Apple is finally giving some love to its iPad Mini. The tech giant is planning a major facelift and relaunching the gadget in October, after it reveals a long-awaited foldable iPhone and an updated Apple Watch in September, Bloomberg reported.
Perhaps the biggest change to the iPad Mini will be a new OLED screen. It’s the same type of screen used on iPhones since 2017 and the iPad Pro since 2024, and it allows for higher-quality visuals. According to Bloomberg, the iPad Mini received a new, faster chip two years ago and a design revamp in 2021, but has otherwise remained unchanged.
Bloomberg also reported that updates to the entry-level iPad, iPad Air, and iPad Pro are also coming down the line, but likely not until early next year. And the publication previously reported that an updated Apple Pencil stylus may be released alongside the new iPad Pro.
All these product update rumours follow a historic price hike from Apple. The tech company recently raised prices for products already on its shelves anywhere from US$30 (RM122) to US$300 (RM1,226), citing a shortage in memory chips as chipmakers prioritise high-margin AI chips over more standard chips for devices. Phone prices, however, remained unchanged.
They also come as Apple is expecting a stacked lineup of new, premium gadgets launching this year, including the iPhone 18 and iPhone 18 Pro. One of them, the folding iPhone, could pose an existential threat to the iPad Mini if it’s released as rumoured.
Bloomberg reported as far back as January 2021 that Apple had begun early work on a folding model to compete with similar devices from Samsung, as well as to allow for a larger screen in a smaller format. Samsung’s Galaxy Fold debuted seven years ago in 2019, although it had technical problems out of the gate. Chinese device-maker Huawei also announced its first folding phone in 2019, as well as the first-ever tri-fold smartphone in 2024.
The foldable iPhone is expected to have a display that measures 7.8in when fully opened, compared with the iPad Mini’s 8.3in display. The folding iPhone will also reportedly offer an iPad-like experience when opened. But Bloomberg noted that price is where the iPad Mini could still shine.
The iPad Mini’s current starting price is roughly US$1,500 (RM6,132) cheaper than the rumoured US$2,000 (RM8,176) price point on the folding iPhone, although the OLED display could raise that. Bloomberg noted that the iPad Air may eventually get an OLED upgrade, but the entry-level iPad will likely keep the cheaper LCD screen. – Inc./Tribune News Service
