A string of reports has painted a pretty picture of the iPad mini 6, expected later in 2021, as Apple's next small-body tablet sounds a lot like the iPad Pro (2021) - except in terms of size, as the 'mini' name suggests.
The latest information is that the iPad mini 6 could get a mini LED screen, just like the Pro model - this comes from website Digitimes, speaking with industry insiders. Apparently shipments of mini LED displays are ramping up, ready for the iPad mini 6, which Digitimes says will launch in August, as well as 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros said to be launching between then and September.
Mini LED is a display technology that's sort of like LCD, but with smaller back-lighting modules which in turn improves contrast, color and brightness. Basically, it's a halfway house between LCD displays and OLED displays, the latter of which is considered better for mobile tech like tablets and smartphones.
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- Check out our iPad mini (2019) review
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The iPad Pro (2021) was Apple's first foray into mini LEDs for its handheld tech, ahead of a rumored embrace of OLED displays for future Pro-level iPads. Apparently, the company is copying that journey for its smaller-scale iPads too.
Take this with a pinch of salt, though - literally two days prior to the news breaking, a separate source said the iPad mini 6 won't use mini LED. So it's definitely not set in stone.
Still, almost every new leak makes the iPad mini 6 sound more like the iPad Pro, which is great for people who want a powerful slate in a small form factor, but less useful for entry-level users who just want a cheap and cheery tablet. Saying that, we've been hearing rumors of an iPad mini Pro (or Pro mini) so maybe the leaks refer to that.
We'll have to wait until later in the year to see what the iPad mini 6 is like - August according to this leak, but possibly September if it launches alongside the iPhone 13. Before that, as we've said the tablet is leaking all the time, so we'll bring you all the important information as it comes.
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