Upcoming Apple Events: New iPad Mini Launch This Month and Vanilla iPad Expected Next Year

Apple is gearing up for an exciting month ahead with two major product events scheduled in October. The first, taking place tomorrow, will showcase the new HomeView hub for smart homes along with other innovative products like smart locks and thermostats. Following that, later this month, Apple is expected to unveil the much-anticipated next-generation iPad mini and updates to its Mac lineup.

The current iPad mini, launched in 2024, introduced noteworthy improvements over its predecessor, which was released in 2021. This refresh upgraded the A15 chipset to the more powerful A17 Pro and increased RAM from 4GB to 8GB, significantly enhancing performance—though Apple Intelligence is still limited in regions like the EU. Despite these advancements, other specifications remained largely unchanged.

Excitingly, the forthcoming iPad mini will be the first model from Apple to feature an OLED display, marking a significant upgrade. However, Apple plans to continue producing other iPad models utilizing traditional LCD screens; earlier this year, the iPad Air series received a refresh with standard 60Hz IPS LCDs.

According to Mark Gurman from Bloomberg, the upcoming October events will represent Apple's final product launches for the year. Therefore, the new iPad mini will be the last iPad to receive an update before 2026.

The current vanilla iPad from 2025

While there have been reports of a new vanilla iPad in the pipeline, it appears that this model will be released next year. The existing model, launched in 2025, brought modest upgrades including a new chipset and increased RAM to 6GB, but lacked the enhancements needed for Apple Intelligence. This 2025 iPad also transitioned from a 10.9” to an 11.0” IPS LCD screen.

The anticipated vanilla iPad will be powered by the Apple A19 chipset and feature 8GB of RAM, enabling it to support various AI functionalities, including Apple Intelligence and Siri AI. Connectivity options will include Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth, and Thread through Apple's N1 networking chip, along with a sub-6GHz 5G version utilizing the Apple C1X modem, as revealed in recent code leaks.

It's noteworthy that the last iPad Pro models were released in 2025, and updates for those devices are expected in the coming year. Other anticipated launches for 2027 include the new MacBook Air and Neo models, along with the iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e. The iPad Air could also see its fourth consecutive yearly update.

Source (paywall) | Via