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.com, Mini-LED Guide
Buyer's Guide: iPad Mini (Buy Now)
Related Forum: iPad

Top Rated Comments

dantracht Avatar
dantracht
9 weeks ago
Day 1 purchase if true. As I've said many times, mini is my favorite iPad.
Score: 31 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Wesd1234 Avatar
Wesd1234
9 weeks 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
9 weeks 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
9 weeks ago
Great, it'll cost $1000.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ddtmm Avatar
ddtmm
9 weeks 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
9 weeks 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

Top Stories

iPad mini pro feature

Next iPad Mini Won't Feature Mini-LED Display, Claims Display Analyst

Friday July 23, 2021 8:07 am PDT by
Yesterday, DigiTimes claimed that the upcoming iPad mini will feature a mini-LED display, but now, display analyst Ross Young is going at odds with that report, claiming that while the updated iPad mini continues to be on track for a release this year, it won't feature a mini-LED display. Young says he "confirmed" with Radiant Opto-Electronics, who DigiTimes claims would provide Apple with...
Read Full Article • 68 comments
iPad mini pro feature 2

iPad Mini 6 to Feature 8.3-Inch Display With No Home Button and Narrower Bezels

Monday July 26, 2021 12:26 pm PDT by
The sixth-generation iPad mini that's in the works will have an 8.3-inch display, according to display analyst Ross Young. That will be larger than the current 7.9-inch display, with the larger size due to the removal of the Home button and a narrower bezel design. Rumors about the iPad mini 6 have been picking up in recent weeks ahead of its prospective launch this fall. Apple analyst...
Read Full Article • 111 comments
iPad mini pro feature

Sketchy Rumor Claims 'iPad Mini Pro' Launching in Second Half of 2021

Wednesday March 3, 2021 3:04 am PST by
Apple is expected to launch a sixth-generation iPad mini in the first half of 2021, possibly as soon as this March, based on long-standing rumors. However, a new rumor out of Asia that has gained traction in the last 24 hours suggests an "iPad mini Pro" will arrive in the second half of this year. According to a post on Korean blog Naver, whose rumor track record is unknown, the device...
Read Full Article • 85 comments
Flat 2021 MacBook Pro Mockup Feature 1

Kuo: MacBook Shipment Growth to Drive Market Adoption of Mini-LED Technology

Monday August 16, 2021 1:14 am PDT by
Apple's use of mini-LED panels in its forthcoming MacBook lineups will catalyze supplier investment and push the entire industry toward adoption of the display technology, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Like the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, Apple's upcoming redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros are expected to feature mini-LED displays. In his latest investor note, seen by MacRumors, Kuo...
Read Full Article • 43 comments
iPad mini pro feature

Apple Developing a Whole New Kind of iPad Mini

Wednesday July 14, 2021 3:12 am PDT by
Apple is believed to be working on a completely new, Pro-style version of the iPad mini, according to recent reports. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman and Debby Wu, Apple is planning to launch a new iPad mini model with narrower screen bezels, with the company also testing a design that does away with the Home button. However, it seems that this is more than a Pro-style redesign of...
Read Full Article
f1631639679

Apple Introduces Redesigned Sixth-Generation iPad Mini With Touch ID, USB-C Port, 5G, and More

Tuesday September 14, 2021 10:17 am PDT by
Apple today announced the sixth-generation iPad mini, featuring a massive redesign with a larger display, an embedded Touch ID sensor in the Power Button, improved performance, a USB-C port, and 5G. The new iPad mini features a completely new design, dismissing the Home Button in favor of a full-screen design with an 8.3-inch display. The display features wide color, an antireflective...
Read Full Article • 260 comments
iPad mini pro feature

iPad Mini Finally Getting Major Update With Pro Design and Larger Display

Friday June 25, 2021 3:12 am PDT by
Apple is planning to give the iPad mini a major update this year, including a Pro-style redesign with a larger display, according to recent reports. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman and Webby Wu, the updated ‌iPad mini‌ will feature narrower screen bezels, with Apple also testing a model that does away with the Home button, in a design that sounds closer to the current iPad Air....
Read Full Article
iPad mini pro feature 2

iPad Mini 6 May Feature 8.38-Inch Display and Launch in October

Tuesday September 14, 2021 6:44 am PDT by
The sixth-generation iPad mini will feature an 8.38-inch display and could launch in October, according to a Japanese accessory listing spotted by Gizmodo Japan. The now-removed Amazon Japan listing shows an Elecom glass screen protector for an all-screen 8.38-inch "small" iPad, presumed to be the upcoming sixth-generation iPad mini. This appears to be the most specific measurement for the...
Read Full Article • 94 comments
iPad mini pro feature

iPad Mini 6 Rumored to Feature A15 Chip and Smart Connector

Tuesday July 20, 2021 7:18 am PDT by
The sixth-generation iPad mini will feature an A15 chip and a Smart Connector, according to a report from 9to5Mac. The next-generation iPad mini is reportedly codenamed "J310" and will feature a number of significant upgrades. The report claims that one of the key features of the new iPad mini will be the A15 chip, which is expected to debut in the iPhone 13 lineup later this year. The A15...
Read Full Article • 138 comments
ipad mini 6 screen increase feature

Sixth-Generation iPad Mini With Smaller Bezels, Larger Display, and Improved Performance Expected to Launch This Fall

Sunday July 11, 2021 11:46 pm PDT by
Apple plans to release its sixth-generation iPad mini this fall with a new design that features slimmer bezels, a larger display, and improved performance, Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman reports. In the latest edition of his weekly "Power On" newsletter, Gurman says the new iPad mini, which is rumored to include an 8.4-inch display, an increase from the current 7.9-inch screen size, is a...
Read Full Article • 127 comments