Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Jayayess1190

macrumors member
Original poster
Oct 7, 2013
59
60
Notebookcheck via Twitter

Apple has refreshed plenty of iPads in the last eighteen months, but the mini is not one of them. Apple launched the mini in 2012, with new models following every autumn until 2015 with the iPad mini 4. The company then took a break until March 2019 when it released the iPad mini 5, so one would be forgiven for thinking that Apple had abandoned its mini line altogether. @000leaker claims that this is not the case, though.

Apparently, Apple is currently prototyping the iPad mini 6, and it is a big upgrade from the iPad mini 5. @000leaker suggests that there may be other prototypes, so the final iPad mini 6 could differ slightly from the one detailed here. The same account claims that the iPad mini 6 will have an 8.5-inch Liquid Retina display in a 'boxy design', along with an A14 Bionic chipset and 4 GB of RAM. The tablet will support the Apple Pencil 2 too and will have a USB Type-C port, instead of Apple's proprietary Lightning connector.

If those specifications sound familiar, then that is because Apple has reputedly taken the hardware from the iPad Air 4 and put it in a smaller chassis. The iPad mini 6 will supposedly have the same cameras as the iPad Air 2 too, although it will retain the speakers from the iPad mini 5. There is no word on a release date yet though, nor how much the iPad mini 6 will cost.

All I want is a Mini with USB-C. Will be buying this if true.
 

ericwn

macrumors G5
Apr 24, 2016
12,119
10,912
Strikes me as made up hot air but I hope I’m wrong and that a new model will indeed materialise. Not before spring though, at the very earliest and no leaks so far make me sceptical.
 

Apple_Robert

Contributor
Sep 21, 2012
35,685
52,559
In a van down by the river
I loved my iPad mini 5. It was the best iPad I had ever owned until I got my iPad Pro 11” in June. I would have been looking for a mini refresh otherwise. I can’t see going back to the mini after using the 11” iPad Pro.

I doubt we will see anything before the end of next year.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BigMcGuire

Ludatyk

macrumors 603
May 27, 2012
5,971
5,141
Texas
iPad mini with 120Hz? :D
Doubt it. The latest iPad Air didn't even get it.. but it makes sense for the iPad Mini to get the same design language of the latest iPad Air and iPad Pro. However, there's still the iPad with the home button. It's just pricing seems a bit off.

Standard iPad $329, then you get a bump in price for a smaller display with the iPad "Mini" $400.. but I would think Apple would raise the price even higher if they change the design of it.
 

Ludatyk

macrumors 603
May 27, 2012
5,971
5,141
Texas
dude literally has put "60% accurate" in his bio
let's not give credits to actors shall we
Yeah, even though he might not be accurate. But it's not out of realm of possibilities... it's pretty much a smaller version of the latest iPad Air. And the iPad Mini is in need of a refresh, but what have me concern is whether they raise the price.
 

hotr32

macrumors regular
Dec 2, 2009
184
131
PA
Sounds like it could be true, especially since they increased the standard iPad from 9.7 to 10.2. Especially all the talk about mini LED, I could see 8.5 from 7.9.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BillyiPad95

Freakonomics101

macrumors 68030
Nov 6, 2014
2,740
1,799
A smaller version of the Air 4 with the same body size as the Mini 5.... that’ll be a hot seller. Bigger screen with smaller bezels. And tap to wake if anyone really likes that like I do.
 

bniu

macrumors 65816
Mar 21, 2010
1,125
306
Mini has mostly been modeled as a shrunken down version of an Air.

Mini 2 was shrunken down from Air 1
Mini 3 was same as Mini 2 but with Touch ID.
Mini 4 was shrunken down Air 2
Mini 5 was shrunken down Air 3

So it wouldn’t be a stretch to see a Mini 6 as a shrunken down Air 4?
 

profets

macrumors 603
Mar 18, 2009
5,165
6,313
Mini has mostly been modeled as a shrunken down version of an Air.

Mini 2 was shrunken down from Air 1
Mini 3 was same as Mini 2 but with Touch ID.
Mini 4 was shrunken down Air 2
Mini 5 was shrunken down Air 3

So it wouldn’t be a stretch to see a Mini 6 as a shrunken down Air 4?

Exactly what I was thinking. The Air and mini 2 launched together (roughly), the mini 4 was about 1 year after the Air 2, and the mini 5 did launch with the Air 3.

Next spring would be nice timing to have an iPad event with the new mini and updated iPad Pros I think.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BillyiPad95

snipr125

macrumors 68020
Oct 17, 2015
2,015
3,138
UK
Yes can definitely see the mini 6 being a like for like in terms of specs, shrunken down IPad Air 4, just like the Air 3/Mini 5.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BillyiPad95

gorkt

macrumors 6502a
Sep 15, 2007
718
597
I really hope this is true. I have a Pro 11" but if they drop a mini Air, I would get that for on the go, and note taking, and then a 12.9 Pro for home use.
 
  • Like
Reactions: sracer

sonicrobby

macrumors 68020
Apr 24, 2013
2,493
552
New Orleans
I’m a little disappointed that it will be more of an 2020 air-like mini rather than a mini pro. But regardless I’m itching to buy it. I would have liked Face ID and the lidar cameras. But I “downgraded” my iPhone 11 Pro to a 12 mini. I’ll have no problems “downgrading” my 11” iPP for an iPad mini with the new air-like design
 
  • Like
Reactions: courboy

*~Kim~*

macrumors 65816
May 6, 2013
1,179
471
UK
Same speakers as the Mini 5? Have been wanting better speakers lately. Not finding this as irresistible as I originally thought I would. Saying that I’ve been thinking I should stick with my 5 until 5G.
 

ian87w

macrumors G3
Feb 22, 2020
8,704
12,638
Indonesia
iPad mini 1-4 had a yearly schedule, you can’t really extrapolate from the 4-5 gap.
Back in the early ipad mini days there were competitions like the Nexus 7. Now, there's no more competition in the premium small tablet market. All Android small tablets are aiming at the sub $200 segment. Apple can maintain the current mini for years with no competition at all.
 
  • Like
Reactions: sracer
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.