iPad Mini 6 Rumored to Feature A15 Chip and Smart Connector

[Realityck]

Would love this before the end of the year, but this feels like quite a sketchy rumour. Would expect something more concrete if we were just a few months away from announcement?

All we see pretty much is the same previous rumors being retold again and again. The only thing different is mentioning the A15.

 

[pdaholic]

I’m interested to see if the slightly bigger screen is enough to make multitasking more enjoyable on the mini (for me). Really looking forward to this release.

 

[boak]

Personally I'd prefer a smaller package overall with the same size screen, but oh well, at least it will still fit into my back pocket. With all those upgrades it's going to be expensive, I'm guessing from the ip5/64gb of 399 it will go up 100-150, but they may soften that a bit with a higher memory tier. 549 for a base 128gb/wifi is my prediction, this way it's still a tad under a base iPad air.

I'm actually the most excited for the smart connector, hopefully that means a good keyboard/kickstand accessory. For the life of me I still don't understand why anyone would make a tablet without a kickstand.

The base will most likely be 64 GB, in line with other non-pro devices

 

[turbineseaplane]

I hope it has the Touch ID inside the power button

 

[Crow_Servo]

I have a feeling Apple is going to convince me to get this, just like I was convinced to get last year’s Air. Bring it on, Apple. Let’s see what you got for us. Hoping it includes Center Stage. How about Product Red?

 

[bodonnell202]

I wish Apple would make a decision quickly on whether they are converting to USB-C. Although I would hate to see Lightning go, it sucks that half their products are USB-C and half are Lightning.

I suspect that eventually all iPads will be USB-C and iPhones will be portless at which point lightning will be retired, but I doubt we'll ever see USB-C on an iPhone.

 

[Spock]

When the iPad Air received a redesign, the price increased from $499 to $599 (starting price). I don't expect any different with the redesigned iPad mini 6. Expect it to sell for a starting price of $499.

That's what I was thinking as well, or it could be in between the iPad Air and iPad Pro and priced at $699

 

[SirAnthonyHopkins]

All we see pretty much is the same previous rumors being retold again and again. The only thing different is mentioning the A15.

Normally if Apple is releasing a device with an entirely new form factor we get leaks of the designs through case manufacturers etc, though. They manage to sneak out things like the last iPad Air because it just borrowed the Pro chassis. What you say is exactly right, with this we just keep hearing the same rumours over and over again with nothing additional that makes me inclined to believe it's happening soon.

 

[boak]

Probably $499 for iPad mini. $399 for iPad (education price $349)

 

[bodonnell202]

I would be very tempted if the price was right. I wonder if this will be priced between the $329 iPad and the $599 iPad Air.

I would guess it will come in at $499.

 

[Dizzler]

I'll never again buy any iPad until they bring back the mute button. One step mute vs 3 step mute? It's a no-brainer.

 

[smulji]

That's what I was thinking as well, or it could be in between the iPad Air and iPad Pro and priced at $699

Unless it's going to get a mini-LED screen, I sure as hell hope not.

 

[thejoshuabradshaw]

'21 is coming along nicely.

 

[turbineseaplane]

I'll never again buy any iPad until they bring back the mute button. One step mute vs 3 step mute? It's a no-brainer.

I solved that by "always being on Mute"

Not ideal of course

 

[apparatchik]

There’s no room for an in between chip. M1 has the same core configuration as the A12z.

Im guessing this “A15x” is the same as the M2 we’ve heard some about.

Think of it not as an in-between chip but more like an M1 or M2 minus the USC 4 / Thunderbolt or the like. We know the individual core design is virtually the same between A & M chips, but the core-number, RAM, I/O configurations can vary and allow for A, AX, M & MX variants even if they're mostly a marketing label on a specific chip configuration.

 

[Crow_Servo]

I doubt it’ll be $699, unless it gets every single Pro feature. It looks like it will still be closer to an Air than a Pro, but if it gets A15 instead of A14, it’ll at least be a little ahead of last year’s Air.

 

[sofila]

What’s the main point tho, the iPhones are big and the mini is to small for a tablet

Oh, the old good "I don't use it, so it's useless for anyone else". Thank you, you took me back in younger days.

 

[Solomani]

This new iPad Mini will be fabulousness... it will equivalate to 50 Bitcoins!

I'm so sold.

 

[name99]

" and Apple is said to be working on a more powerful "A15X" "

Seriously? Not an M1X? Not an M2? Not an M2X?
Enough with this idiocy!!!

We all know there will be a faster companion to the A15. If you have no idea what it will be called, then don't waste our time with this speculation -- we can make up names just as well as you.

 

[iHorseHead]

Is it also faster?

 

[name99]

The original X chips were just graphics-boosted A chips, so Apple looking into a SKU with more GPU cores isn’t impossible. They already wring more graphics performance out of the A14 in the iPad Air, so this could just formalise the arrangement. The big benefit of doing this would be allowing the iPad Air/ ‘fold’ in on the fun with the sort of games the M1 unlocks, even if the vanilla iPhone chip is constrained by the much lower thermal envelope it has in the phones.

"Original" can cover a multitude of sins, but there have been a variety of differences in the X versions.
They've always had a wider memory bus, they sometimes ran at higher GHz, packaging was frequently different, A8X and A10X came with 3 CPU cores (10X of course had those hard-paired big+little cores), and with 12X and 14X we get 4 large cores.

Point is "just graphics boosted" does them a disservice.

 

[jimmy_uk]

🤞Magic Keyboard Mini🤞

 

[Jedimindtrick]

I love the iPad mini 5! Why Apple must you do this to me???? This thing is going to be killer and I'll buy it day 1. Looks like my son will be inheriting my old one. Congrats son.

 

[Johnny907]

If this has the form factor of the current Pro series but with the smaller screen of a mini it’s a day one buy for me. Will sell my 2018 Pro and be happy as a clam.

 

[poematik13]

The iPad mini is a great device, perfect for reading - gaming and also chilling on the couch.

it's an ideal size for travelling too. You can type with it in portrait mode like a phone, while you're walking.