Respected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today released a report that said Apple will begin shipping its first foldable iPhone in 2023. The same report also included a tidbit about the iPad mini. Kuo said that a touch-panel supplier will benefit from the release of a new iPad mini in the second half of 2021.
In April, Apple unveiled the latest generation of its iPad Pro line featuring a new mini-LED display, M1 processor, and 5G support. Some reports had expected an iPad mini refresh to also debut in the spring.
However, it seems that an update to the small iPad, which Apple only updates infrequently, should now be expected in the fall.
Ming-Chi Kuo has previously said that Apple is working on a new form factor iPad mini with a 9-inch display. It is optimistically expected to look like a smaller version of the iPad Air, reducing screen bezels and moving Touch ID to the side button. Japanese publication Macotakara has said that the new iPad mini will feature an 8.4-inch display, up from the current generation’s 7.9-inch size.
Apple currently sells the iPad mini at a starting price of $399 for a 64GB configuration. The cheapest iPad in the lineup, the $329 iPad, starts at 32GB and was refreshed with an updated processor last year. The cheap iPad is also believed to be getting another refresh at some point in 2021, perhaps alongside the iPad mini in the fall.
