What the rumor mill claims is coming is a novel iPad mini 7 that may be tight.

Apple is rumored be a few weeks away from introducing a new iPad mini. Here’s a list of what the rumor-mill expects it to have and what it won’t. Apple updated the iPad mini in September 2021. It’s been close to three years since Apple updated the tablet. Apple’s smallest iPad is a prime candidate to receive an upgrade in the near future, given the long upgrade gap. Apple’s September 9 event could see the upgrade as part of Apple’s wave of new product launches. The iPad mini has been the focus of rumors and speculation for the past few years. Now, it has reached a boiling point. Apple’s seventh-generation of its pint sized slate is expected to look like this. A three-year gap in updates doesn’t guarantee that there will be changes soon. Apple could update the iPad Mini at a later date if they wanted to. In August 2023 it was predicted that a new update would be available in the fall. This turned out to not be true. Others thought an update wouldn’t arrive until 2024. Apple stores are reported to be low on stock of the iPad Mini in various configurations. The same report also stated that the iPad Mini is “constrained” within Apple. Apple is known to reduce its stock of products before releasing an update, which certainly helps the 2024 rumor. Apple Intelligence is being pushed across all Apple hardware lines. This makes an update even more likely. The iPad mini screen was an 8.3 inch LCD version of the current sixth generation release. The lack of discussion about display technology suggests that things will likely remain the same. This would include the resolution of 1,488 x 2,266 and the LCD technology. OLED is expected to arrive on the iPad Mini sometime in 2026. The iPad mini 7 should have no jelly scrolling issue. Users noticed a wobbly scrolling effect after the release. This was caused by the display refreshing faster on one side of the screen than the other. This led to a class action lawsuit against Apple. In October 2023 it was claimed Apple changed the orientation of the screen assembly leading to improvements. Apple would have to update the iPad mini’s internals, but it would also consider how its displays are constructed, minimizing the possibility of jelly scrolling. It’s unlikely that ProMotion will be included in the iPad Pro family this time. In October 2023 a leaker claimed that the iPad mini 7 would not have the 120Hz screen of its Pro-grade equivalents. If the past is any indication, then the iPad mini will get a powerful processor, but not the most advanced one, when updated. We expect the same thing to happen again. It all comes down Apple Intelligence. It makes sense to upgrade the chip in the iPad mini since it is expected Apple will enable Apple Intelligence on the iPad Mini. Apple is more motivated to make this change because consumers will be turned off by a new iPad Mini if it does not include Apple Intelligence. There are several possibilities for the update. One possibility is to use an M-series processor, following the iPad Air’s lead. Apple could move the smallest iPad to the M2 chip or even the M1 if the iPad mini is priced similarly. Apple Intelligence is an initiative that spans multiple platforms. Apple will want the iPad mini to support it. If Apple does not go with the M-series then it will have to go with a newer A series chip than the A15 in the sixth generation model. Apple should use an A17 Pro at least. Apple’s A17 Pro chip is used in the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. These devices were the first to support Apple Intelligence. Apple may even go further and add the A18 to iPad mini, so that it matches the iPhone 16 generation. This is still possible, as it would fit into Apple’s trend of not updating the iPad mini every year. Apple has slowly moved the front-facing cameras of its iPads. Previously, the front-facing camera was located on the iPad’s short side. This made it the top camera if the iPad was held in portrait orientation. However, Apple has slowly moved it to the long edge. The iPad mini 7 could shift the camera over to the long edge. This has proven useful for users who are used to using their iPads in landscape orientation when video calling others. The iPad, iPad Pro, iPad Air and iPad Mini have already made the switch. The iPad Air and 10th generation iPads have 12-megapixel sensors. This is what we can expect for the iPad mini. Apple could add a 48 megapixel camera to match the current iPhones. Apple’s future plans for the Apple Pencil are a subject of much speculation. Apple Pencil support may change with the seventh generation iPad mini. The current model supports both the USB-C Apple Pencil and the second-generation stylus. Apple could include support for the Apple Pencil Pro instead of the second generation model, if it introduces the Apple Pencil Pro. Apple may still have to adopt the Apple Pencil Pro if they do move the front-facing camera. You won’t notice many major hardware changes if the iPad mini is a spec bump update. However, there will be a few key ones. Apple could change other features, but it would be unlikely to do so unless the model is completely redesigned. It’s not rumored that Apple will switch from Touch ID to Face ID. However, it could. Wi-Fi 6 may become Wi-Fi 6E and 5G cellular connectivity might remain relatively unchanged. Landscape speakers, dual microphones and even 64GB or 256GB capacities could be equally likely. Apple will not reveal the new model until it does.