Many rumors have indicated that Apple is set to release the sixth generation of the iPad mini as soon as this fall, and an exclusive report from 9to5Mac has revealed additional details on what we can expect.
First, the next iteration will feature the A15 chip that’s set to debut on the upcoming iPhone 13 series. If that’ll be the case, then this would be the first time that the latest A-series chip would appear first on the smallest iPad model. The A15 chip is expected to be based on the same 5nm technology as the A14 chip. For the higher-end iPad models, we could see a more powerful variant of the A15 chip, possibly a A15X on iPad Air and M2 on iPad Pro.
As iPads are moving towards USB-C for connecting peripherals and accessories, the iPad mini is also expected to feature the USB-C port in place of the Lightning port. In addition to the USB-C port, Apple will also bring the Smart Connector to the small form factor for the very first time. The usage of the Smart Connector remains unclear because if Apple were to feature a Smart or Magic Keyboard for an iPad mini, it would be too cramped to type on.
9to5Mac also reported that the entry-level iPad would be updated with an A13 chip found on the iPhone 11 series. However, this would be unprecedented for Apple as Apple tends to update the processor for the base iPad every other year over the past few years.
Other features we can expect to see based on other rumors are the larger 8.4-inch display with uniform bezels and a modern iPad Pro-style redesign.
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