Apple is not replacing the iPad Mini with a foldable tablet in 2025, and it comes from the famed analyst of the Cupertino giant, Ming-Chi Kuo. Instead, the Big Tech company will continue on its development of the small tablet in the future, centering on better processors and features to help bring a more advanced device compared to past releases.
Next up for Apple's development is the iPad Mini 7th generation, with talks regarding a possible late 2023 or early 2024 release date.
Apple Not Replacing iPad Mini with a Foldable Tablet
Ming-Chi Kuo's latest Twitter thread talked about the new developments from Apple's plans for a foldable tablet, but it is no longer a viable route that it will take. He also clarified that other speculations and predictions may not be accurate, as per his analysis and opinion, one that points to the foldable iPad Mini by 2025.
One of the reasons he pointed out is that the iPad foldable will be more expensive than an iPad Mini, saying that this upgrade is "not reasonable" for the company.
The analyst clarifies that what he is pointing out is the iPad foldable's future development, with no further information regarding it being a separate device or release.
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— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) December 27, 2022
我認為Apple應該不會像先前有些媒體所預測，在2025年用折疊iPad取代iPad mini，這是因為折疊iPad的售價應該會顯著高於iPad mini，因此這樣的取代並不合理。其次，Apple目前正在開發新款iPad mini (主要賣點為配備新處理器)，預計在2023年底或1H24大量出貨。
New iPad Mini 7 Coming by 2023?
On the other hand, Kuo claims that there is a new development from Apple that points towards the direction of the upcoming iPad Mini 7, with the standard and flat-screen device.
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— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) December 27, 2022
Additionally, Apple is currently working on a new version of the iPad mini equipped with a new processor as the main selling point, and the mass shipment is expected to start by the end of 2023 or in 1H24.
According to Kuo, there will be a new version of the device that Apple is working on now, for a future release in the coming moments. He added that this will focus on a new processor as its "main selling point."
Moreover, the expected shipment of these devices may be towards the end of 2023 or early 2024.
Apple's iPad Development
In 2021, information regarding Apple looking into foldable technology came from Kuo and pointed to the iPhone feature of a new screen that can expand. In this initial claim, the analyst said that there will be an upcoming iPhone foldable that will debut by 2023, but did not get a follow-up regarding its development for the future.
Fast forward to late 2022, another series of talks from Kuo also talked about a new foldable tablet for 2024 or 2025, one that would revamp the iPad Mini in a different light. Despite Apple not jumping in immediately to the foldable craze, there are still talks regarding this from famous analysts that might suggest its plans.
However, there are new statements from the famous Apple analyst regarding the company no longer planning for its release in the future, right before the year ends. Nevertheless, it gives new information about the iPad Mini 7, the next-in-line smaller version of the tablet from the company's lineup, hopefully coming next year or later.
