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According to the latest rumors, Apple is close to launching its next-generation iPad mini. So what should we expect from the successor to the iPad mini 7 that Apple released over 20 months ago. Read on to find out. Processor and Performance Apple is working on a next-generation version of the iPad mini (codename J510/J511) that features the A19 Pro chip, according to information found in code that Apple mistakenly shared in August. Apple's A19 Pro chip since debuted in the iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro models. The iPhone 17 Pro models include the higher-end version of Apple's A19 Pro chip with a 6-core CPU and a 6-core GPU, while the iPhone Air uses a mid-tier A19 Pro chip with one fewer GPU core than the A19 Pro chip used in the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max. If the code leak is accurate for the iPad mini 8, Apple is likely to use the mid-tier A19 Pro chip found in the iPhone Air. This is based on the fact that the A17 Pro chip used in the iPad mini 7 has a 6-core CPU with two high-performance cores and four efficiency cores, along with a 5-core GPU, compared to the 6-core GPU found on the A17 Pro used in the iPhone 15 Pro. Apple built the A19 Pro chip on an upgraded third-generation 3-nanometer N3P process for modest speed and efficiency improvements. The chip includes a 16-core Neural Engine, next-generation dynamic caching, and unified image compression. The GPU in the A19 Pro has an upgraded architecture with a larger cache, more memory, and Neural Accelerators that are built into each core. Apple says that this change provides 3× the peak GPU compute over the prior-generation chip. There's also an upgraded 16-core Neural Engine for AI tasks. There is an outside chance that Apple opts for the A20 Pro chip for the new iPad mini. The claim has been made by a MacRumors tipster who analyzed a macOS kernel debug kit containing internal Apple codenames. However, the iPad mini has not always received Apple's newest A-series chip at the time it was updated, so the A19 Pro cannot be ruled out at this time. iPhone 18 Pro models are also expected to use the A20 Pro chip, which will reportedly be fabricated with TSMC's advanced 2nm process. Display Apple's plan to transition the iPad mini from an LCD to an OLED display is widely rumored. According to Bloomberg 's Mark Gurman, the small form-factor tablet is likely to be the next Apple device to adopt OLED . According to a Chinese leaker with sources in Apple's supply chain, Apple has evaluated a Samsung-made OLED display for its next iPad mini model. It remains unclear whether the iPad mini 8 will feature a higher refresh rate than the 60Hz LCD display used in the existing iPad mini 7, but since the new base iPhone 17 now uses a 120Hz ProMotion panel, it would be reasonable to expect the same on the first OLED iPad mini. A separate report has suggested the iPad mini 8's screen could increase in size from 8.3 inches to 8.7 inches with the adoption of OLED. OLED panels can individually control each pixel, resulting in more precise color reproduction and deeper blacks compared to other common display technologies. They also provide superior contrast, faster response times, better viewing angles, and greater design flexibility. All of Apple's flagship iPhones use OLED panels, and in May 2024 the company brought the display technology to the iPad Pro for the first time. Unlike Apple's iPad Pro models, which feature two-stack low-temperature polycrystalline oxide (LTPO) OLED panels, the iPad mini may have a single-stack low-temperature polycrystalline silicon (LTPS) panel, which would make it dimmer. Chassis Design Apple is reportedly working to give the iPad mini 8 a more water-resistant design, according to Bloomberg 's Mark Gurman . The updated casing would bring protection levels closer to those of the iPhone, making the tablet safer for use in damp environments. To achieve this, Apple is said to have designed a new vibration-based speaker system that eliminates the need for traditional speaker holes. By using sound-emitting surfaces instead of open grilles, the company can reduce potential entry points for water and dust, resulting in a more sealed, durable enclosure. On the iPhone, Apple relies on adhesives and gaskets to shield speakers and other openings from moisture. The iPad mini's approach appears to go further, doing away with the holes altogether. Current iPad mini models lack any official IP rating, but the upcoming version could mark the first in the lineup to feature a certified level of water protection. Apple patents could offer further clues to the new design direction. For example, a 2014 patent outlines a "mechanically actuated panel acoustic system" that vibrates flat surfaces to generate sound, effectively turning parts of a device's chassis into a speaker diaphragm. This could potentially allow Apple to produce audio without visible speaker holes. The patent suggest Apple has been building towards a sealed, vibration-based acoustic system for several years. Release Date According to research firm Omdia , the iPad mini is expected to adopt an OLED display in 2027. However, Korea's ET News and ZDNET Korea have both suggested that the iPad mini will be updated with an OLED display in 2026. Bloomberg has also said the update could come as soon as this year. The most recent word on the subject comes from Weibo-based leaker Instant Digital, who claims the OLED iPad mini will be launched in the second half of 2026 at the earliest. In May 2024, it was reported that Samsung Display had started developing sample OLED panels for a future iPad mini, with plans to initiate mass production at its facility in Cheonan in the second half of 2025. The same report claimed that Apple will bring an OLED panel to the iPad Air alongside the iPad mini in 2026, though Apple only refreshed the iPad Air in March, and more recent reporting suggests an OLED iPad Air will arrive in early 2027 . The latter outlook aligns with a December report by analyst firm Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC) that said an 8.5-inch OLED iPad mini is planned for a 2026 launch, while 11-inch and 13-inch OLED iPad Air models are expected to follow in 2027. Ultimately, there are no rumors suggesting exactly when the next iPad mini will be released, but a launch later in 2026 has a high probability. Pricing The price of the current iPad mini 7 starts at $499 for the 128GB Wi-Fi-only model, going up to $799 for the 512GB model. However, there's a very good chance that the iPad mini 8 will cost more. The main reason is rising memory and storage costs, brought about by the continuing AI data center buildout. Growing demand for memory and storage chips from AI companies has led to chip shortages and higher costs for everyone else, and Apple will need to increase device costs "substantially" to maintain its current profit margins, according to The Wall Street Journal . Just this month, Apple CEO Tim Cook told WSJ that "price increases are unavoidable." Cook said the company was doing its best to "mitigate the huge increases that are being passed to us," and that it was trying to shield customers from them, but the situation has become "unsustainable." Cook didn't say which products will go up in price, but it's hard to imagine its iPad lineup won't be affected. Even before Cook's price warning, there was an expectation that the next iPad mini would be more expensive, with Bloomberg 's Gurman suggesting Apple could charge up to $100 more for the device. We could now be looking like a couple of hundred dollars or more. Gurman has previously argued that Apple should consider a lower-end version of the mini, or at least a change to its current $499 starting price, given that it's up against rival products that cost a lot less. However, Apple users who are looking for a more affordable option should probably consider the 10th-generation iPad instead. Starting at $329, the iPad offers many iPad mini features, such as Touch ID and Center Stage, but at a lower price that balances functionality and affordability. Related Roundup: iPad mini Tag: OLED Buyer's Guide: iPad Mini (Don't Buy) Related Forum: iPad This article, " OLED iPad Mini: Release Date, Pricing, and What to Expect " first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
Brazilian users can now download AltStore PAL on their iPhones, as Apple has officially enabled alternative app marketplaces as part of a broader set of changes to the app distribution and payment rules in the country. Here are the details.
The Calendar and Reminders apps look about the same as they did in iOS 26 , but there are a couple of useful new Apple Intelligence features that make both apps more intuitive. Natural Language for Calendar ‌Apple Intelligence‌ in Calendar lets you add events by describing them in natural language. It identifies people, dates, and places while you are typing, and you can tap to add that info. It's not as fluid as Fantastical, but it's better than before. You can't just open the Calendar app and type "meeting at 2pm with Eric on July 14" and have it filed correctly as you do in Fantastical because it doesn't have the same automatic date swapping. Calendar adds an event on the date that's selected, and by default, that's the current date. To use natural language to select another date, you can type in "meeting at 2pm with Eric on July 14," but you need to tap on the July 14 suggestion at the top of the keyboard. The Calendar app will automatically set the event to the time that you type in with natural language, so you don't need to tap for that. Natural Language for Reminders In Reminders, you can now describe a reminder in natural language and it will autofill the metadata that you mention. It can add date, time, and location automatically. You can write in a reminder like "get the groceries at 6pm tonight" or "send the photos to John tomorrow at 4pm" and it will add the correct times to your reminder. The feature is in beta and it's not entirely consistent, so sometimes you need to tap on the suggestion below to add the correct date and time, and sometimes it does it automatically. With natural language support, Apple removed the menu bar at the bottom of the interface for adding a new reminder. Adding extra features like an image or metadata such as a flag can now be done through the "Details" interface. Calendar Event Editing The event editing interface is a little simpler to use, and it's quicker to get to time adjustments. If you adjust the frequency of an event, Calendar can intelligently apply changes to all events. Siri can also be used for editing calendar events. Holiday-Aware Alarms The Calendar app tracks holidays, and can alert you the day before a holiday to ask if you want to change the time of the wake-up alarm that you have set. Large Widgets The Calendar and Reminders apps both have a new extra-large widget size that takes up an entire app page. Siri AI ‌Siri‌ has full access to your calendar and can add events to it with natural language requests. What you can't do with the natural language entry, you can do with ‌Siri‌. ‌Siri‌ is much more capable than before, and it does a better job correctly adding events to the calendar on the day and time you intend, and with parameters, like repeating events. Just describe the event you want to create and ‌Siri‌ can get it done. ‌Siri‌ can add events to your calendar from other apps, like Mail and Messages. ‌Siri‌ is able to search across the Calendar app and Reminders, so it knows your schedule and what's on your to-do list. Visual Intelligence Visual Intelligence in iOS 27 supports adding multiple events to your calendar at one time from a schedule. If you have a document with a list of dates, like a child's sports practice schedule, you can take a picture and add them to the Calendar app all at once. h2>Reminders Grocery Lists In ‌iOS 27‌, the Reminders app has improved grocery list sorting. It also supports more languages than before. Shortcuts for Reminders There are new Reminders actions in the Shortcuts app, including Create Group, Create List, Create Section, Delete Groups, Delete Lists, and Delete Sections. There's also a new "Get What's On Screen" option that can be used with Reminders. Apple Intelligence Requirements To use the ‌Apple Intelligence‌ features in ‌iOS 27‌, you need an iPhone 15 Pro or later. Related Roundups: iOS 27 , iPadOS 27 This article, " Everything New in Calendar and Reminders in iOS 27 " first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
watchOS 27 is the new version of watchOS that's coming to the Apple Watch this fall. It's a little light on features, but there are some useful new additions, including access to Siri AI. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. ‌watchOS 27‌ will have ‌Siri‌ AI, so you'll be able to use many of the same ‌Siri‌ features that you have on the iPhone on your wrist. Right now, the ‌Siri‌ features aren't in the ‌watchOS 27‌ beta, but the integration will be coming later this year. Apple is planning for a ‌Siri‌ app on the watch so you can access all of your ‌Siri‌ conversations. ‌Siri‌ AI for the watch will rely on a connected iPhone that supports Apple Intelligence , so you'll need an iPhone 15 Pro or later to use it on your watch. ‌Siri‌ will be able to access your personal data, search the web for info to answer questions, and take actions in apps. There's a new dynamic app grid that's available when you press the Digital Crown. It will put the ‌Siri‌ app front and center, while also showing ‌Siri‌ Suggested apps that include your most used and recently used apps. The view shows multiple apps in addition to ‌Siri‌ and a shortcut to get to the full app list. Apple also improved Liquid Glass with better contrast and more uniform refraction, which boosts readability. Workout Buddy is now available even without your iPhone nearby, and there are new metrics to keep you motivated, with the watch tracking progressive increases in the distance, pace, and duration of runs. Cycle Tracking now supports menopause/perimenopause recognition and notifications, and treadmill readings will be more accurate. Apple added a new tap gesture, so you can single-tap your index finger and thumb together to select a widget in the Smart Stack. There are new Smart Stack suggested widgets for finding a parked car, accessing ‌Siri‌, getting to pinned messages, accessing transit cards, seeing noise notifications, getting reminders for birthdays, and more. When you're getting a phone call, your watch can show information relevant to the call, like a flight confirmation number if you're on the phone with an airline. Custom passes made with the Wallet app on iPhone work on the Apple Watch, and there's a new unified Find My app for locating devices, items, and people. The ‌Find My‌ app supports Precision Finding for locating an iPhone, AirPods Pro 3 , or an AirTag 2. Under-the-hood improvements bring longer battery life, with Apple disabling little-used features like gestures, Start Workout reminders, and Raise to Speak to preserve battery. ‌watchOS 27‌ works on the Apple Watch Series 9 and later, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and later, and the Apple Watch SE 3 . Related Roundups: Apple Watch 11 , watchOS 26 , watchOS 27 Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Caution) Related Forum: Apple Watch This article, " Hands-On With watchOS 27: Every New Apple Watch Feature " first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
