New iPad Minis Incoming—What Will They Be Like?

A new iPad mini could show up as soon as next week. Here’s what we’d love to see.

According to the ever-churning rumor mill, iPad mini stocks are running low. Taken together with Apple’s iPhone event scheduled for September 9, that could mean a new model is coming. The current model is exactly three years old next week and is totally overdue for an update. In the meantime, Apple has added all kinds of cool stuff to the rest of its products, much of which could find its way into the cutest iPad. Let’s get a-speculatin’.

“The current iPad mini runs on the A15 Bionic, which, while still decent, could definitely use a boost to handle more demanding tasks, especially with Apple Intelligence potentially becoming a key feature,” Rob Stevenson, founder of Backup Vault, told Lifewire via email.

Benign Neglect

The iPad mini is like the Mac mini of the iPad lineup, and not just because it’s small. Both minis are super popular with the folks who own them and have unique uses that their siblings cannot manage. And yet both are the victims of Apple’s benign neglect. Updates are sporadic and unpredictable, although when Apple does update them, they usually get top-notch specs before being forgotten about for another few years.

“Easily my favorite, most-used iPad to date. Completely enhanced my creative process. Effectively replacing my notepad + fine point Sharpie combo that had been my go-to for three decades,” says iPad mini fan Lazyrighteye in a Macrumors forum thread participated in by Lifewire.

The most obvious update is to the chip. Currently, the mini runs on the A15 Bionic, which is better than the A14 Bionic, which powers the basic iPad, but is not as good as the A16 Bionic in the current iPhone 15. However, since Apple is making a big push into AI, the new mini might even get the A17 Pro from the iPhone 15 Pro or even an M-series system-on-a-chip like the iPad Air and Pro.

The other desperately needed upgrade is the display. The current iPad mini’s screen is pedestrian at best. I have one, and it looks bad even next to an old 2018 iPad Pro. We’d love to see one of Apple’s beautiful OLED or miniLED screens, but frankly, anything new here would be an improvement.

And a new screen might also mean slimmer bezels, which is something Apple does from time to time. In this case, the iPad mini could stay the same handy size but with a larger viewable area. Or Apple could make the whole thing smaller. Either would be neat. And while we’re on the subject of the screen, how about adding Pro Motion, Apple’s name for its variable-refresh-rate screens? These screens, usually found in Apple’s pro-designated devices, can change their refresh rate either for smoother scrolling (120fps), for watching movies (24fps), or to save battery power when nothing on the screen is changing (as low as 1fps on the Apple Watch), allowing for always-on displays without killing the battery.

Accessories

Other than that, it would be nice to see support for the Apple Pencil Pro. The iPad mini is already a fantastic note-taking and sketching device, thanks to the fact that it can be held in one hand like an iPhone but has a bigger screen like other iPads.

“The mini’s size makes it ideal for reading, note-taking, and casual web browsing. It’s also a great device for kids or as a secondary device for professionals who need quick access to apps without the bulk of a larger tablet. While it might not be as powerful as the iPad Pro or Air, its portability and convenience make it an excellent choice for a wide range of users,” says Stevenson.

Should Apple also move the FaceTime camera to the long edge for better video calls? I guess, but at this size, maybe it doesn’t make a difference. The iPhone manages with the camera at the top just fine.

Speaking of iPhone features that would work well on the iPad mini, how about MagSafe charging? Sure, it’s environmentally bad, as it wastes up to 30 percent of the energy as heat, but it sure is convenient. When has any Big Tech company favored the environment over a cool feature?

Other than that, the mini can keep on being the mini. Fans will probably snap the new one up and enjoy it for another few years while Apple again forgets it exists. Just one final request, Apple: Would it kill you to make it in some nice, bright colors?