iPad mini 6 could arrive without a premium Mini LED display upgrade

Speculation abounds as to what Apple is going to do with the iPad mini 6, due to launch at some point later this year – and the latest rumor is that the scaled-down slate won't get the Mini LED display upgrade that the 12.9-inch iPad Pro has been updated with.

That's according to industry analyst Ross Young, who has been right about upcoming Apple products before, and who has apparently checked with sources in the supply chain working at companies that Apple could be doing business with.

Considering Mini LED tech – which boosts brightness, color and contrast – is only available in Apple's largest and most expensive tablet at the moment, it's perhaps not surprising that it won't be coming to the more affordable iPad mini range for the time being.

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However, a report earlier in the week from DigiTimes had suggested that the iPad mini 6 would indeed come rocking a Mini LED screen. It's also a prediction that's been made by well known Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo in the past as well, so this isn't a rumor that's coming out of nowhere.

Due a refresh

Apple last refreshed the iPad mini back in 2019, so at this point we're overdue an upgrade – it's possible that one was in the pipeline for last year, before a widespread chip shortage and global pandemic caused problems for a lot of electronics manufacturers.

After a two-year gap we can expect some substantial upgrades for the small tablet: the iPad mini 6 is rumored to be coming with a USB-C connector port rather than a Lightning one, smart connectors for clip-on peripherals, and the latest A15 chip from Apple (which also seems destined for the iPhone 13).

It also seems likely that the iPad mini will ditch the home button and the thick bezels this time around, putting it in line with the other tablets that Apple makes: the new thin-bezel style first appeared on the iPad Pros and has since made it to the other slates in the range.

We haven't heard any major leaks or rumors around a launch date for the iPad mini 6, but it's widely expected to be coming at some point in 2021, Mini LED display or no Mini LED display – so that leaves a little over five months for Apple to unveil it.