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Sixth-Generation iPad Mini to Feature 8.4-Inch Display With Slimmer Bezels, March Launch Expected

I wish Apple would just keep the screen size the same and make the side bezels larger and the top and bottom bezels smaller (ala iPad Air 4 design). And please for the love of GOD give us USB-C. I am writing this on an iPad mini 5. I’ve had every size of iPad except the 11inch pro and this size is by far my favorite. But the slim side bezels make this iPad really hard to hold with one hand and it is otherwise slim and light enough for that to be possible.

Definitely curious about the 6 but if it is just the budget iPad but smaller I will stick with what I have.

If they ever release an iPad mini pro I will throw all my money at Apple.
 
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Just release ipad mini with all screen design. It will be the killer device
 
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klasma said:
Time to upgrade my iPad mini 4, although I had hoped for the iPad Air 4 design. If the mini 6 keeps the same logical resolution as before, touch targets and text etc. will become slightly larger (by 6%), which is a good thing.
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Same. My iPad mini 4 has gotten super, super slow, and I can feel the processor struggling due to the heat on the back of the iPad. Hesitated to upgrade to the mini 5, but I’d buy a mini 6 in a hot second.
 
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I’m not buying the part where they keep the home button. Apple is clearly moving away from that design. More likely the new mini will be a smaller version of the new air, and feature a Touch ID power button.
At any rate it’s nice to see Apple recognize just how popular the Mini is, especially in the business market. Between airlines, food carts, restaurants, supply stores and all points in between the Mini is everywhere, growing even more popular due to the pandemic.
Im currently lugging around a 11” Pro 2018 but if they release what I described above I would ditch it in a New York minute. I greatly miss my Mini 4, it just got too old to be my daily driver.
 
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if this rumor is true, iʻm disappointed. i hope itʻs wrong and we get something more akin to the new ipad air. while the mini has never been one of appleʻs products for new/latest tech, it should get some more love, not last yearʻs components and styling.

i decided on the iphone 12 mini precisely bc i was going to use a new ipad mini for reading/video uses...hope i made the right bet.
 
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Johnny907 said:
I’m not buying the part where they keep the home button. Apple is clearly moving away from that design.
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Right now it seems more like they're having the home button as a clear distinction signalling that it's a baseline device.

And since the Mini has been sort of just a smaller version of the baseline device, that speaks for it getting a home button in its next iteration also; unless Apple decide to change up their lines a bit.

As usual we don't really know what Apple is up to, but if the iPad Mini gets an update, without that update also showing some philosophical/design change of view, then that button will be there. And no amount of technical progress can change that, because it would straight up be a strategic decision about how to align/differentiate all their related product lines.
 
svanstrom said:
Right now it seems more like they're having the home button as a clear distinction signalling that it's a baseline device.

And since the Mini has been sort of just a smaller version of the baseline device, that speaks for it getting a home button in its next iteration also; unless Apple decide to change up their lines a bit.

As usual we don't really know what Apple is up to, but if the iPad Mini gets an update, without that update also showing some philosophical/design change of view, then that button will be there. And no amount of technical progress can change that, because it would straight up be a strategic decision about how to align/differentiate all their related product lines.
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That is not correct.
The current Mini (Gen 5) was a small version of the iPad Air 3 when comparing the internal hardware. So it would be a more logical step to make the Mini 6 a small version of the Air 4. This is, combines with the price that is more mid-range and not entry-level, more likely.
I think there is a high chance that this will happen, as it was long rumored before.
 
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MaaK said:
That is not correct.
The current Mini (Gen 5) was a small version of the iPad Air 3 when comparing the internal hardware. So it would be a more logical step to make the Mini 6 a small version of the Air 4. This is, combines with the price that is more mid-range and not entry-level, more likely.
I think there is a high chance that this will happen, as it was long rumored before.
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I'm taking about what the customer sees on the outside, which is what matters.

Apple will not change what market segments they want to target simply because they once before reused the internals of one device to upgrade another one; they will not simply abandon a profitable entry-level price point by reusing a more expensive hardware design.

They might do it because of business reasons; but extrapolating from past hardware-driven choices alone simply isn't enough here, because that seems to go against what's in their best financial interest.

Which is why I'm sticking to what I said before; that if Apple removes the home button on the new iPad Mini (without rebranding it as a Pro, or something), then that has deeper meaning as so far as what their intentions are when it comes to future designs of their devices.
 
Amacfa said:
Home button? If this isn’t like iPad Pro design I’m not buying it.

why does apple refuse to make the product everyone wants?
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Everybody said this about the iPhone mini which is doing fine but not great. I think you need to redefine your idea of “everybody” because most people seem to go for the regular iPad size.
 
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klasma said:
Maybe still a better display, like before. And of course its critical advantage is the compact size and light weight — well worth paying for.
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Different "Charging & Data " Port to comply with the new USC-C Port(s) on the M1 Notebooks. It is almost easier so some to use the old "Button" , than to use the new user interface on the 2020 Gen 4 iPad Air. But perhaps they will put the new finger print sensor on the new Mini or the below the screen fingerprint sensor (which I doubt). Soon we will know.
 
MaaK said:
That is not correct.
The current Mini (Gen 5) was a small version of the iPad Air 3 when comparing the internal hardware. So it would be a more logical step to make the Mini 6 a small version of the Air 4. This is, combines with the price that is more mid-range and not entry-level, more likely.
I think there is a high chance that this will happen, as it was long rumored before.
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I think the rumors were a misconception, or wrong interpretation/translation. Origin of the rumors was an iPad Pro with Mini led display. I think they made a mistake with translating iPad Pro and Mini (led).
 
and a Lightning port
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Seriously? In 2021 still no USB-C?!? It's getting ridicolous...

Apple also should treat all their mobile devices equally when it comes to the port... Some iPads with a USB-C and some with Lightning is unnecessary fragmentation.
 
HarryWild said:
That is so true! People over 45 years of age are not computer savvy unless they are an electrical engineer or work as a hardware developer for such companies as: Dell or Lenovo or Apple or similar high tech field. These average individuals do not want to learn about computers: operating systems, software, antivirus utilities, etc... With an iPad, these people can learn how to operate a computer in less then a couple of days and many can learn by trial and error too!
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45? 45 is ancient? 50 year olds have been using computers since high school. It’s more like over 65, mostly because it gets harder to learn knew tech things and the value of learning these kind is things seems minimal.
 
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ikramerica said:
45? 45 is ancient? 50 year olds have been using computers since high school. It’s more like over 65, mostly because it gets harder to learn knew tech things and the value of learning these kind is things seems minimal.
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Let's do a bit of math based just on the web…

Big breakthrough among people about 95-ish; so those 30-ish at the time had let's say about a decade to get in on it before some sort of "I've done well without it so far"-stage sets in… So… people born in 1965+ can be assumed to not be too lost among tech. With a bit of allowance for not staying updated with every new interface, as well as semi-playing dumb because don't feel like dealing with the snotty attitude of their kids when they need help some new device/OS/setting/app.

So @ikramerica is waaay off with the "With an iPad, these people can learn how to operate a computer in less then a couple of days and many can learn by trial and error too!"-comment about everyone above 45.

At most they might need help learning how to operate an iPad, because they haven't had an iPad before; but that's no different than the kids of today growing up and then needing help with whatever magic quantum-level 5D brain interface their kids have in their devices. 😂

Then there's this: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...-children-playing-video-games-poll-finds.html

And here's one in Swedish about people between ages 65 and 93 (!!) playing video games as rehabilitation after a stroke, or having Parkinson's disease: https://www.svt.se/nyheter/lokalt/orebro/pensionarer-spelar-tv-spel-som-rehab

Then we could also take a look at arcades, and look at the age of the people that used to play video games at those when young; then we can use 1980 as the cutoff year, and once again we use 30 as an age cutoff here. Which leaves us with 1950 as the year where people were born that could kick your ass in certain tech/games.

A 40yo that got into video gaming when Pong first came out would be close to 90 today; but even if they kept playing most of their lives they still would be assumed to just be a clueless old person the first time handed an iPad.

So, hey, stop assuming things, and go ask your oldest living relatives if they would like you to get an emulator going with whatever was their favourite video game when young(er). :)
 
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