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Last week was a big week for the iPad, and I have a feeling it’s going to be an even bigger week for Apple’s tablet come 10th June when WWDC kicks off and – one hopes – we see some significant updates to iPadOS.
The iPad Air and iPad Pro launches signal the end to the longest drought for the entire range. People have been calling out for an OLED-based edition of the flagship iPad for quite some time, and the emergence of a 13-inch iPad Air was a masterstroke by Apple. The latter will, surely, sell by the bucketload.
I’ve published a fair few YouTube videos about the iPad Pro already this year. From musings about what might arrive to an off-the-cuff reaction following the unveiling of the M4 iPad Pro, I’ve enjoyed lending my voice to the conversation. I always do when it comes to the iPad – it’s one of Apple’s most fascinating and often misunderstood products.
However, every time I publish a video about the iPad Pro, the comments section quickly becomes the most interesting element of that piece of content. You’d expect it to be full of people lending their own thoughts about the latest iteration of Apple’s biblically powerful tablet, wouldn’t you?
It is. But that isn’t what catches my eye every single time.
The baying mini mob
“Sitting here waiting for the iPad mini.”
“Does anyone know if the iPad mini Pro rumours are true?”
“Bro can’t wait to get his hands on the new iPad Pro and all I want is the new iPad mini.”
“I don’t care about the iPad Pro. Where’s the iPad mini 7?!”
I find it mildly hilarious that the comments section of my iPad Pro content is always awash with people yelling for the new iPad mini. Even when Apple launches an iPad that is the thinnest product they’ve ever made and which contains a chip that’s newer and more capable than anything you can place into a current Mac, all these people want is the next edition of the little iPad.
I understand why. The iPad mini 6 is one of Apple’s oldest current products and it’s crying out for an update. A new chip, a better display, FaceID, and new official accessories are all long overdue.
If you own an iPad mini or have had the chance to use one for an extended period of time, you’ll know that it immediately turns into one of your favourite devices. The size is perfect; it’s not small enough to replace your smartphone, and it’s not big enough to be a laptop. This means it sits in a category entirely of its own making and it’s one that offers all kinds of utility.
Note taking device. Content consumption contraption. eBook reader. Casual games console. It’s an addictive and incredibly useful little thing. I use mine all the time for note-taking and for referring to bullet points while shooting videos. I could live without it – but I don’t want to (and I can’t say that at the moment about any other iPad).
Is it just me?
Despite the endless cries for a new iPad mini, there is one concern that still weighs heavily on my mind.
While I’ve published a lot of content about the iPad Pro, it doesn’t come close to how many videos and blog posts I’ve put out there about the iPad mini. I’m one of the ‘iPad mini guys’ on YouTube, alongside my good friend, Patrick Rambles.
This means I’ve built a niche audience around the iPad mini. It’s not the only thing I talk about, obviously, but YouTube’s algorithm does favour consistency, and if I publish a video about an iPad mini, it’s far more likely to draw in a big crowd that contains many return visitors.
Does this make the iPad mini a niche product? Possibly. It’s my greatest fear – that Apple’s little tablet doesn’t, in reality, sell well enough for Tim Cook.
This happened to the iPhone 13 mini, which remains Apple’s best smartphone to date, in my opinion. I built a huge following through my gushing coverage of that smartphone and my audience adored it as much as I did. But it clearly didn’t work for Apple; the iPhone 13 mini was ultimately that form factor’s swan song.
I hope I’m wrong. I hope the iPad mini is loved by Apple just as much as it is by us, and I sincerely hope that the numbers on Tim’s spreadsheet are heading in the right direction to justify a new version.
This brings me onto the next big question.
iPad mini 7, or iPad mini Pro?
Let’s assume that the iPad mini’s future is safe. If that’s the case, I think there are two options for Apple: simply iterate on the sixth generation, or make the mini, Pro.
What would these options look like? Well, an iPad mini 7 would probably receive nothing more than a new chip (the M1 feels like it would be the right fit, given the current trajectory of the iPad lineup), a mildly updated camera system (if we’re lucky), and a couple of new colour options.
That’s not very exciting, is it? In fact, it barely feels worth bothering. As I noted recently, if you want an iPad mini now there’s actually nothing wrong with plumping for the sixth generation – it remains a brilliant tablet.
If Apple has indeed been working on a new version of the iPad mini, I hope they’ve been putting in a lot more effort than that. As always, you only need to look to my audience for a pointer as to where Apple should be focusing its development efforts.
A lot of the comments I see that call out for a new iPad mini include the word ‘Pro’.
Imagine an iPad mini with an M2 chip, a ProMotion-equipped display, FaceID, support for the Apple Pencil Pro, and an iPhone Pro-level camera system. What a little beast that would be. Add in a Magic Keyboard mini, and you’ve got an iPad that would smoke the competition (which barely exists, as it is).
Will Apple do that? I’m genuinely not sure. Let’s not forget that rumours surrounding the long-awaiting AirPods Max 2 suggest we’re going to see nothing more than a USB-C port and new colours. Apple has always been keen on gentle iteration, rather than throwing everything at the wall and taking huge strides forward.
Arguably, the stuff I’ve listed above for a theoretical iPad mini Pro aren’t huge strides forward – all of that stuff exists already. We just need it added to Apple’s best iPad, please, Tim.
Final thought (for now)
My reviews of the M4 iPad Pro and the 13-inch iPad Air will arrive next week. That’s my focus now, as it is Apple’s. Equally, with WWDC on the horizon and what is likely to be a significant boost in AI capabilities for that beefy new M4 chip, there’s going to be a lot to test and talk about.
However, come the autumn, I’ll have everything crossed for that new iPad mini. And I desperately hope Apple decides to finally give it that Pro moniker.
Hey, if they can do it with the Apple Pencil…!
