Apple tipped to release an iPad mini Pro in 2H 2021
According to a report from South Korea, Apple is planning to release a Pro version of the iPad mini. While Apple is expected to announce an iPad mini 6 this month alongside new iPad Pro models, the supposed iPad mini Pro will not arrive until the second half of 2021.
The report adds that the device has already passed the R&D and Product Planning stages of development, meaning that it has cleared its initial hurdles on the way to market. Apparently, the product is currently in the design P2 stage but Apple will soon commence Design Validation Tests (DVT). Subsequently, Apple would submit the iPad mini Pro for Production Validation Tests (PVT) before mass producing it.
Presumably, the iPad mini Pro would look like the iPad mini 6, which is rumoured to feature a 9.15-inch display. The report about the iPad mini Pro mentions it having an 8.7-inch display though, which would be odd. Typically, Apple's iPad Pro tablets have had larger displays than its regular models. However, the iPhone 11 Pro did have a 0.3-inch smaller display than the iPhone 11, so a similar difference could exist between the iPad mini Pro and the iPad mini 6.
Ultimately, we are yet to see any reliable insiders mention the iPad mini Pro, so we would take this information as a rumour for the time being. We are also unsure where a Pro version of the iPad mini would sit in Apple's product stack. A US$200 difference exists between the iPad mini and iPad Air, so an iPad mini Pro would probably eat into this price gap. However, this arrangement would leave Apple with a 'Pro' product that costs less than an Air one, which would be strange. If the iPad mini Pro is to arrive in the second half of 2021, then we should hear more about it within the next few months.
Source(s)
Naver Blog via @FrontTron
