UPDATES FOR I PAD MINI 1st GENERATION

Your very old first generation iPad mini can only be updated to iOS 9.3.5 (WiFi Only models) or iOS 9.3.6 (WiFi & Cellular models).

Apple formally ended update support for iPad mini in September 2016. Your iPad mini cannot be updated to iOS 10 or later major versions of iOS, as the internal hardware does not meet the minimum technical requirements for new versions of iOS/iPadOS. This limitation cannot be bypassed - in addition to which, iPad mini is a 32-bit architecture device, whilst all recent versions of iOS/iPadOS are designed for 64-bit hardware platforms.

You may wish to consider that compatible Apps for your iPad are increasingly difficult to find - as third-party developers are increasingly dropping support for older versions of iOS preceding iOS11/12. As older versions of Apps are removed from the Apple App Store, you’ll not be able to (re)download or install them. As such, if you want or need to access most current Apps, requiring more recent versions of iOS, you’ll need to consider replacement of your iPad with a newer or current model.

Even the most basic current iPad7 will massively outperform you current iPad - and is compatible with the vast majority of current Apps.

I hope this information provides helpful clarity as to your available options - and the limitations of your current iPad mini.

Not going to happen.

A 1st gen iPad Mini cannot be upgraded beyond iOS 9.3.5/9.3.6.

A 1st gen iPad Mini is an OVER 7-1/2-year old device, now!

These older iPad models are too old, now, underpowered and completely incompatible with any of the current and future versions of iOS/iPadOS.

It is what it is, today, in the year 2020!

Apple supports new iPad models for up to 5-6 years with third party app developers supporting these iPads for another 2-3 years after.

So, that is a total of between 7-9 years of iPad/iOS support!

Older iPad models, like the iPad 2, 3, 4 and 1st gen iPad Mini have ALL reached this support limit!

If you need an iPad that can run the latest and greatest versions of iOS, as well as, the most current apps available, then, you need to purchase a new iPad from Apple or a discounted, refurbished iPad from Apple’s Refurbished & Clearance section of Apple’s Website or a new or refurbished iPad from an Apple authorised, third party retail or online reseller OR other trusted sources for new or used Apple products.

These old iPad 2, 3, 4 and 1st gen iPad Mini models are nearing 8 and 9-years old, now.

As of the beginning of 2019, many, MANY third party app developers are all more quickly and completely permanently dropping older app support for all old 7, 8 and 9-year iPads that are running 2-3 year old and earlier iOS versions ( iOS 10 and earlier ).

Third party app developers are removing all of their older, legacy versions of their apps from Apple's App Store servers, now.

Third party app developers no longer want to support these 8 and 9-year old or older iOS devices, any longer!

Older versions of apps are, soon, going to be gone for good, now!

Getting older versions of apps for these old iPad models, initially from Apple’s iOS App Store is getting very difficult and very problematic and this issue is getting, painfully, much worse in 2020, now!

These old iPads are now reaching their complete end of life and support.

So finding older versions apps for older iPads, while still possible, currently, will be a tough challenge, now, in 2020.

Old iPads that can no longer be upgraded/updated will have NO MORE APPS AVAILABLE for initial download, at all, soon, from the Apple iOS App Store, for such old iOS devices in the very near future.

Older versions of apps for these older iPads will be completely gone, at some point, in the very foreseeable future.

These nearly 8 and 9-year old iOS devices will be obsolete by this year's end.

Again, it is what it is, today, in the year 2020!

So, this is really now the time to seriously consider a new or discounted, refurbished iPad from Apple or other Apple authorised resellers.

A lot has happened with iPad and iOS in 7-9 years and in the past 2 to 3-1/2 years since iOS 9 and 10.

As an example and compared to your nearly 8-year old iPad Mini 1 model,

The cheapest, baseline 2019, 10.2 inch screen 7th gen Apple iPads have a 1/2 inch larger retina screen, newer, more powerful and nearly 2-1/2 times faster 2.3 Ghz, A10 Fusion processors, AT LEAST, 3-4 times the internal RAM, with the 2019, 7th gen iPad having 3 GBs of internal RAM, iPadOS 13 support, with much better and improved multitasking features, Apple Pencil and Apple Smart keyboard cover support and have better audio speakers and better/improved built-in cameras.

In addition, if you search online and look at various, reputable online Apple device resellers, you can usually find this 2019, 7th gen iPad at discounts of between $60 U.S.D and $100 U.S.D. depending on storage size and whether it is a WiFi ONLY model or a WiFi/cellular data model.

Sorry & Best of Luck to You!

The first generation iPad Mini, which was released by Apple in 2012, cannot be updated beyond iOS 9.3.6.

Regardless of how famous the iPad Mini may be, this 7½ year old device cannot be updated.