Based on a recent update from noted Apple leaker Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple’s iPad Mini may turn out to be the vampire of the company’s mobile hardware lineup. I had completely given up hope of anymore updates or refreshes, but it seems that you just can’t kill this thing. According to many of you who have contacted me about the Mini over the last year, that is a good thing.
While giving some additional insights on Apple’s iPad Event next week, Kuo mentioned that an updated iPad Mini is coming, and that it could arrive as soon as this event. However, he did not commit to that, and also said that it could arrive as late as early next year. Considering that no one has been predicting anything about a new Mini up until now, next week seems pretty early.
That said, Kuo also insinuates that this will be a fairly modest update to the Mini. This could explain why it may have avoided detection by supply chain watchers up until now. However, even if it comes this week, I’m not sure the Mini will make an appearance on stage in New York on the 30th. This upgrade may just be announced with a simple press release. This is likely considering how modest this update is predicted to be.
Unfortunately for someone like me, Apple doesn’t seem interested in giving the small tablet a Pro makeover. Rather, Kuo predicts that Apple will simply update the processor and go with a lower-cost screen this time around. It sounds like the new Mini will be more like the iPad than the iPad Pro, but I guess that makes the most sense. While I would be very interested to see Pencil compatibility come to the Mini, that is not mentioned. The standard iPad has it, so maybe the Mini will get the same treatment. Now that would be interesting to me.
I really thought the iPad Mini was a dead device liming toward the finish line. With the arrival of the iPhone XS Max, I just didn’t see any place for it in Apple’s lineup anymore. Add in Apple’s recent neglect of the device and some predictions that it would disappear, and I just didn’t think a new refresh would ever come. While Kuo’s prediction is far from official confirmation, this is still good news for many Apple users. The man knows Apple’s supply chain and has proven to be more reliable than not over the years, so there is good reason for hope that Apple’s small tablet isn’t dead yet.
The iPad Mini still has a some dedicated fans who would love to see it brought up to date. I know this because I have heard from you guys every time I have predicted that the Mini is on its way out. I can also count my daughter among you, as she adopted an old Mini that was still handing around our house. She loves that size device, and chooses to use it over a much newer and more powerful iPad Pro that I handed down to my kids when last year’s Pro’s were released.
Even though I didn’t hold out any hope that Apple would keep the Mini around until this week, I am very happy to be wrong if this report is true. Like long-suffering fans of the Mac Mini (who’s patience should be rewarded in a few days), fans of the iPad Mini deserve some love from Apple. I sincerely hope you get it.
What do you think about an update to the iPad Mini? Are you still hanging onto an older version? Is it still your preferred tablet size? If this report is true, will you be buying one? Let me know in the Comments section below, on Flipboard, our Facebook page, on Twitter, or on our new Instagram account.
© jhrogersii for iPad Insight, 2018. |
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Post tags: iPad, iPad mini, Mac Mini, Ming-Chi Kuo
