Apple iPad Air 5 or iPad 6 mini; which one to buy?

The sixth-generation iPad mini is expected to see a host of features as well as a design overhaul, though no details of its price range or date of launch have been announced. With the iPad mini 6 and the iPad Air 5 likely to be launched in the latter part of 2021 or early 2022, should one wait for it or grab the iPad mini 5.

There are chances this would be launched not later than 2022 if you are waiting to buy one. It was only last year that Apple had launched the iPad Air 4. Apple is likely to keep it in the same range as the iPad Air 4 with a slight difference as there are more storage options and/or cellular connection options.

Though nothing is confirmed yet, it could have a 10.9-inch OLED screen, which is the same as iPad Air 4 with OLED instead of the LCD technology. Other specs and features are it could have an A15 Bionic chipset, 5G, a dual-lens camera and four stereo speakers. The design may be similar to the iPad Pro 11 (2021) minus the Face ID.

There have been rumours that the iPad mini 6 would come with bigger screen size. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted the screen size could be around 8.5-9 inches.

There have been discussions and debates on whether the iPad mini 6 will have iPhone 13’s rumoured A15 chip or would it match the iPhone 12 with the A14 Bionic chip. Jon Prosser, an avid Apple leaker, believes it could be the latter while others like Chinese tech site MyDrivers had suggested it could be the A13 chip.

The iPad mini 6 will support 5G on the cellular version, as per Prosser, while others dispute that saying it would follow the trail of iPad Pro by switching from lightning port to USB-C and introducing the smart connector for added clip-on keyboard support.

Other features such as no home button would make for a bigger display, making the mini’s new design look more like the iPad Air but smaller as it is after all a mini. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman believes Apple will integrate Touch ID into the side power button.

The iPad mini 5 has lesser features and is a slightly older model, but it is available.