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Where are the new iPads, Apple?
That’s all us tech commentators, reviewers, and news wranglers have been asking over the last few weeks, isn’t it?
Or has it been months? Possibly. I’ve lost count.
Regardless, Apple has consistently disproved all rumoured timescales for iPad releases for quite some time now. It has become an in-joke among tech content creators, but, I’d image, a right old pain in the you-know-what for anyone who wants to actually buy a new iPad.
I have some good news, though. If you’re after an iPad mini and you’re wondering when on earth Apple is going to drop the iPad mini 7, there’s a far more immediate solution.
Just buy the iPad mini 6. Today.
No, really – here’s six reasons why that’s a good idea.
1. A new one ain’t coming any time soon
According to the latest rumours (yeah, I know), the iPad mini 7 probably isn’t going to see the light of day until the end of this year.
So-called experts who are ‘familiar with the matter’ are still suggesting we’ll see new iPads before WWDC this June, but they’re more likely to be the long-awaited updates to the iPad Pro and iPad Air. Oh, and a new Apple Pencil. And possibly a new Magic Keyboard.
The base model iPad and the iPad mini appear to be on a much longer timescale, with rumour mill veteran, Mark Gurman, using the immortal phrase “at the earliest” when noting that those updates are more likely to happen towards the tail end of 2024.
Waiting on Apple remains a fool’s game – particularly when it comes to our favourite little iPad.
2. It’s still the best note taker
I’m so boring about this, aren’t I?
There’s a reason I’m always telling you that the iPad mini is the best digital note-taker, and that’s because it is.
However, I’ve got a fresh reason to wave this flag again – my experience with the Samsung S24 Ultra.
Regular readers will be aware that I’ve recently switched full-time to Samsung’s flagship, from the iPhone 15 Pro Max. I’m enjoying the experience of being a Samsung Person already, but there’s one troubling element of that phone that I still cannot get my head around.
It’s the stylus. The S Pen. The ’Spen’, as true Samsung People call it.
I hate writing with that thing. It’s small, fiddly, and the S24 Ultra isn’t wide enough to securely rest your palm anywhere.
Big iPads are too big for note-taking. The S24 Ultra is, clearly, too small for note-taking.
The iPad mini? It’s perfect.
3. You can grab a bargain
Let’s get one thing straight: the iPad mini is not a cheap iPad. At £569 for the 64GB version, and a whopping £749 for the 256GB version – and with no storage option in between – it probably feels like a perilous purchase in 2024, given its age.
But who says you need to buy new? If you do, Amazon is always worth a quick sniff; at the time of writing, you can save £40 on the 64GB version.
However, the real savings can be found on the Apple refurb store, where you can often save up to £110 on the 256GB model. Those devices are, basically, brand new, and come with some warranty, too.
Dig a little deeper, and you’ll find refurb stores littered across the web with massive savings on pre-owned iPads. I’ve seen the 64GB version available for just £389 on such websites. You can grab one on BestBuy here for only $379.
Tread carefully with unrecognised stores, of course, but if you dig deeper, you can find your perfect iPad mini at a vastly discounted rate.
4. You may not need a bigger iPad
I have a harder time inserting larger iPads into my work and life than I do the iPad mini.
This has forever been the case. As much as I love and am impressed by the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, it never quite sticks; I just can’t find a use case that makes sense, long term.
The same goes for the weird 10-inch iPad, and the brilliant iPad Air. For media consumption, those bigger iPads excel, and they can make for wonderfully occasional laptop replacements.
But that’s the problem – I always return to the MacBook.
The iPad mini sits in a class of its own. It’s not big enough to be a laptop replacement (although I would still dearly love a Magic Keyboard mini) but it has enough of a size advantage over most smartphones to be highly useful for a lot of people.
What do you want – an iPad that initially impresses you but which inevitably gathers dust thereafter, or one that’s travels with you everywhere?
5. There’s a reason you’re reading this blog post
You want an iPad mini, don’t you?
You’ve been researching this for ages. Months. Years, maybe.
You’ve leapt on any rumour that has surfaced about the iPad mini in the desperate hope that finally the iPad mini 7 is on the way.
You’ve been let down each and every time that rumoured launch date has passed.
You still want an iPad mini.
You’re fed up with waiting on Apple.
Buy that iPad mini. Now.
6. The kicker: what if Apple DOESN’T update it?
Here’s a thought: what if Apple has no plans whatsoever to launch an iPad mini 7? What if the iPad mini 6 is actually that form factor’s swan song?
It’s not beyond the realms of possibility. The iPad mini 6 was launched in September 2021. That means it’ll be three years old later this year. Why hasn’t Apple updated it already? We’ve had countless iPad chips head into other devices since then, and every other iPad has received some form of update.
From where I stand, the iPad mini has a huge following – but it’s important to remember that I’m only seeing a tiny, condensed section of iPad owners. Just like the iPhone 13 mini, that fanbase may not be big enough for Apple.
The sales numbers for the iPad mini may not stack up – Tim Cook may have already pulled the plug due to red cells and declining lines on his spreadsheet.
If that’s the case, there really is no point in waiting for anything – I’d grab that last iPad mini while it still exists.
Wrap up
The final item on my list is a last-gasp prediction for what’s going on behind the scenes; I don’t truly believe it’s the end of the line for the iPad mini. At least, I hope it isn’t.
Regardless, I still think it’s a great idea to buy the iPad mini 6 today. There are downsides, of course; the hardware is aging, there’s no ProMotion, the selfie camera is in the wrong place and the main camera system is so-so. It’s also tricky to find a workable keyboard companion.
Those are small prices to pay for Apple’s best iPad, though. And it really is that. Find one at a decent price, and I guarantee you’ll use it more than any other iPad you’ve owned – regardless of what happens later this year.
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