iPad Mini 8 on the Way: Expected Features and Release Timeline

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A caller iPad mini is "absolutely" connected the way, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. So what should we expect from the successor to the iPad mini 7 that Apple released a twelvemonth ago?

Processor and Performance

Apple is moving connected a next-generation mentation of the iPad mini (codename J510/J511) that features the A19 Pro chip, according to accusation recovered successful codification that Apple mistakenly shared successful August.

Apple's A19 Pro spot since debuted successful the iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro models. The iPhone 17 Pro models see the higher-end mentation of Apple's A19 Pro spot with a 6-core CPU and a 6-core GPU, portion the iPhone Air uses a mid-tier A19 Pro spot with 1 less GPU halfway than the A19 Pro spot utilized successful the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max.

For the iPad mini 8, Apple is apt to usage the mid-tier A19 Pro spot recovered successful the iPhone Air. This is based connected the information that the A17 Pro spot utilized successful the iPad mini 7 has a 6-core CPU with 2 high-performance cores and 4 ratio cores, on with a 5-core GPU, compared to the 6-core GPU recovered connected the A17 Pro utilized successful the iPhone 15 Pro.

Apple built the A19 Pro spot connected an upgraded third-generation 3-nanometer N3P process for humble velocity and ratio improvements. The spot includes a 16-core Neural Engine, next-generation dynamic caching, and unified representation compression.

The GPU successful the A19 Pro has an upgraded architecture with a larger cache, much memory, and Neural Accelerators that are built into each core. Apple says that this alteration provides 3× the highest GPU compute implicit the prior-generation chip. There's besides an upgraded 16-core Neural Engine for AI tasks.

Display

Apple's program to modulation the ‌‌iPad mini‌‌ from an LCD to an OLED show is wide rumored. According to a Chinese leaker with sources successful Apple's proviso chain, Apple has evaluated a Samsung-made OLED show for its adjacent iPad mini model, but it remains unclear whether it features a higher refresh complaint than the 60Hz LCD show utilized successful the existing iPad mini 7. A abstracted study has suggested the ‌‌‌iPad mini 8‌‌‌'s surface could summation successful size from 8.3 inches to 8.7 inches with the adoption of OLED.

OLED panels tin individually power each pixel, resulting successful much precise colour reproduction and deeper blacks compared to different communal show technologies. They besides supply superior contrast, faster effect times, amended viewing angles, and greater plan flexibility. All of Apple's flagship iPhones usage OLED panels, and successful May 2024 the institution brought the show exertion to the iPad Pro for the archetypal time.

Unlike Apple's ‌iPad Pro‌ models, which diagnostic two-stack low-temperature polycrystalline oxide (LTPO) OLED panels‌, the ‌iPad mini‌ whitethorn person a single-stack low-temperature polycrystalline silicon (LTPS) panel, meaning that it whitethorn beryllium dimmer and proceed to deficiency ProMotion.

Release Timeline

According to probe steadfast Omdia, the ‌‌iPad mini‌‌ is expected to follow an OLED show successful 2027. However, Korea's ET News and ZDNET Korea person some suggested that the iPad mini and iPad Air volition beryllium updated with OLED displays simultaneously successful 2026.

In May 2024, it was reported that Samsung Display had started developing illustration OLED panels for a aboriginal ‌iPad mini‌, with plans to initiate wide accumulation astatine its installation successful Cheonan successful the 2nd fractional of 2025. The aforesaid study claimed that Apple volition bring an OLED sheet to the iPad Air alongside the ‌iPad mini‌ successful 2026.

That outlook differs somewhat from a December study by expert steadfast Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC) that said an 8.5-inch OLED iPad mini is planned for a 2026 launch, portion 11-inch and 13-inch OLED iPad Air models are expected to travel successful 2027.

Ultimately, determination are nary converging rumors suggesting precisely erstwhile the adjacent ‌iPad mini‌ volition beryllium released, but a motorboat alongside caller ‌iPad Air‌ models successful the archetypal fractional of adjacent twelvemonth is surely a possibility.

Pricing

We don't person immoderate accusation to suggest Apple volition alteration the pricing of a caller iPad mini. Writing successful his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman says that Apple mightiness privation to see a lower-end mentation of the mini, oregon astatine slightest a alteration to its existent $499 starting price, fixed that it's up against rival products that outgo a batch less.

However, Apple users who are looking for a much affordable enactment should astir apt see the 10th-generation iPad instead. Starting astatine $329, the iPad offers galore iPad mini features, specified arsenic Touch ID and Center Stage, but astatine a little terms that balances functionality and affordability.