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

This sounds completely pointless over the mini 5.

Home button, lightning port, same storage and no doubt ram.
The mini 6 needs to be modelled off the air 4, not the air 3. Otherwise we’re just looking at just a minor spec bump with a bigger form factor. I don’t think anyone wants that.

Most people that want a bigger screen on the mini want it from a bezel design change, not making the device physically bigger.
 
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007p said:
This sounds completely pointless over the mini 5.

Home button, lightning port, same storage and no doubt ram.
The mini 6 needs to be modelled off the air 4, not the air 3. Otherwise we’re just looking at just a minor spec bump with a bigger form factor. I don’t think anyone wants that.

Most people that want a bigger screen on the mini want it from a bezel design change, not making the device physically bigger.
Click to expand...

I don't want a bigger screen. If I wanted a bigger screen I would not have bought the Mini 5. I use my Mini for reading books, playing games, etc.. However it was bought mostly to replace paper books. It irritates the heck out of me when a publisher decides to publish to Kindle instead of apple books. I don't use Kindle and wont bother with it as I prefer apple books. For my usage the ram in the mini 5 and processor (A12) is perfect for my needs. I was having issues with the Mini 4 keeping up with typing when I did a book search or searched a book so I upgraded almost 2 years ago. For me the Mini 4 was very slow.
 
007p said:
This sounds completely pointless over the mini 5.

Home button, lightning port, same storage and no doubt ram.
The mini 6 needs to be modelled off the air 4, not the air 3. Otherwise we’re just looking at just a minor spec bump with a bigger form factor. I don’t think anyone wants that.

Most people that want a bigger screen on the mini want it from a bezel design change, not making the device physically bigger.
Click to expand...
It's a tough one, what you wish for is more like an iPad pro 9". Obviously at very different price point than the rumored mini 6. It is already a small slice of the pie, I don't think they'll differentiate, then the reasonable thing to do for them is to go with lower specs and price for bigger volume.

I am a little torn in between, I'd like an Air 4-like small tablet, yet an unnecessary Pencil upgrade would make it cost too much. Green Apple my ***.
 
Like so many others here, this needs to be based upon the new iPad Air design language, including USB-C and Pencil 2 support. Making it merely a smaller 2019 iPad is a wasted effort. If someone really needs a "cheap" iPad stick with the old design. Don't make the Mini an even cheaper iPad.
 
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If you take the current mini screen size diagonal it is 7.9", if you measure out 8.4" there is no way it can keep the shape and not adopt the new iPad Air / Pro style. There is no room for a large top and bottom bezel, and Touch ID home button.

Here is hoping that part of the rumour is wrong. Ideally we get a perfect paper notebook moleskin size iPad Mini with shape and bezel of the latest iPad Air, and magic keyboard and pencil 2 support.

I am glad Apple still makes the iPad Mini, and has also gone upmarket with it giving it modern specs on the current iPad Mini 5
 
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MacRumors said:


Apple is rumored to be working on a new version of the iPad mini with a larger display size, and Japanese site Mac Otakara today shared some details on the upcoming tablet with information said to be sourced from the Chinese supply chain.

ipadmini5.jpg

The upcoming iPad mini is said to have an 8.4-inch display, up from the current 7.9-inch screen size. It will have slimmer bezels and will look similar to the iPad Air 3, a design language that Mac Otakara said Apple would also be using for the ninth-generation low-cost iPad.

The iPad mini 6 will have a design that's unified with the upcoming low-cost iPad, and will continue to feature a Touch ID Home button with top and bottom bezels and a Lightning port.

Mac Otakara believes that the refreshed iPad mini will see a March launch, so it could perhaps debut at a March event if Apple has one planned.

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said in May 2020 that the next-generation iPad mini would have a display that measures in at 8.5 to 9 inches. He has also said that Apple is working on an iPad mini with a mini-LED display, but it's not clear if the iPad mini 6 is the iPad mini that will have the upgraded display.



Article Link: Sixth-Generation iPad Mini to Feature 8.4-Inch Display With Slimmer Bezels, March Launch Expected
Click to expand...
Honestly, after using a 12.9 iPad Pro for a year, the 11 inch pro feels like an iPad mini.

I’m sure I’ll love the new mini, though. I’ve always had a soft spot for Apples more compact devices. The 12 inch MacBook is still my favorite Mac I’ve ever owned, I loved the iPod nano, and if it weren’t for the lack of telephoto lens on the iPhone mini, I’d be using that instead of the 12 pro.

If they do increase the screen size, I wonder if it’ll still be the same 4:3 ratio.
 
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Hey Macrumors, typing replies on an iPhone or iPad soft keyboard is causing insane typing/formatting issues. Not sure what the hell is going on.
 
Only way Id be interested in a iPad Mini was if it had “no bezel” like the iPad Air/Pro. At this point, only the “budget” iPad should have the design with the home button.
 
At this point, they should all move to the no bezel design from last year, why are they holding off and making so many models? stick to the basics
 
Sensible Apple fan said:
View attachment 1709111
Click to expand...
Thanks for this. Makes me wonder if the new iPad is some sort of hybrid between the new and old design. Same round body, touchID in the lock button, full "edge to edge" screen in front, first gen Apple Pencil and lightning. From your drawings I don't see how they can fit an 8,5" screen and keep the home button.

Part of the decision for doing it this way might also be because having the second generation Apple Pencil charge on the iPad mini would take up almost the entire length and would certainly block the volume buttons.
 
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MacRumors said:


Apple is rumored to be working on a new version of the iPad mini with a larger display size, and Japanese site Mac Otakara today shared some details on the upcoming tablet with information said to be sourced from the Chinese supply chain.

ipadmini5.jpg

The upcoming iPad mini is said to have an 8.4-inch display, up from the current 7.9-inch screen size. It will have slimmer bezels and will look similar to the iPad Air 3, a design language that Mac Otakara said Apple would also be using for the ninth-generation low-cost iPad.

The iPad mini 6 will have a design that's unified with the upcoming low-cost iPad, and will continue to feature a Touch ID Home button with top and bottom bezels and a Lightning port.

Mac Otakara believes that the refreshed iPad mini will see a March launch, so it could perhaps debut at a March event if Apple has one planned.

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said in May 2020 that the next-generation iPad mini would have a display that measures in at 8.5 to 9 inches. He has also said that Apple is working on an iPad mini with a mini-LED display, but it's not clear if the iPad mini 6 is the iPad mini that will have the upgraded display.



Article Link: Sixth-Generation iPad Mini to Feature 8.4-Inch Display With Slimmer Bezels, March Launch Expected
Click to expand...
C'mon - update the design of this thing!!! Would be so sweet to have a mini with the design and features of the new Air. I bought a mini 5 in 2019 and would love a reason to upgrade, but not going to do so for half an inch.
 
Why can’t apple make an iPad Pro 8.5 inch? There is a market for it . People will buy it just like iPhone 12 mini.
 
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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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You must be new to the Mini. The best version of which, the Mini 4, was literally a scaled down version of the then flagship iPad Air 2.
The Mini 5 was akin to the 2020 SE2: same form factor but with as powerful internals as they could pack in without sacrificing above, the reason being the Mini is RIDICULOUSLY popular with businesses and the education market, so slotting in an upgraded version was a no brainer. That being said the design is now several years old and it’s time to freshen it up even if it means companies need to invest in purchasing new cases.
 
Johnny907 said:
You must be new to the Mini. The best version of which, the Mini 4, was literally a scaled down version of the then flagship iPad Air 2.
The Mini 5 was akin to the 2020 SE2: same form factor but with as powerful internals as they could pack in without sacrificing above, the reason being the Mini is RIDICULOUSLY popular with businesses and the education market, so slotting in an upgraded version was a no brainer. That being said the design is now several years old and it’s time to freshen it up even if it means companies need to invest in purchasing new cases.
Click to expand...

The Mini 5 is the best version and MUCH faster than the Mini 4.
 
pshufd said:
I'd have to agree with this. I actually don't think that Apple has to upgrade it this year as mine is fine for performance. It's always nice to have a CPU but Apple can be stingy with upgrades.
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My Mini 4 had trouble catching up when I used the keyboard for book searches and such. Glad that’s behind me with the Mini 5.
 
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Johnny907 said:
You must be new to the Mini. The best version of which, the Mini 4, was literally a scaled down version of the then flagship iPad Air 2.
The Mini 5 was akin to the 2020 SE2: same form factor but with as powerful internals as they could pack in without sacrificing above, the reason being the Mini is RIDICULOUSLY popular with businesses and the education market, so slotting in an upgraded version was a no brainer. That being said the design is now several years old and it’s time to freshen it up even if it means companies need to invest in purchasing new cases.
Click to expand...
No need to start with a sentence that has no other purpose than to attack the other persons "credentials"; whatever argument you want to make should be able to stand on its own.

My point of view here is simply that Apple in the past having reused a platform isn't enough to guarantee that to be the best business decision to base a change in form language and functionality on in the future.

This isn't just about reusing an old platform, this is about business decisions from the outwards perspective; and so far the mini has that way been kept as a mini-version of the regular entry-level iPad. That's how the regular buyer sees it.

Changing that takes an active decision that's more than just casually reusing an existing platform.

I would personally absolute love it if they did that, or even better yet made it a proper pro-unit (preferably even with the iPhone Pro Max-cameras); but it would be plain stupid to think that Apple would casually accidentally just happen to do that like some two-bit operation that can't afford to not reuse their earlier work.

So far we don't know if Apple will make such a big change to a product that is a good seller simply because of what it is rn; and if we're looking at where things are heading with Face and Touch ID there are no clear signals there either. There's just not one tech that superior there; and with Covid-19 and the time it takes to design a product and get production going… we just don't know what their logic looks like. Hopefully there will be two mini iPads; one regular, and one pro.
 
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