What you need to know
- New rumors have Apple announcing a big iPad mini refresh this fall.
- Apple's iPad mini hasn't been refreshed since 2019.
Apple's much-neglected iPad mini will get a refresh this fall, according to a new report. The iPad mini is long overdue a new design and we've been hearing rumors for months that such a refresh is in the cards. Now, it seems we'll see it before the year's out.
As part of this week's Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman says that the refreshed iPad mini is ready for a fall launch, also going on to say that it is "the biggest redesign in the nine-year history" of the miniature tablet.
Apple last gave the iPad mini some love back in 2019 and that was nothing more than a processor bump and the addition of Apple Pencil support. This new refresh is thought to be much more comprehensive, with a new design potentially bringing an iPad Air-like removal of the Home button.
The removal of the Home button is unlikely to mean that we get Face ID on the smallest iPad, however. The iPad Air already put Touch ID into its sleep/wake button and a similar move is likely here, although we will obviously need to wait for an official announcement to be sure.
Apple looks set to have a busy fall on its hands. The iPhone 13 launch is big enough all on its lonesome, but Apple Watch Series 7 is also set to be announced and rumors of new Macs won't go away — suggesting a bumper for months for Apple's product teams before 2021 comes to a close.
We wouldn't suggest picking up an iPad mini right now, but the iPad Air is a great machine. In fact, it's arguably the best iPad for most people right now.
