A new report says that Apple’s long-awaited iPad mini 7 might finally make an appearance in the final quarter of 2023.
In a report on Monday into the global tablet market, DigiTimes says that iPad shipments are ailing but could pick up thanks to a “new small-size iPad” coming “in the fourth quarter.”
“In the second quarter, iPad shipments had a sequential decline higher than those of non-iPad tablets, resulting in iPads' combined shipment share seeing two consecutive quarters of decline,” the report states. According to the report, almost 70% of global tablet shipments are for 10. x-inch display models like Apple's best iPad, the iPad Pro, with brands “all treating the size as the mainstream specification for the mobile device.” However, the iPad mini remains a popular device and DigiTimes says we can expect “the release of Apple’s new model” before the year is out.
iPad mini 7 - coming soon?
Details on the potential new features and changes to the next iPad mini are scant. There was a fleeting rumor back in 2021 that Apple had an 8.3-inch display panel with a 120Hz refresh rate, which would be a significant improvement in terms of both size and display quality. The addition of a ProMotion display seems to be a no-brainer, but it could increase the cost of the new device.
iPad mini 6 was a major design overhaul, so changes here are likely to be less pronounced, but it does come with fun colors that Apple could change up. Other potential improvements include the new A17 Pro chip, or perhaps more likely the A16 Bionic housed in this year’s iPhone 15.
There’s very little expectation of an Apple event taking place in October or November, suggesting the new iPad mini, if it does rear its head before the year is out, could get a muted press release launch befitting of a more incremental update. Take DigiTimes with a pinch of salt, however, as a far more reliable analyst said that new iPad models were unlikely before year’s end earlier in September.
