Will there actually be an iPad mini (2023) model, or will we have to wait until 2024 to see a new compact tablet from Apple?
That’s the main question we have right now, as it’s been around two years since the iPad mini (2021) launched, so a new model should be due, but there’s disagreement over exactly when we’ll see it.
The iPad mini (2023) or (2024) will be the seventh model in the range, so the iPad mini 7 in other words, though one leak suggests it could land as the iPad mini Pro.
Whatever name you call it though and whenever it lands, we’re starting to hear some rumors about it, and you’ll find those below, along with our thoughts on the likely release date and price.
Then further down we’ve included a list of things we want from Apple’s next compact slate, in order to make it even better than the iPad mini (2021).
Cut to the chase
- What is it? The next small iPad
- When is it out? Possibly March
- How much will it cost? Maybe slightly over $499 / £479 / AU$749
iPad mini 7: expected release date and price
Whether the iPad mini (2023) will land in 2023 or 2024 is currently unclear, but the latter looks most likely, with one of the most recent iPad mini 7 release date leaks pointing to March.
That said, a regulatory filing hints that we could see the iPad mini 7 sooner, and perhaps even at Apple’s ‘Scary Fast’ event on October 30.
Some recent leaks suggested we might see the iPad mini (2023) before October 23, but that didn’t happen, and other sources countered that, saying the iPad mini (2023) wouldn’t launch in October.
Another recent iPad mini 7 release date rumor points to a launch somewhere between now (that being October 2023), and July 2024.
That’s broadly in line with other leaks, as we recently heard from another source that the iPad mini (2023) might land before the end of 2023, while another leaker claimed slightly earlier in the year that the next iPad mini would arrive alongside the Apple Watch 9. That of course didn’t happen, but Apple’s latest wearable didn’t launch long ago at the time of writing, so we could still see the iPad mini 7 soon.
Prior to that, reputable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claimed the iPad mini (2023) would land in late 2023 or in the first half of 2024, following that up later with a claim that early 2024 was most likely, and that it might land alongside a foldable iPad.
With 2023 now almost over and there not being many iPad mini 7 leaks yet, we’d say 2024 is looking most likely.
As for the price, one source claims that the iPad mini 7 will be slightly more expensive than the iPad mini (2021), which starts at $499 / £479 / AU$749. But we wouldn’t think Apple would push the price up by much.
iPad mini 7: news and leaks
One very early iPad mini (2023) leak detailed many of the possible specs. Apparently, the tablet will have an 8.3-inch 120Hz screen, an A15 Bionic chipset (like the current model, though with a slightly higher 3.23GHz clock speed), 4GB of RAM, and a starting capacity of 128GB, up from 64GB on the current model.
However, as the source doesn’t yet have a track record and as this is now quite an old leak, we’d take this with a pinch of salt.
More recently we’ve heard that the iPad mini 7 might have a new chipset but a similar design to the current model, so it may not be a huge upgrade.
Reputable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo previously made a similar claim about the iPad mini (2023), and we’ve also heard elsewhere that the iPad mini 7 will simply have a spec bump.
Finally, one source claims that the ‘jelly scrolling’ effect that’s sometimes present when scrolling the current iPad mini’s screen won’t be as noticeable on the next model.
iPad mini 7: what we want to see
The iPad mini (2021) is a great slate, but with the following changes the iPad mini 7 would be far better still.
1. Better battery life
In our review we found that the iPad mini (2021)’s battery life was solid but not special. It would last around 8 hours with intensive use, and potentially even less when the Apple Pencil was added to the equation.
The size of the slate may be a limiting factor here as there might simply not be space for a much bigger battery, but the fact is that the likes of the iPad Pro 11 (2021) offer better life, so we’d like Apple to try and make some improvements here for the iPad mini (2023).
2. More power
The iPad mini (2021) isn’t exactly lacking in power. After all, it has the same chipset as the iPhone 13. But it only has 4GB of RAM, and while its chipset is good, it’s no match for the M1 in the latest iPad Pro models.
This is of course a balance for Apple – supercharge the iPad mini too much and the price will inevitably go up, but we imagine there must be a market for a powerful slate with a small screen, so we’d like to see Apple lean into that for the next model, even if it also launches a less powerful version.
3. A stylus in the box
The Apple Pencil is an important accessory for the iPad mini, with the 2021 model even having a connector and charger for it on the right edge of the slate, yet the Apple Pencil doesn’t actually come with the tablet.
Instead, you have to buy it separately, and at quite a high cost. This isn’t so surprising when you consider that none of Apple’s tablets come with a stylus in the box, but the need to buy one makes the overall price of the iPad mini (2021) much less appealing.
Plus, some rival slates such as the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 do come with a stylus included, so we’d love to see Apple do the same for the iPad mini 7.
4. Face ID
Despite sporting a reasonably modern design (with no home button) the iPad mini (2021) still relies on a fingerprint scanner – one built into the power button on the top edge.
This isn’t a terrible option, but we’d love to see Apple add Face ID for the iPad mini 7. If it can keep the fingerprint scanner as well so users have options then all the better, but that’s unlikely to happen.
5. mmWave support
The iPad mini (2021) optionally comes with 5G support, but what it doesn’t have is mmWave support. This is a high frequency form of 5G that offers far higher download speeds, and it’s perhaps not that surprising that it isn’t supported, as most countries have little to no mmWave infrastructure, and even in the US it’s very limited.
But support for it would be handy for those areas that do have it, and it would help future-proof the slate, as mmWave coverage is likely to improve over time. So we want to see this offered by the iPad mini (2023).
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