Larger 8.4-inch display seen for upcoming sixth-gen Apple iPad mini

During fiscal 2020, Apple saw a resurgence in tablet sales thanks to the pandemic. The company sold $23.72 billion worth of iPad units over fiscal 2020 for a gain of 11.5% on an annual basis; some employees were (and still are) forced to work from home and children are turning to tablets for their homeschooling and distance learning needs. Additionally, iPads provide users of all ages with entertainment options.

According to Mac Otakara, Apple plans on offering a sixth-generation iPad mini this coming March. The Japanese-based site cites sources working inside Apple's supply chain. Perhaps the biggest improvement will be the larger display on the new model which is expected to be 8.4-inches compared to the 7.9-inch screen used on all previous versions of the device. Unlike the new fourth-generation iPad Air, the new iPad mini will keep Touch ID on the bottom bezel. The latest iPad Air integrates the fingerprint sensor with the slate's power button. One possible change to the sixth-gen iPad mini would result in a narrower frame similar to 2019's third-generation iPad Air.

The new Mac Otakara report dovetails with a note passed along to TF International clients back in May by prescient analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. The latter is so connected to the company that he can tell you what the soup of the day will be in the Apple cafeteria three years from now. The analyst said eight months ago that Apple's 2021 iPad mini will carry a 9-inch display using mini-LED technology. The device could be powered by Apple's current A14 Bionic chipset; this component already is found inside the new iPad Air (2020) and the iPhone 12 series. It is manufactured using TSMC's 5nm process node and includes a huge jump in the number of transistors inside each chip from 8.5 billion to 11.8 billion making the new integrated circuit more powerful and energy-efficient.

In March 2019, Apple updated the iPad mini for the first time since 2015. The fifth-generation iPad mini is equipped with a 7nm A12 Bionic chipset featuring 6.9 billion transistors. Apple added support for the first-generation Apple Pencil with this device.