Kuo: iPad mini 7 is in the works with a new chip and could be released in late 2023

Anyone following Apple rumors in the past week has likely heard of the claim that the tech giant is looking to replace its iPad mini range with a new foldable tablet. However, notable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo just released a new prediction that suggests the iPad mini 7 could be released next year at the earliest.

Kuo shared his latest forecast on Apple’s small-sized tablet series in a series of tweets on Tuesday. The analyst expects the iPad mini to stay in the market in the coming years, adding that the iPad mini 7 could be released in late 2023 or the first half of 2024.

The analyst added that the iPad mini 7 will include a new chip as its “main selling point,” although the processor was not specified. Note that the latest iPad mini is powered by the A15 Bionic, which was still used for this year’s regular iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus. It is then possible for the upcoming tablet to ship with A16 Bionic.

Kuo shared his recent prediction following a report from The Elec, which claimed that a 10-inch foldable tablet slated to replace the iPad mini is also in the pipeline and could be introduced in 2025. The report primarily discussed the alleged start of Apple’s development of a 20-inch foldable device that does not have solid launch plans yet.

However, the analyst said it is “unlikely” for Apple to replace the iPad mini with a foldable display in 2025. “It's because a foldable iPad will have a markedly higher price than an iPad mini, so such a replacement is not reasonable,” Kuo explained.

Earlier this year, Kuo updated an earlier forecast he shared to indicate that Apple’s first foldable device might launch in 2025 at the earliest. Unlike The Elec’s report, though, the analyst only said that the all-new product could be a foldable iPad or an iPad-iPhone hybrid — not necessarily a replacement for the iPad mini.

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