Vertical Divider

Apple to Release New iPad Mini Adopting iPad Air Design
 
The new iPad mini, codenamed J310, will be powered by Apple’s latest A15 processor, feature USB-C connectivity, and include a magnetic Smart Connector. The A15 chip will use the same 5-nanometer fabrication process as the A14. Apple is also designing a more powerful A15X variant that could be used in other iPads down the line. The new iPad mini will also feature USB-C connectivity on the bottom similar to the iPad Pro and the latest iPad Air, which will open the iPad mini up to a wide array of peripherals and accessories beyond the Lightning connector that the current iPad mini uses. The redesigned iPad mini will also feature magnetic Smart Connector similar to the iPad Air and iPad Pro, indicating Apple plans to release Smart Connector-capable accessories for the new iPad mini.
 
Apple is also planning a new version of the entry-level iPad, codenamed J181, with an A13 chip inside. The current 10.2-inch entry-level iPad is powered by the A12 Bionic chip, so this would represent a notable jump in performance for Apple’s most affordable tablet. The entry-level iPad could adopt a design similar to the iPad Air 3 that was originally introduced in 2019. Apple last updated the iPad mini in 2019, bringing a faster A12 Bionic processor as well as other improvements and Apple Pencil support. Last May, Ming-Chi Kuo reported that Apple would release an iPad mini between 8.5 inches and 9 inches.