A new iPad mini 7 is still coming, but you might have to wait a bit longer

(Image credit: Maury Page / Unsplash)

published 11 December 2023

Almost every time Apple announced a launch event in 2023 it was met with rumours and cries for a new iPad mini, but to no avail.

The company launched plenty of new products throughout the year, but the iPad mini 7 was not one of them. We've now not had a refresh of the smaller tablet in over two years.

The 6th generation iPad mini is still the current model and is looking (ironically) long-in-the-tooth in comparison with its family members. There might even be some wondering if we'll ever get a new model.

Well, thankfully Apple expert and Bloomberg journalist, Mark Gurman, suggests that it is still on the cards. But, he also sends a warning for those eagerly-awaiting its arrival – other new iPad models are expected to launch first.

Writing in his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman suggests that new iPad Pro and iPad Air tablets will be unveiled in March, but the next iPad mini will be refreshed "later".

It might not be as much a generational leap as the Pro models should be, with just a "faster processor" currently being mentioned.

We might find it also gains compatibility with more recent Apple Pencil models though, as the newsletter also reveals that Apple plans to "slowly phase out some of its older Pencils".

This, says Gurman, is part of a wider scheme to clean up the overall iPad family offering, which has become cluttered over time.

As part of this, there will be a bigger differentiation between the iPad Pro and iPad Air models, with the Pro devices gaining OLED displays and more powerful processing in the form of Apple's M3 silicon.

They will also be fractionally larger (in screen size), at 11- and 13-inches, in comparison with 10.9- and 12.9-inch Air equivalents.

There will also be an 11th generation standard iPad launched next year, with the 9th gen model removed from sale. And that will mark the end of the older design with Touch ID for good.

This will apparently remove the "confusion" around Apple's existing lineup and set the stall for a reinvigoration of the tablet range.

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Rik is T3’s news editor, which means he looks after the news team and the up-to-the-minute coverage of all the hottest gadgets and products you’ll definitely want to read about. And, with more than 35 years of experience in tech and entertainment journalism, including editing and writing for numerous websites, magazines, and newspapers, he’s always got an eye on the next big thing.

Rik also has extensive knowledge of AV, TV streaming and smart home kit, plus just about everything to do with games since the late 80s. Prior to T3, he spent 13 years at Pocket-lint heading up its news team, and was a TV producer and presenter on such shows as Channel 4's GamesMaster, plus Sky's Games World, Game Over, and Virtual World of Sport.