Apple will label Wi-Fi-only and cellular models of the third-generation iPad mini as obsolete products in a few weeks, according to a memo sent out earlier today obtained by MacRumors.
Currently, only a specific cellular variant of the iPad mini 3 is marked as obsolete, but this will soon change. The third-generation iPad mini kept the same design as its predecessor but included improved performance thanks to the A7 chip and a Touch ID home button.
Apple designates products as obsolete seven years after they were last on sale. All hardware service is discontinued for obsolete products, and service providers are not able to order parts for obsolete devices.
Monday January 26, 2026 1:55 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple today introduced its first two physical products of 2026: a second-generation AirTag and the Black Unity Connection Braided Solo Loop for the Apple Watch.
Read our coverage of each announcement to learn more:Apple Unveils New AirTag With Longer Range, Louder Speaker, and More
Apple Introduces New Black Unity Apple Watch BandBoth the new AirTag and the Black Unity Connection Braided...
Monday January 26, 2026 3:56 pm PST by Juli Clover
Alongside iOS 26.2.1, Apple today released an updated version of iOS 12 for devices that are still running that operating system update, eight years after the software was first released.
iOS 12.5.8 is available for the iPhone 5s and the iPhone 6, meaning Apple is continuing to support these devices for 13 and 12 years after launch, respectively. The iPhone 5s came out in September 2013,...
Tuesday January 27, 2026 2:39 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Update: Apple Creator Studio is now available.
Apple Creator Studio launches this Wednesday, January 28. The all-in-one subscription provides access to the Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, Pixelmator Pro, Motion, Compressor, and MainStage apps, with U.S. pricing set at $12.99 per month or $129 per year.
A subscription to Apple Creator Studio also unlocks "intelligent features" and "premium...
Thursday January 29, 2026 10:07 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple today confirmed to Reuters that it has acquired Q.ai, an Israeli startup that is working on artificial intelligence technology for audio.
Apple paid close to $2 billion for Q.ai, according to sources cited by the Financial Times. That would make this Apple's second-biggest acquisition ever, after it paid $3 billion for the popular headphone and audio brand Beats in 2014.
Q.ai has...
Monday January 26, 2026 6:07 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple today introduced the second-generation AirTag, with key features including longer range for tracking items and a louder speaker.
For those who are not familiar, the AirTag is a small accessory that you can attach to your backpack, keys, or other items. Then, you can track the location of those items in the Find My app on the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and iCloud.com.
The new...
The third-generation iPad mini kept the same design as its predecessor but included improved performance thanks to the A7 chip and a Touch ID home button.
Nah, the only change was the addition of Touch ID. A weird generation.
Is this the one I bought that was replaced in the lineup super fast? I forget.
I think you are referring to iPad 3, which was the first retina ipad but with very slow processor. It was replaced by ipad 4 within 8 months I believe. I've been burned couple of times by Apple with 1st revisions, but this was one very annoying because damn thing was very slow.
A total piece of junk. It scored dead last on both Single and Multi core Geekbench. It even scored lower than the iPad 2 and 1st Gen Mini.
Single
Multi
91Tech on youtube literally rates iPad mini 3 as F (aka trash tier) because it is such a pointless update, not justifying the name change at all. iPad 10 at least brings some changes to the table to make it somewhat new. iPad mini 3 has almost none of that. No, just adding touch ID is not "some changes".
