The , perhaps next to the , is arguably one of the most highly anticipated Apple products. The current-generation iPad mini debuted in 2021 — and Apple hasn’t upgraded it since.
However, rumor has it that the Cupertino-based tech giant plans to unleash a new iPad mini this year, as well as the 11th-generation iPad, according to . And Nicolás Álvarez on X discovered some clues about gen-over-gen upgrades due to a reference in Apple’s backend code (h/t ).
iPad mini 2024: Expected new upgrades
Apple dropped the and (the thinnest product the Cupertino-based tech giant launched), and now the company is focusing on two new iPads: iPad mini 7 and the 11th-gen iPad.
According to Álvarez’s findings, the iPad mini 7 is set to sport an A17 chip. It’s unclear whether it will be the A17 Pro processor found in the , but if it is, MacRumors claims that it may run .
The 11th-gen iPad, however, will reportedly sport an A16 processor, a step up from the A14 Bionic chip packed inside the current 10th-gen model.
Did Apple initially plan to launch an M3 iPad Pro?
Álvarez’s discovery revealed that Apple reportedly planned on unleashing an M3 iPad Pro this year — not the M4 iPad Pro. The previous iPad Pro featured an M2 chip, so naturally, we expected an M3 iPad Pro.
Instead, Apple surprised the tech world, leap-frogged the M3 chip, and debuted the M4 iPad Pro. As it turns out, the Cupertino-based giant allegedly planned on unleashing an M3 iPad Pro initially, but it appears that Apple made a last-minute shift of plans.
Finally, Álvarez claims that we should expect an M5 iPad Pro some time next year or early 2026.




