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iPad mini New 8.5-9" iPad Mini?

masotime

masotime

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Jun 24, 2012
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Looks like Macrumors is a little slow to pick this up, found on 9to5mac

9to5mac.com

Kuo: New 10.8-inch iPad and 9-inch iPad mini on the way, Apple Glasses in 2022 'at the earliest' - 9to5Mac

Reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has shared a new investor note today focused on new iPad hardware as well as...
9to5mac.com 9to5mac.com

Other details on the iPad mini hardware are also unknown, but the screen size is interesting. Apple currently sells the iPad mini with a 7.9-inch display. It’s possible that Apple will reduce the iPad mini’s bezel sizes in order to fit the larger 8.5-inch/9-inch display in a similar form factor. It’s unclear if this would eliminate the Home button, bringing perhaps in-screen Touch ID or Face ID.
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9to5Mac said:
Kuo first says that Apple will launch a new 10.8-inch iPad during the second half of 2020, followed by a new iPad mini that’s between 8.5-inches and 9-inches during the first half of 2021. According to the analyst, the selling points of these iPads will be “the affordable price tag and the adoption of fast chips,” much like the new iPhone SE.
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This is interesting because these two comments seem to be at odds with each other. 8.5"-9" would be significantly larger than the current iPad mini, which means it would need an updated chassis. I have a hard time believing Apple will include a larger screen, current chipset, and redesigned body, while hitting the same $399 price point or possibly even lowering it.

That seems to be a more apt description of the current iPad mini, which is essentially just an iPad mini 4 with an A12 and an extra GB of RAM.
 
Not sure if people are doing the math or just making an assumption that the next Mini will automatically be larger simply because a larger diagonal dimension is being given. I just played around in CAD. Nothing scientific, just used the reported physical chassis dimensions, diagonal screen values and ppi's to estimate true display dimensions.

It seems to me that a larger display can be made in the current footprint simply by taking the aspect ratio of the 11" pro's screen and scaling it down to 8.5". At that size the display will fit comfortably in the chassis of the current Mini while still retaining small side bezels. 8.5" falls in the range of the rumor. 9" is tight, basically no bezels on the sides and probably unlikely.

Take away touch-ID and stick a display matching the 11" iPP aspect ratio and you're there. Maybe slim down the top and bottom bezels while you're at it. I'd love to see an iPad Mini built like that with smaller top/bottom bezels, it would be an instant buy for me as well.
 
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10.8” seems weird, surely it’s more economical to just do the existing 11” panel without ProMotion (like how the Air 3 borrowed the 10.5” Pro panel). Then from that, you do the same resolution at 326ppi and that gets you to approx. 8.9/9.0”. Even with smaller bezels, that would be slightly larger than the current iPad mini, but still significantly smaller than an 11” iPad. A lineup of what is basically 9”, 11”, and 13” seems well spaced out, and the mini could stand to grow a little with the way big phones have slaughtered demand for small tablets.
 
MF878 said:
10.8” seems weird, surely it’s more economical to just do the existing 11” panel without ProMotion (like how the Air 3 borrowed the 10.5” Pro panel).
Click to expand...

Same panel, slightly bigger bezel, no rounded corners? Might be another way of increasing panel yields and bringing down the costs and price points.
 
I’d trade in my 2020 iPP 11” toward a new Pro Mini so fast, I am barely using the 11” (Not comfortable to hold one handed, not compatible for work etc.), so something smaller with Pencil 2 capabilities would be nice.

Curious about the regular iPad possibly getting another size chassis though.
 
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