iPad Mini 7 is expected to debut this month: Everything we know so far

Apple is rumoured to bring a range of new hardware products at the upcoming October event, including the iPad Mini 7th Gen. If the rumours are true, the iPad Mini series will be refreshed after 3 years.

In Short

• Apple to launch new hardware products in October
• The new iPad Mini 7 could have A17 Pro or A18 chip
• It is likely to cost around Rs 45,900

After the release of the iPhone 16 series last month, Apple is reportedly planning to bring more hardware products this month. It is rumoured that the company will refresh the iPad Mini series. The launch is expected to take place with the iOS 18.1 announcement in late October. According to the report by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the October event is scheduled to take place on October 28. However, Apple has not confirmed the final dates and time yet. While the iPad Pro was already updated this year, the entry-level iPads and iPad Mini could see updates. Along with the iPad Mini 7th generation, the company might also unveil the iPad 11th generation at this event.

iPad Mini 7th gen

The next iPad Mini is expected to maintain its 8.3-inch display and sixth-gen design. However, Apple may tackle the "jelly scrolling" issue by rotating the screen assembly. This tweak aims to reduce the noticeable lag when scrolling vertically in portrait mode, addressing a frustration for some current users. The change would provide a smoother scrolling experience. According to Mark Gurman, Apple is working to reduce production costs for the entry-level iPads, though no major design changes are expected. The updated iPad Mini is likely to offer incremental improvements, refining the user experience without overhauling the successful compact design.

The upcoming iPad Mini 7 is anticipated to retain A-series processing, bypassing the M-series chips powering the iPad Pro and iPad Air. Instead, it's expected to utilise either A17 Pro chip (from iPhone 15 Pro) or A18 chip (from iPhone 16).
The device may adopt iPad Air-inspired colours, introducing blue and removing pink. Space grey, starlight, and purple are expected to remain.

Apple may revamp the iPad Mini's front-facing camera by relocating it to the landscape edge, similar to the latest iPad Air. This design shift aims to enhance video calling experiences, particularly in landscape mode. Additionally, the camera may receive HDR 4 support for improved contrast and colour accuracy and wider aperture for better low-light performance.

The iPad Mini 7 is expected to support the Apple Pencil Pro, featuring squeeze gestures, haptic feedback, find My integration and potential hover functionality. This compatibility upgrade enhances creativity, productivity, and precision, making the iPad Mini 7 ideal for digital artists, note-takers, and professionals.

iPad Mini 7th Gen: Expected price

The starting price is expected to remain at $499, with storage potentially doubling to 128GB, offering more value without a price increase. In India, the price is projected to be around Rs 45,900.