini releases this fall, it will have been a 3 year gap. I would not anticipate the gap narrowing to 1.5 years between the Mini 7 and 8.
I would anticipate another staggered release plan, where the Air gets refreshed in the first half of 2026 and the Mini gets refreshed in the first half of 2027. A 1 year gap between the Air and Mini, like they did with the Air 4 and Mini 6.
Thank you for your time.
The gap between the Mini 5 and 6 was 2.5 years. If a new Mini releases this fall, it will have been a 3 year gap. I would not anticipate the gap narrowing to 1.5 years between the Mini 7 and 8.
I would anticipate another staggered release plan, where the Air gets refreshed in the first half of 2026 and the Mini gets refreshed in the first half of 2027. A 1 year gap between the Air and Mini, like they did with the Air 4 and Mini 6.
Thank you for your time.
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
IMO: Mini is the BEST of the iPads (but only one person's opinion of course). Glad to see this train keep chugging on down the track.
This looks great for the 7. A bit of magic about iPad Mini is that there are these fairly long gaps between generations... which means the use life tends to be very long... unlike- say- much more expensive iPhone. One can buy a Mini and it is probably going to be "latest & greatest" for upwards of 3 or 4 years and then be only one generation behind for another 3 or 4 years after that. If you want lasting value for your money, iPad Mini delivers!
Personally, I'm perfectly happy with my 6 and suspect my next iPad Mini is gen 9 or 10 out in 2029-32 or so... unless Apple decides to make a PRO variant, taking the things unique to the iPhone PRO MAX and putting them in an iPad Mini PRO. I'd jump on THAT one first day... even at iPhone PRO MAX pricing. Else, I'll hang with 6 until the wheels fall off and keep the money in my pocket.
This looks great for the 7. A bit of magic about iPad Mini is that there are these fairly long gaps between generations... which means the use life tends to be very long... unlike- say- much more expensive iPhone. One can buy a Mini and it is probably going to be "latest & greatest" for upwards of 3 or 4 years and then be only one generation behind for another 3 or 4 years after that. If you want lasting value for your money, iPad Mini delivers!
Personally, I'm perfectly happy with my 6 and suspect my next iPad Mini is gen 9 or 10 out in 2029-32 or so... unless Apple decides to make a PRO variant, taking the things unique to the iPhone PRO MAX and putting them in an iPad Mini PRO. I'd jump on THAT one first day... even at iPhone PRO MAX pricing. Else, I'll hang with 6 until the wheels fall off and keep the money in my pocket.
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I believe their point was that those things aren't that expensive for Apple to purchase in 2024 are standard features in other cheaper brands. By 2026 it'll all be old news...