It's been quiet around the iPad mini for a few years now. The current model is the iPad mini 2019, or the fifth generation. The iPad mini 6 is expected to be released later this year and is therefore also referred to as the iPad mini 2021. 9to5Mac has now learned from sources what the specifications of this new iPad mini are. It looks like it will get the same treatment as last year's iPad Air: a modern design, with the latest A-chip.
‘Specifications iPad mini 2021 leaked’
The iPad mini 2021, codenamed J310, would get an A15 chip. This is the same chip as in the upcoming iPhone 13 series. This would make the iPad mini one of the most powerful iPads in the lineup. Only the iPad Pro line has a better chip, with the latest models featuring M1 chip. The A15 chip is a 5-nanometer chip that again gets some performance improvements compared to the A14. Apple would also be working on an A15X chip, but it is still unclear which iPads it is intended for. It may be intended for a future iPad Air.
Another major change is the arrival of USB-C. The iPad Pro and iPad Air have already switched from Lightning to USB-C, while the iPad mini and standard iPad still have Lightning. That will change for the iPad mini, allowing you to connect multiple types of accessories to this small iPad. Think hard drives, digital still cameras and more. Whether it will be a Thunderbolt connection like in the iPad Pro 2021 is not entirely clear.
New design with Smart Connector on the back
In addition, the iPad mini 2021 will have a Smart Connector on the back, so just like the iPad Pro and iPad Air. This would be the first time the iPad mini will get this connection, which also means Apple would be working on new suitable accessories. Think of a Smart Keyboard, but perhaps also a smaller version of the Magic Keyboard. The iPad mini 2021 will be a bit smaller than the current iPad Air, so existing accessories will not fit.
The iPad mini 2021 will probably also have the new design without a home button, with flat sides. There is a good chance that Apple will again opt for a Touch ID sensor in the power button, although there are no rumors about that yet. It is also questionable whether the current Apple Pencil 2 is suitable. You charge this via the side of iPads, but the side of the iPad mini is a lot shorter than other iPads.
There have been rumors for some time about an iPad mini 6 for the second half of 2021. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and Bloomberg author Mark Gurman, among others, claim that this model will arrive this fall.
‘iPad 2021 gets A13 chip’
Another small detail that the source managed to report is about the iPad 2021. That is the next entry-level iPad that will appear in the fall. According to the source, this model will receive an A13 chip, which is an update compared to the A12 chip that is now in it. Whether there are other improvements is unclear.