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FitzRoy

macrumors newbie
Jun 5, 2023
10
3
Bigger display (closer to 9") and OLED would be great. + CPU & memory refresh.
Foldable phone sizes are coming closer...
 
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FreakinEurekan

macrumors 603
Sep 8, 2011
6,444
3,325
M series would be great, OLED would be great… Like some, ProMotion doesn’t matter to me. I got rid of my M1 12.9” and just use my mini 6 exclusively now… “Jelly Scroll” I can see if I go looking for it but it’s not a bother.

But…

I want more storage. When my mini 6 was a “Secondary” iPad, 64GB was fine. Now, not so much. I just don’t want to go to the expense of upgrading to a 2-year-old iPad; “Whatever” the mini 7 offers is what I’ll get - with Cellular and 256GB.
 

Biro

macrumors 6502a
Jan 11, 2012
876
1,421
The iPad Mini should have the M1 chip at the very least, assuming the next Air will get the M2. But how much do you want to bet it’ll get the A16?

I could be very wrong but I don’t see an A17 chip for the Mini because I don’t believe there are enough N3B-based A17s in the supply chain. One could make an argument for an N3E-based A17 but it appears that won’t be ready until the iPhone 16 comes out late next year.

If it’s a choice between the M1 and A16 for the Mini, it’s kind of a no-brainer in favor of the M1 - at least from a consumer standpoint. I hope Apple understands that but, honestly, I don’t believe the Apple of 2023 cares what the consumer wants.
 

Rradcircless

macrumors regular
Jun 9, 2022
189
400
I… I spent weeks frequenting MacRumors looking for any news of a refreshed iPad mini, even timed my purchase so I could return it in the event of a reveal at Wonderlust event and ultimately decided to keep it.
 

Rradcircless

macrumors regular
Jun 9, 2022
189
400
I think at 9" you might as well get a regular iPad. The current size seems right in my opinion. To each their own though.
Do you reckon we need smaller bezels or is that also too much screen? I’m happy with the size of my mini but not the display, that’s for sure.
 

Octavius8

macrumors 6502a
Oct 25, 2016
943
1,367
Give it a modern display and 120hz refresh rate! Otherwise looks like a toy. I can’t use anymore an iPad or a phone with slower refresh rates :(
 

polyphenol

macrumors 68020
Sep 9, 2020
2,107
2,574
Wales
If you made this iPad dependent on phone, you'd still be paying the "super-expensive" to Apple... only for 2 pieces instead of one... and then one would be towards useless without the other.

IMO: better to let iPad Mini Next continue to be it's own thing (no phone required).

For your scenario, how about putting the Apple iPhone app on the Mini Cellular so it can double as a super-sized phone (buds with mic instead of holding it up to owner's ear)? I already do exactly this with third-party VOIP apps, effectively making iPad Mini stand in for iPhone and it all works just fine for my purposes. iPhone's VOIP app would bring all of the iPhone-like integration vs. using third party. Of course, Mini's much cheaper pricing would disrupt super-size profit for anyone who chooses it INSTEAD of iPhone (like I have for many years now), but since we're both dreaming...
Yes - I know reality means the cost wouldn't be lower!

But I would be happy not to have to have two data plans, install apps, etc., on both. Logically a true dumb screen - but obviously needing whatever is required to implement that. Several generations of iPhone have been plenty powerful enough to achieve that.

I really don't expect many others to agree with me. But I am just about to go out. Will take phone and use as needed. When sat down having a cuppa, would like to get an iPad mini out and switch to that screen.
 

HobeSoundDarryl

macrumors G5
Yes - I know reality means the cost wouldn't be lower!

But I would be happy not to have to have two data plans, install apps, etc., on both. Logically a true dumb screen - but obviously needing whatever is required to implement that. Several generations of iPhone have been plenty powerful enough to achieve that.

I really don't expect many others to agree with me. But I am just about to go out. Will take phone and use as needed. When sat down having a cuppa, would like to get an iPad mini out and switch to that screen.

Since new iPhones can output to HDMI, buy yourself a portable screen of any desired size to scratch that itch now. Example. Much cheaper than an Apple-branded dumb screen device and potentially the exact same panel Apple might choose if they did make one.
 
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manwithashoe

macrumors member
Dec 21, 2018
50
46
Yes, please! Had the mini 1, 2, 3, 5 and currently holding out for the 7.
Right? Long live mini-5!

Realistically the mini 5 could be supported for another 3 years.

iPad-6 will lose support next year.

iPad-7 has the same processor as iPad-6 but 3GB RAM, support dropped 2 years from now?

iPad-8 has the same specs as the mini-5, should see support until 2026.

I’d vote with my wallet, but it seems the iPad mini is popular enough. I just hope a foldable mini isn’t the next step..
 

apocalyarts

macrumors regular
Sep 22, 2015
133
270
Well if there is anything coming, it's a minor spec bump. We get a press release in late October and that'll be it. But considering the low demand I don't really get why they should make a new iPad mini now.

Wait one more year and then throw the M1 and a better display into it. Reduce the bezels a bit, so we get a bit more screen space and can use Stage Manager on the iPad mini. That would even want me to upgrade, and I own the latest iPad mini.
 

dandeco

macrumors 65816
Dec 5, 2008
1,248
1,048
Brockton, MA
Looking at the dimensions of the iPad Mini 6, if the 7's dimensions are identical, I might get one to use in the screen of my Walthers Cornerstone HO-scale Skyview Drive-In Theater on my model train layout. The screen is designed to accept a 7.9" tablet, and I currently use an older iPad Mini 2 I bought from my workplace to stream videos and such on the tablet screen, mostly drive-in intermission snack bar snipes, trailers, and 1950s-70s theatrical cartoons.
907D0D8D-D98A-4010-B5DC-C46A788F0114_1_105_c.jpeg

Since the videos I play are in a 4:3 aspect ratio, the plastic screen housing cutting anything off wouldn't be much of a problem.
 
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