Apple has officially announced a special event for September 9, where the new iPhone 16, Apple Watch Series 10, and AirPods 4 are expected to debut. There are also rumors that Apple might unveil an updated iPad mini during the event.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports that many Apple Stores are running low on stock of the current iPad mini 6, which the company internally considers “constrained.” This shortage could signal the arrival of a new model soon.
In a post on X, Gurman mentioned that the iPad mini 6, introduced in September 2021, hasn’t been updated since. The current model features a redesigned look with thinner bezels and a larger 8.3-inch LCD screen and is powered by the A15 Bionic chip (same as the iPhone 13). However, with just 4GB of RAM, it won’t support the upcoming Apple Intelligence features in iPadOS 18.1.
Rumors suggest that the iPad mini 7 won’t see a major redesign but will include a new LCD panel to fix “jelly scrolling” issues. It may also come with Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, and improved cameras. The biggest upgrade might be its performance, with the new model potentially powered by the A17 chip, making it compatible with Apple Intelligence.
While it’s uncertain if the iPad mini 7 will be announced alongside the new iPhones in September, Apple could reveal it during an event for new Macs in October.