The current-generation iPad mini was introduced back in September 2021 and hasn’t been updated since. What’s next for the iPad mini? Rumors suggest an update could come later this year with an improved display, faster performance, and more.
What’s next for the iPad mini?
New display
The next-generation iPad mini will reportedly have an improved display to help resolve “jelly scrolling” problems.
According to a rumor, Apple has changed the direction of the iPad mini’s screen assembling to help reduce the effects of the jelly scrolling design flaw. Despite this improvement, the iPad mini 7’s display will still be limited to 60Hz and use LCD screen technology.
Jelly scrolling is when half of a device’s display refreshes noticeably slower than the other half. This results in a sort of wobble effect, hence the “jelly scrolling” name. Apple is currently battling a class-action lawsuit that alleges the jelly scrolling display issue makes the iPad mini 6 “unusable.”
Faster performance
The next-generation iPad mini will feature faster performance. The current iPad mini is powered by the A15 Bionic chip, while a reliable leaker on Weibo says the new model will feature an A16 Bionic
This isn’t a dramatic upgrade, and performance will still lag behind the A17 and A18 chips used in the most recent iPhone models. Still, users can expect a modest boost in both CPU and GPU performance. Benchmarks have shown that the A16 Bionic is around 10% faster in most tasks compared to the A15 Bionic.
Other components in the iPad mini 7 will also be updated, including support for Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3.
More changes
In addition to upgraded performance and the improved display, what can we expect to see with the iPad mini 7?
- According to “Instant Digital” on Weibo, the new iPad mini 7 will be available in new colors. For context, the current iPad mini comes in purple, starlight, pink, and space gray.
- The Weibo account also says new iPad mini 7 will feature an upgraded camera, but no specific details are available.
Wrap up: The iPad mini’s future
The new iPad mini 7 will be released later this year, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman as well as Ming-Chi Kuo.
Looking further into the future, Apple is expected to bring more advanced OLED displays to the iPad mini. We’re years away from this becoming a reality, though.
What do you think of the current iPad mini and Apple’s plans for the future? Let us know down in the comments.
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