The iPhone did not immediately replace the iPod; the MP3 player was less expensive, so it survived for a few years. Now that Apple is poised to enter a new product category, foldable, rumors are circulating that it would abandon an old one. The Elec stated that Cupertino intends to discontinue the iPad mini after its foldable tablet hits the market.
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo disagrees, and his explanation is simple: the foldable iPad will be “much more expensive” than the mini. Because the electronics industry has yet to return to normal, the iPad mini price (2021) has just increased.
Kuo also claims that a new iPad mini with a speedier CPU is in the works. The 2021 model debuted with the then-current Apple A15 Bionic processor. The next mini is projected to come in late 2023 or the first half of 2024, with the A16 and A17 chipsets available by then (which one will be used in the slate probably depends on yields and prices).
Apple is considering shifting iPad production to India because nearly all of its plants are located in China and have been impacted by each COVID wave (including this one).
Analysts predict that Apple will begin with an iPad-sized tablet since it is easier to create (and less dangerous) than an iPhone-sized device. Current plans call for a 2024 launch. According to rumors, Apple is collaborating with Samsung and LG to produce foldable OLED panels as large as 20.25″.
