The iPad Mini has definitely been the forgotten iPad for a while now with the last update to the line being over two years ago. Apple has shifted their focus over to the iPad Air and iPad Pro line for the last two years, however, leaker Jon Prosser suggests that there could be a design overhaul to the iPad Mini and here is a first look at it.
On his website and tech YouTube channel Front Page Tech, Prosser along with Ian Zelbo released renders of the new iPad Mini based on schematics, CAD files and images of the tablet. Looking at the leaks, the iPad Mini looks set to lose the home button as Apple looks to increase the screen size of the iPad without really increasing the overall footprint of the device. There is apparently only a 3mm difference in footprint between this new iPad Mini and the previous version. Similarly to the iPad Air, Touch ID has now been moved to the power button.
Apple seems to be streamlining the design language of almost all their products and this render suggests that the iPad Mini will be heading in the same direction. The tablet looks set to have flatter and more squared off edges. According to Prosser, the speakers on the device have also been upgraded and it will only come with a single camera setup. The device will also be available in silver, black and gold.
In terms of Apple Pencil support, the new iPad Mini will still supposedly support the first generation Apple Pencil but the Apple Pencil for it might be a bit smaller. This would line up with a previous leak of an unreleased Apple Pencil that’s quite a bit smaller than the current Apple Pencil 2. It is also rumoured that Apple will be ditching Lightning with the new iPad Mini and the tablet might come with a USB-C connector which lines up with Apple’s shift away from Lightning for their tablets. In terms of internals, Prosser suggests that the device will come shipped with the Apple A14 Bionic chip and support for 5G.
Prosser does have a very good track record in terms of Apple leaks but as with all rumours, this still remains pure speculation. It would be nice to see an update to the iPad Mini as it would be refreshing to see a new design for this tablet.
