New iPad mini 6 pre-orders: where to buy the 2021 tablet
iPad mini 6 pre-orders are now available at a handful of retailers. The 2021 refresh of the small-scale tablet was the standout reveal from the latest Apple showcase. Were you also impressed by what you saw of the new 2021 iPad mini? We’ve gathered together all the stores where you can buy one ahead of the September 24 release date.
It’s not just the Apple Store that is offering iPad mini 6 pre-orders. You can already find it available to order at both Amazon and Best Buy as well. We’ll continue to monitor all the major retailers over the coming weeks and be sure to update this page as and when we see more stock.
Given it’s been two years since the previous iPad mini was released, there’s definitely a greater sense of excitement surrounding the tablet. The iPad mini 6 is a significant upgrade over its predecessor and we see the latest model as like a smaller but equally capable iPad Air 4. It’s definitely one to consider if you don’t mind a compact tablet as it’s just as capable and you can save $100/£100.
If you’re already sold on it then just scroll down for the all-important links when you’re ready to place a new iPad mini 6 pre-order. For those who need a bit more information before hitting that buy button, we have a price comparison between the different iPad mini 6 versions, a detailed look at the specs of the 2021 model and some thoughts on the iPad deals we may see following the launch.
For something just as new but larger, Apple iPad 10.2 pre-orders are also live now for the 2021 model.
New iPad mini 6 pre-orders: where to buy
New iPad mini 6 pre-orders now live at Apple
Retailers that have the new iPad mini 6 for pre-order
Unsurprisingly, the Apple Store is the first retailer to offer up iPad 10.2 (2021) pre-orders. Other leading stores will follow in the days leading up to the September 24 launch – and you’ll be able to find those pages right here as soon as they go live. We’re not expecting even the smallest price cut from the non-Apple retailers, but they will offer an alternative if you have a preference or if the tablet sells out at the official store.
New iPad mini 6 pre-order: How much does it cost?
The launch price for the new Apple iPad mini 6 is $100 more than the debut price of the 2019 version. This isn’t too unreasonable, though, considering the spec and performance boost found in the latest release. Below you can find the launch price in each region based on the various connectivity and storage options that are available:
| Connectivity & storage | US Price | UK Price | AU Price |
| Wi-Fi & 64GB | $499 | £479 | $749 |
| LTE & 64GB | $649 | £619 | $979 |
| Wi-Fi & 256GB | $649 | £619 | $979 |
| LTE & 256GB | $799 | £759 | $1,209 |
These prices put the iPad mini 6 at $170 more than the iPad 10.2 (2021) when compared to the baseline Wi-Fi & 64GB storage version. It’s also $100 less than the next model up, the iPad Air 4, which many are suggesting offers similar levels of performance albeit at a larger form factor.
If the idea of a smaller iPad does sound better to you but your budget doesn’t stretch to the price of an iPad mini 6, then you could save some cash by going for the 2019 iPad mini instead. It does lack many of the significant and worthwhile improvements found in the latest release, but it has been possible to buy one for as low as $299 – as long as it’s in stock.
When will we see the first iPad mini 6 deals?
We wouldn’t want to try and give a definitive answer to this question so early, given the iPad mini 6 hasn’t even launched yet. However, we can speculate based on what happened with the iPad models that launched in 2020.
We saw discounts of up to $70 at Best Buy on the 2020 models as part of last year’s Black Friday iPad deals. Given the iPad mini 6 is closest to the iPad Air 4 in terms of price and performance, our best guess is that it could get around a $30 price cut during the November sales rush. Nothing substantial, then, but enough of a saving to draw some attention over Black Friday. You’ve just got to be patient enough to wait a couple of months and, remember, there’s no guarantee of any offers either.
New iPad mini 6: Specs and features
The new iPad mini 6 can be pre-ordered in two different storage sizes (64GB and 256GB). Unlike the iPad 10.2, there are greater choices in terms of colour with Pink, Purple, Space Gray and Starlight as the available options. Outside of that, the standard features across the range include an 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display and an A15 Bionic chip – the same as the iPhone 13 range. The latter will give the tablet a massive 40% CPU and 80% GPU upgrade, according to Apple, so you can see how serious of an improvement this is over the old iteration.
New Apple iPad mini 6 (2021) specs
Capacity: 64GB, 256GB
Size: 195 x 135 x 6 (mm)
Weight: 0.65 pounds (295 grams)
Connectors: USB-C, DisplayPort
Display: 8.3-inch LED screen, 2266 x 1488 resolution at 326ppi
Chip: A15 Bionic chip
Camera: Up to 12MP
Battery: up to 10-hours battery life
Although the iPad mini is the smallest in the range of Apple tablets, the 8.3-inch screen is larger than its predecessors. It supports resolutions up to 2266 x 1488 at 326ppi with 500 nits of brightness. The True Tone display (as seen on the iPad Pro) stabilises color appearance in different settings, while the P3 wide color gamut means it can show a wider range of colors, too.
The biggest camera upgrade on the iPad mini 6 is found at the front with a 12MP ultra-wide camera with a 122-degree field of view. You also get the Center Stage feature that we saw in iPad Pro 2021 that will keep you in the middle of the frame during video calls. As for the rear camera, it’s also 12MP with an f/1.8 aperture that can shoot 4K videos at slick 60fps.
Rounding things out is the battery that can support up to 10 hours of runtime whether you’re surfing the web on Wi‑Fi or watching video. That’s not as conclusive as we’d like to hear but falls within expectations. Charging is through USB-C, which we’re especially pleased to hear as that means not having to worry about Lightning cables as with the iPad 10.2.
The 12MP front camera has had a big upgrade, according to Apple. It also comes with Apple’s Center Stage feature to keep you in the centre of the image during video calls. On the back, you’ll find the same 8MP camera and it’s identical to what you’d find on last year’s model.
For everything else we like about the iPad mini 6, do take a look at why we think it stole the show during the Apple Showcase.
What about older Apple iPad mini deals?
Sure, the new tech is all very exciting and many are very rightly rushing out to place an iPad mini 6 pre-order. But what if you don’t want to upgrade to the new device and are looking for a saving on the last generation tablets? Well, you absolutely can with some of the iPad deals that are currently available.
We’re seeing some significant price cuts on the 2020 iPad and 2019 iPad mini as retailers look to clear stock of the older models. Chances are these won’t stick around for too long as we expect last generation’s tech to eventually be discontinued.
Check below for all the latest deals to see if you can bag a bargain before they disappear for good. Outside of that, Black Friday is your next best opportunity for an iPad mini 6 deal. We’ll be on hand this November to bring you all the top offers we find.
As well as a pair of new iPads, Apple also announced the iPhone 13 and Apple Watch Series 7 at their latest showcase. You can’t buy one until September 17, but if you fancy a new mobile we’re tracking all the latest iPhone 13 pre-order deals to ensure you get the best price.
