There may be a new iPad Mini in a Year

The new CPU, according to renowned analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, will be the main draw. Shipping by no later than the end of 2023.

According to renowned analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple is upgrading the iPad Mini with a new chip. By the end of 2023 or the early half of 2024, it is expected that The Inbetweener will begin shipping.

After remaining essentially unaltered since its introduction in 2012, the iPad Mini receives an entirely new design by the end of 2021. The 8.3-inch tablet sits between the 10th-generation iPad and Apple's largest iPhone (the 6.7-inch Pro Max) (10.9 inch). It has a USB-C port, an A15 Bionic processor, and a 5G connectivity option. We shouldn't anticipate too many other changes because, according to Kuo, the new processor will be "the key selling feature."

If Kuo's estimate is accurate, the iPad Mini will unquestionably be prepared for a processor update after two years. That could imply an A16 chip, which the current top-tier iPhone 14 Pro is descended from, or perhaps an M-series CPU, which the iPad Air and iPad Pro employ. Guess we'll learn as soon as next fall, when Apple typically announces its pre-holiday hardware portfolio.

A new processor will be the impending iPad mini upgrade's "primary selling point," according to Kuo in a string of tweets (Opens in a new window). The first half of 2024 or "by the end of 2023" are when shipments are anticipated to begin. According to PhoneArena, Apple might use its M1 or M2 chip in the iPad mini (Opens in a new window).

Additionally, Kuo refuted earlier media rumors (Opens in a new window) that Apple would switch out the iPad mini for a foldable model in 2025. It's doubtful, according to the insider in the business, because a foldable iPad will cost "markedly more" than an iPad mini. A foldable iPad would be more than twice the size of an iPad mini when unfolded, Gizchina (Opens in a new window) reports, though Kuo did not specify how much it would cost.

The current iPad mini, which debuted in September 2021, has a starting price of $449 for a 64GB device and $599 for a 256GB variant. The 8.3-inch display, A15 Bionic CPU, USB-C port, Touch ID power button, and 5G compatibility for cellular devices are all included in the iPad mini.

When you take a look at how the iPad mini has been selling since its release, Kuo's analysis is more difficult to refute: In the first quarter of 2022, it was the second-best-selling tablet in the world, only behind the ninth-generation iPad.

The next-generation iPhone SE is expected to be cancelled or at least delayed, according to an Apple analyst who spoke last week. Due to "consistently lower-than-expected shipments" of its mid-range and entry-level handsets including the iPhone SE 3, iPhone 13 mini, and iPhone 14 Plus, Kuo said he thinks the company may postpone or discontinue the iPhone SE 4. He also cited the increased production costs associated with the proposed full-screen design for the iPhone SE 4.