The new Apple iPad Mini 6 might be smaller than the also-launched Apple iPad 9 but it feels like the smaller tablet has stolen the limelight at the company's 'California Streaming' event today. This all-new iPad Mini 6 (2021) is now bigger and better looking than ever before.
A change bezel design has given the diminutive Apple tab a boost in screen size and specs from a 7.9in Retina Display to an 8.3in Liquid Retina display with 500-nit peak brightness. To help make room for the extra real estate, Touch ID has been moved to the top button on the frame.
There is a new speaker system which works in stereo when in landscape and a USB-C port has appeared on the underside instead of the Lightning connector and that makes for faster charging and file transfer. There's also a magnetic strip on the side where you can stow the Apple Pencil 2 while you're not using it.
On the inside is the A15 Bionic processor which Apple states brings a CPU that works 40 percent faster and a GPU that's an 80 percent improvement. For the first time a 5G cellular connection is included, alongside Wi-Fi 6.
The cameras take a good bump too with both the front and rear now 12MP shooters with larger aperture lenses for better low light photography. There's also the fun looking Center Stage software from the iPad Pro which moves the frame of the camera in video calls to keep the callers in the centre of the screen if they happen to move around.
Battery life is promised to last all day and there are four colours to choose from: Purple, Pink, Starlight and Space Grey. You can order the iPad Mini 6 today with it shipping next week. Prices start at £479 / $499 / AU$749.
If you'd rather go big, then the iPad 9 is a reassuringly familiar size. The original pad keeps its 10.2in Retina Display but gets some upgrades of its own. In comes an A13 Bionic processor offering 20 percent speed improvements on the previous model. There's also the inclusion of a True Tone screen which adjusts the white point of the display to the colour temperature of the room for an experience that Apple believes is easier on the eye.
There's twice the amount of storage, with sizes starting at 64GB for the entry-level £319 / $329 / AU$499 version, and the Center Stage feature included on the 12MP Ultra Wide front camera.
While the form factor is familiar, there's now support for both the Apple Smart Keyboard and the Apple Pencil (1st generation).
Like the iPad Mini 6, the iPad 9 will appear in-store on 24th September. It ships with iPadOS 15 in a choice of Space Grey or Silver.
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