2021 iPad mini: News, Price, Release Date, and Specs

After other new Apple devices announced in 2021, including a new iPad Pro, a 6th generation iPad mini was no surprise. The previous version was released nearly two years prior, so the mini 6 follows the company’s other 2021 products with improvements such as 5G, an A15 Bionic chip, USB-C, and a larger screen.

2021 iPad Mini Release Date

The tablet was announced at the September 14, 2021, Apple event, along with other devices like the iPhone 13 and Apple Watch 7. After being available for pre-orders, it went on sale in stores and online soon after, on September 24. You can order the latest iPad mini on Apple's website.

2021 iPad mini Price

The last several iPad minis launched at $399 (for the lower-end models), but this one starts off at $499 in the US. The higher-end models that support cellular connectivity begin at $649.

2021 iPad mini Features

There are several upgrades that arrived in this iPad mini:

• Larger screen: This iPad replaces the previous 7.9-inch one with a larger, 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display.
  
• Higher performance: A natural evolution to faster and better processors is a given in the tech world. According to Apple, this iPad delivers up to 80 percent faster performance than the previous generation, making it the most capable iPad mini ever. It uses the A15 Bionic chip.
• 5G support: If you subscribe to a mobile data plan that supports 5G, you can now take advantage of those higher speeds on your iPad. However, this isn't mmWave 5G.
• Touch ID: The thinner bezels on this iPad means that Touch ID had to be moved. It's now built-in to the top button.
• Center Stage: Center Stage has expanded beyond iPad Pro now that it has arrived on the 2021 iPad mini. It can automatically pan the camera to keep users in view as they move around. Learn more about how Center Stage works here.
  
• 2nd gen Apple Pencil support: The latest Apple Pencil was released in late 2018 and worked on iPad Air and Pro only, but Apple has now included the newest mini to that list. It attaches magnetically for wireless charging and pairing. It's sold separately.
  
• iPadOS 15: The iPad mini 6th-gen ships with iPadOS 15.
• USB-C: Apple ditches the Lightning port in this iPad for USB-C, a first for the mini, pushing it into the modern space with the latest Pro and Air tablets. This means that it's 10x faster than the previous generation and works with things like cameras, external storage, and displays up to 4K.

iPad mini 6 Specs and Hardware

According to Apple, the 6-core CPU and 5-core GPU deliver a 40 percent and 80 percent leap, respectively, in performance when this iPad is compared to the previous generation of iPad mini.

The Latest News About the 2021 iPad mini

You can get more Apple-related content from Lifewire; below are early rumors and other stories about the iPad mini 6: