The iPad mini 6 reportedly delayed to late 2021; 8-inch foldable iPhone may launch in 2023

Apple launched some new hardware back in April, but there’s always more on the horizon. The new iPad mini is one of them, along with the oft-rumored foldable iPhone.

To help stoke those rumor flames, legendary analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is back with another investor note. Speculation on both products this time around, courtesy of 9to5Mac. There were expectations that Apple would launch its small tablet back in April, but that didn’t pan out. And it turns out that’s because the device has been delayed until later this year.

But, according to Kuo, that foldable iPhone is still on the way!

The new iPad mini

The sixth-generation iPad mini is still slated to launch in 2021, according to Kuo’s note. However, Apple has reportedly delayed the tablet until the “second half of 2021“. Unfortunately, no specific launch date, which is to be expected. The rumor mill still expects the device to feature an 8.4-inch display, with slimmer bezels. Think the iPad Pro’s and iPad Air’s design, but smaller.

Kuo expects the latest iPad models to help Apple’s tablet sales moving forward, leading up to the launch of the new iPad mini later this year.

A foldable iPhone

There has been rumors going around for a bit of time now that Apple, at some point in the future, is going to launch a foldable iPhone. That would help the company compete with companies like Samsung, who already have a foldable phone out there in the wild. But, according to Kuo, Apple’s still not necessarily in a rush.

According to the latest note from Kuo, Apple’s foldable iPhone will feature an 8-inch QHD+ display, which will be flexible OLED. Interestingly, Kuo expects Apple to ship as many as 20 million units by the end of 2023. That’s the year Kuo believes the phone will launch.

Apple’s jumping on to this particular bandwagon makes sense to Kuo, who believes that foldable phones will be a “must have” for all major smartphone companies moving forward. Kuo believes these types of smartphones will bring on a “super replacement cycle” for high-end models. Kuo expects Apple to be a winner in this category when things really kick off.

At present, the product position of foldable smartphones is mainly to integrate the smartphone and tablet. But we believe that the foldable smartphone is only one of the applications of the foldable design. We predict that foldable devices will blur the product segmentations between smartphones, tablets, and laptops in the future. With its cross-product ecosystems and hardware design advantages, Apple will be the biggest winner in the new foldable device trend.

So, things are looking bright for Apple. And that doesn’t even include the new Apple Watch or the new iPhone lineup.

Are you hoping to see a foldable iPhone soon enough?