Next-Generation iPad Mini Will Reportedly Feature a Mini-LED Display

by

Apple is widely rumored to be planning a new iPad mini with a significant redesign, including a larger 8.5-inch to 9-inch display with slimmer bezels, a Touch ID power button instead of a home button, a USB-C port instead of a Lightning connector, and more.

iPad mini pro feature
According to a paywalled preview of a DigiTimes report today, the sixth-generation iPad mini will also feature a mini-LED display:

BLU maker Radiant to kick off shipments for Apple mini-LED backlit devices in 3Q21
Radiant Optoelectronics will kick off shipments of its backlight units for the upcoming mini LED-backlit MacBook Pro and iPad mini later in the third quarter, with the shipments to expand in volume in the fourth quarter, according to industry sources.

The full report should be published by tomorrow with further details.

Compared to traditional LCDs, mini-LED backlighting offers benefits like higher brightness, improved contrast, and deeper blacks.

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has previously stated that an iPad mini with a mini-LED display was in the works, but he said it would be a 7.9-inch model launching in 2020, a prediction that failed to materialize. Nevertheless, a mini-LED iPad mini certainly remains plausible as Apple expands the display technology across its product lineup, starting with the 12.9-inch iPad Pro earlier this year and the MacBook Pro likely next.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman and Debby Wu previously reported that the new iPad mini will be announced later this year, and mini-LED display-related component shipments kicking off in the third quarter of the year lends credence to that timeframe.

9to5Mac's Chance Miller recently reported that the next iPad mini will also feature the same A15 chip as the upcoming iPhone 13 lineup, and a Smart Connector for easily connecting compatible keyboards, while leaker Jon Prosser said the device will sport dramatically improved speakers and have compatibility with a new, smaller Apple Pencil.

The current iPad mini was released in March 2019 and features a 7.9-inch display, an A12 chip, and a Touch ID home button.

Related Roundup: iPad mini
Tags: DigiTimes, Mini-LED Guide
Buyer's Guide: iPad Mini (Buy Now)
Related Forum: iPad

Popular Stories

iphone 16 display

iPhone 17's Scratch Resistant Anti-Reflective Display Coating Canceled

Monday April 28, 2025 12:48 pm PDT by
Apple may have canceled the super scratch resistant anti-reflective display coating that it planned to use for the iPhone 17 Pro models, according to a source with reliable information that spoke to MacRumors. Last spring, Weibo leaker Instant Digital suggested Apple was working on a new anti-reflective display layer that was more scratch resistant than the Ceramic Shield. We haven't heard...
Read Full Article • 111 comments
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Reaches Key Milestone Ahead of Mass Production

Monday April 28, 2025 8:44 am PDT by
Apple has completed Engineering Validation Testing (EVT) for at least one iPhone 17 model, according to a paywalled preview of an upcoming DigiTimes report. iPhone 17 Air mockup based on rumored design The EVT stage involves Apple testing iPhone 17 prototypes to ensure the hardware works as expected. There are still DVT (Design Validation Test) and PVT (Production Validation Test) stages to...
Read Full Article • 27 comments
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Blue

20th Anniversary iPhone Likely to Be Made in China Due to 'Extraordinarily Complex' Design

Monday April 28, 2025 4:29 am PDT by
Apple will likely manufacture its 20th anniversary iPhone models in China, despite broader efforts to shift production to India, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In 2027, Apple is planning a "major shake-up" for the iPhone lineup to mark two decades since the original model launched. Gurman's previous reporting indicates the company will introduce a foldable iPhone alongside a "bold"...
Read Full Article • 123 comments
apple watch ultra yellow

What's Next for the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Apple Watch SE 3

Friday April 25, 2025 2:44 pm PDT by
This week marks the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch, which launched on April 24, 2015. Yesterday, we recapped features rumored for the Apple Watch Series 11, but since 2015, the Apple Watch has also branched out into the Apple Watch Ultra and the Apple Watch SE, so we thought we'd take a look at what's next for those product lines, too. 2025 Apple Watch Ultra 3 Apple didn't update the...
Read Full Article • 65 comments
iphone 17 air iphone 16 pro

iPhone 17 Air USB-C Port May Have This Unusual Design Quirk

Wednesday April 30, 2025 3:59 am PDT by
Apple is preparing to launch a dramatically thinner iPhone this September, and if recent leaks are anything to go by, the so-called iPhone 17 Air could boast one of the most radical design shifts in recent years. iPhone 17 Air dummy model alongside iPhone 16 Pro (credit: AppleTrack) At just 5.5mm thick (excluding a slightly raised camera bump), the 6.6-inch iPhone 17 Air is expected to become ...
Read Full Article • 131 comments
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 13 New Features

Wednesday April 23, 2025 8:31 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
Read Full Article
iPhone 17 Pro on Desk Feature

All iPhone 17 Models Again Rumored to Feature 12GB of RAM

Tuesday April 29, 2025 3:36 am PDT by
All upcoming iPhone 17 models will come equipped with 12GB of RAM to support Apple Intelligence, according to the Weibo-based leaker Digital Chat Station. The claim from the Chinese leaker, who has sources within Apple's supply chain, comes a few days after industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that the iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max will all be equipped with 12GB of RAM. ...
Read Full Article • 83 comments
AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Tuesday April 29, 2025 1:30 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
Read Full Article • 102 comments

Top Rated Comments

dantracht Avatar
dantracht
49 months ago
Day 1 purchase if true. As I've said many times, mini is my favorite iPad.
Score: 31 Votes (Like | Disagree)
fwmireault Avatar
fwmireault
49 months ago
The rumors about future ipad screen technologies make absolutely zero sense. Mini-LED for iPad mini, OLED for the Air, mini-LED for the 11 inch iPad Pro, 12,9 going to OLED in two years. Please leakers do something to give a logic to all these claims
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sean+mac Avatar
sean+mac
49 months ago
Seems odd they would skip mini-LED in the smaller Pro only to bring it to the Mini shortly after, unless the display is going to have other trade offs (like brightness range and no ProMotion.)
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
HiVolt Avatar
HiVolt
49 months ago
Great, it'll cost $1000.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ddtmm Avatar
ddtmm
49 months ago
I've been waiting since January when I heard the rumours that they were going to be released in March. It's been a long but wait but worthwhile. It will be a pretty awesome iPad with the larger screen (but not too large), LED display and hopefully USB-C. Everyone's needs are different but I've always preferred the Mini over the others. Pretty cool little package.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
appledos Avatar
appledos
49 months ago
I loved my mini, my mini 2, my mini 4, my mini 5. I would upgrade instantly for a better camera (with a flash for pity's sake) and maybe stereo speakers. Everything else about it is perfect.

edit: I just looked at my last message on MacRumors, which was from 2018, and it was wishing for a better camera and a built-in flash. The more things change I guess.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments