iPad mini 6 might steal one of the iPad Pro's best features

News
By Philip Michaels
published

A Mini-LED display could be in the cards for the next iPad mini, according to a new report

iPad mini 6 renders
(Image credit: Jon Prosser / RendersbyIan / Front Page Tech)

Apple is reportedly working on a new iPad mini, tipped to launch in the fall alongside the rumored iPhone 13 and other devices from Cupertino. 

And the latest rumor has the iPad mini 6 set to get a mini-LED display, much like the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, only in a compact form.  Furthermore, Apple upcoming 14-inch MacBook Pro 2021 and 16-inch MacBook Pro 2021 are also set to get mini-LED displays. 

That's according to a report by Digitimes regarding an Apple supplier ramping up mini-LED production by the end of the September quarter. As noted by MacRumors, which spied the report, that timing lines up with the rumored launch dates for Apple's iPad mini 6 as well as the new MacBook Pro models.

As we reported when the 12.9-inch iPad Pro debuted, a mini-LED array on the back of an LCD panel uses smaller diodes than standard LEDs. That lets manufacturers pack in hundreds of diodes, making screens brighter with better contrast and deeper blacks. Mini-LED is particularly beneficial for high dynamic range content.

This isn't the first hint that the iPad mini 6 might sport Mini-LED technology. Analyst Ming Chi-Kuo, who's fairly respected when it comes to Apple rumors, has said as much about a mini-LED-sporting iPad mini. 

The rumor always struck us as a stretch, considering that the 11-inch iPad Pro released alongside the 12.9-inch model doesn't support the feature. But perhaps Apple is hoping to broaden the number of products it has with the technology.

Mini-LED is the only hot rumor surrounding the next iPad mini, which hasn't seen a new version since 2019. The screen size on the new tablet is expected to increase, as Apple looks to shrink the bezel surrounding the mini's display. 

A report this week suggested the tablet would use the same A15 Bionic processor widely expected to power this fall's iPhone 13 releases; that same report claims the mini will add a magnetic SmartConnector and USB-C.

We could find out soon enough just what Apple will pack into the iPad mini 6. Bloomberg has forecast a fall launch date for the smallest iPad.

Philip Michaels
Philip Michaels

Philip Michaels is a Managing Editor at Tom's Guide. He's been covering personal technology since 1999 and was in the building when Steve Jobs showed off the iPhone for the first time. He's been evaluating smartphones since that first iPhone debuted in 2007, and he's been following phone carriers and smartphone plans since 2015. He has strong opinions about Apple, the Oakland Athletics, old movies and proper butchery techniques. Follow him at @PhilipMichaels.