Key Takeaways
- Upgrades like M2/M3 chip, smaller bezels, and an OLED display with ProMotion would be great in the iPad Mini 7.
- Increased storage options are long overdue since the iPad Mini 6 base model only features 64GB of storage.
- Better battery life and support for the new Apple Pencil Pro would also be welcome additions.
The iPad Mini is perfect for reading, note-taking, browsing social media, and project planning. I bought it at launch in 2021, and I’ve used it almost every day since. Three years later, I’m starting to get antsy for an upgrade so here are the features I’m looking forward to seeing.
An M-Series Apple Silicon Chip
The iPad Mini 6 launched with an A15 chip, which was more than serviceable for the time. However, in the era of M4 iPads, it’s probably time for an upgrade. Realistically, I can’t see the new iPad getting an M4 chip, but an M2 or M3 would be a welcome improvement.
The iPad Mini is the only current iPad in Apple’s lineup with an A series chip outside of the base iPad 10th generation, which is also due for a hardware refresh. An M-series Apple Silicon chip would also bring with it a boost in battery life, as they are considerably more energy efficient than the A series.
With many of Apple’s newly announced Apple Intelligence features only available for silicon chips and the A17 Pro, I’m hoping to see a suitably large performance boost on the iPad Mini 7.
Smaller Bezels
Compared to the full lineup of iPads, I feel that the iPad Mini’s thick bezels age it more than anything else. With such a small screen, having as much usable display as possible is extremely important. Apple has made a point to shrink the bezels on all of its products over the years, so I am truly hoping to see the iPad Mini 7 get the same treatment.
At launch, the iPad Mini 6 came with a Liquid Retina Display, not uncommon on iPads at the time. Though it is still a good-looking screen, it doesn’t compare to the beautiful OLED on newer iPad Pro models. Alongside OLED, it would be incredible to see the new iPad Mini 7 come with a ProMotion display that runs at 120Hz instead of the current 60Hz.
I think sharper, more fluid motion would look excellent on a small screen, and look forward to seeing these improvements on the next iPad Mini.
More Storage Options
Currently, the iPad Mini comes with a base storage of 64GB. With so much high-resolution content and lossless music in today’s world, this is far too small to make sense for many users. Apps and games are bigger than ever, so it would be nice to see Apple significantly boost internal storage for the iPad Mini.
I would love to see a base model iPad Mini with at least 128GB. I doubt we’ll see a 2TB option like what is available for the iPad Pro models, but a 512GB iPad Mini would certainly be my pick.
Apple Pencil Pro Support
The iPad Mini 6 launched with full Apple Pencil 2 support, which is a massive part of its appeal to me. The original Apple Pencil’s charging and pairing wasn’t great, and I was not looking forward to having to charge my Pencil through the iPad’s charging port. But with the Apple Pencil 2’s magnetic charging and pairing on the side, these issues were improved tenfold.
Though I am still happy with the Apple Pencil 2, I would love to see a new iPad Mini come with Apple Pencil Pro support. This updated pencil comes with new features including haptic feedback, Find My support, and improved latency and precision. As someone who spends a lot of time taking notes on my iPad Mini, having the ability to use the latest Apple Pencil would be a welcome addition.
I still love my iPad Mini 6, but I’d love to see it get some of the upgrades that other iPads have been enjoying in their new releases. I have my fingers crossed for what’s to come, and needless to say I’ll be watching closely for any updates.
