When Will Apple Release the iPad mini 7?

Apple’s reportedly cooking up a new seventh-generation iPad mini, or iPad mini 7, for 2024. If you’re thinking about waiting for the new iPad mini, we want to help you set proper expectations regarding its release.

We’ve heard a lot about Apple’s plans for the iPad. The company didn’t announce new models in 2023, but that will change in 2024. Apple’s expected to refresh its entire tablet lineup later this year.

We’ve heard about powerful new iPad Pro’s, we’ve heard about a larger iPad Air 6, and we’ve also heard about a brand new iPad mini.

Unless Apple’s plans change, the iPad mini 7 looks like it will be a fairly minor refresh with performance enhancements, better cameras and, perhaps, reduced jelly scrolling.

If you’re thinking about waiting, you’re probably curious about its release date. We’ve heard quite a bit about that too.

The iPad Air 6 and the new iPad Pro’s look like they’ll arrive in early 2024, but the iPad mini 7 might land later on in the year.

The exact timing is unclear, but given that this is Apple, a company that sticks to very specific release protocols year after year, the device should arrive in one of three windows.

Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says mass production of the iPad mini 7 has been delayed to the second half 0f 2024 which means it may not arrive in the spring or even the summer.

And Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who is generally very accurate, says the iPad mini 7 will arrive later on in 2024. He doesn’t provide a specific window.

So what does this mean for the iPad mini 7 release date? Let’s take a look.

If the iPad mini 7 arrives in 2024, and at this point there’s no reason to believe it won’t, here’s what you can expect from the release date:

If Apple uses the spring window to launch the device, you can expect an announcement in March. That would mean a release date in March or April. This is unlikely.
If Apple uses the summer window, we’d probably see it launch in early June at WWDC 2024 which would most likely mean a release in June or July.
If Apple uses the fall window, like Kuo suggests, the device could launch in September alongside the iPhone 16 series. If not September, then October, ahead of the holiday shopping season.

We should see iPad mini 7 rumors zero in on the company’s plans in the weeks ahead, so be on the lookout for new information as we push into the new year.

6 Reasons to Wait for the iPad Mini 7 & 6 Reasons Not To

Wait for Performance Improvements

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Perhaps the biggest change coming on board the next iPad mini is an improved processor.

According to Kuo, Apple's "currently working on a new version of the iPad mini equipped with a new processor as the main selling point."

Kuo doesn't call the processor out by name, but it'll be a newer chip than the A15 Bionic that's currently inside the company's iPad mini 6.

Gurman also says the iPad mini 7 will have a new processor and says the device will probably offer little more than that. 9to5Mac concurs and says an iPad mini 7 with a new chip is still on track for launch.

Leaker Instant Digital on Chinese micro-blogging site Weibo claims the chip will be Apple's A16 Bionic.

A newer processor would likely lead to performance enhancements like improved battery life and overall speed which are essential for a portable device like the iPad mini.

The iPad mini 6, which launched back in 2021, utilizes Apple's A15 Bionic processor which is the same chip found inside the iPhone 13.

We may also see other improvements like a new modem which could enhance connectivity.