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The next generation iPad mini will feature a larger screen and design inspired by the 2019 iPad Air, according to a new report.
Japanese site Mac Otakara reports that the sixth-generation iPad mini will debut in March 2021, citing sources within Apple’s China supply chain.
The new iPad mini will feature a larger 8.4-inch screen instead of the 7.9-inch screen on previous models. It is expected to retain Touch ID and a Lightning port in traditional locations, but could feature a narrower bezel like the 2019 iPad Air 3.
That echoes another recent report from Mac Otakara that the ninth-gen iPad model would be inspired by the 2019 iPad Air, but would otherwise feature some major design changes.
Thus, it is not the first time that a screen size change for the iPad mini has been rumored. Well-connected analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted in 2020 that Apple would launch an iPad mini model in the first half of 2021 with a screen between 8.5 and 9 inches.
The current iPad mini 5 model launched in March 2019 with little change from the previous iteration beyond an A12 Bionic processor and Apple Pencil support. Though changes are lacking, the iPad mini 5 was Apple’s first device update since 2015.
