iPad Mini and Smart Cover.
This year has been a particularly big one for the Apple iPad. In March, Apple released a new iPad Air, a fifth-generation model, followed by two new iPads (11-inch and 12.9-inch) and a completely different iPad, a tenth-generation model, in the fall.
So, it could be a smooth year, right? Not right. There have been rumors of a foldable iPad — which sounds like a much better idea compared to foldable phones that fold out into the wrong sized tablet.
But now, the predictor of all things subtle, Ming-Chi Kuo, has weighed in on the future of Apple tablets. in a few tweets, power The first said, “I do not think it is possible for Apple to replace the iPad mini with a foldable iPad in 2025, which may be contrary to what some media had previously predicted. This is because the foldable iPad will cost more than the iPad mini, so such a replacement is not justified.
Well, that certainly makes sense: Apple has a history of trying to make an iPad at the same price point, notwithstanding the much higher prices of the 10th-generation iPad compared to the 9th-generation model.
A foldable iPad that matches the iPad mini’s 8.5-inch screen seems like a great idea. But not at any cost.
Either way, Guo says Apple hasn’t given up on the small-screen iPad just yet. Guo continues: “In addition, Apple is currently developing the new app in the new version of the iPad mini as the main focus of sales, and mass shipments are expected to start in late 2023 or 1H24.”
Of course, Apple rarely releases the design of a phone or tablet, for example, and runs it through just one iteration. So, the new model iPad mini, equipped with a full screen with a front and side Touch ID button, will last for more than one version.
Here’s what Kuo says is the iPad we should expect by the end of next year or the year after.
Since the current iPad mini launched in 2021, the new release in 2023 will likely be an update for a new iPad Air, and possibly a new 10th-generation iPad.
Where does the fold leave the iPad? On the drawing board, I will say. A foldable tablet would be great, but Apple wants other brands to try something like this first before they decide to join the fray, echoing the familiar mantra, don’t do it first, do it right.
Be that as it may, if Kuo is right, and this is the norm, we’ll be waiting a long time for the foldable iPad. Mind you, the latter Mini’s softness is substantial and serves the purpose of a pocketable tablet very well.