Apple leak reveals iPad mini 7 and iPad Pro M5 plans
Apple is notoriously tight-lipped when it comes to its future product releases, but the same can't be said about the company's backend software — which is routinely scrutinized by those seeking out clues on where the company is headed next.
That's exactly how X user Nicolás álvarez came across a fresh breadcrumb trail of iPad clues that reveal the as-of-yet-unannounced Apple M5 chip arriving on a future iPad Pro and promising information about Apple's ever-elusive iPad mini 7.
New iPads uncovered
References to three new iPads were found in the backend of Apple's software, indicating the likelihood that we'll be seeing these particular models released over the coming 12-month cycle.
The leak identifies an 11th Gen iPad, an 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Pro M5, and the long-rumored but little-seen iPad mini 7. As compiled by @aaronp613 on X, the complete identifiers indicate both cellular and Wi-Fi options for all models.
When can we expect new iPads in 2024?
While the information in Apple's code is legitimate, that doesn't necessarily mean it's set in stone. That being said, the revealed iPads seem well within the realm of possibility and a more than likely next step for the company. However, the question remains: When can we expect to see each model release?
There are no dates linked to the identifiers of each iPad model, so we can only speculate on when these iPads may eventually be released. However, Apple's prior release schedules can give us more accurate insight about what to expect.
With Apple having only recently released the new iPad Air and iPad Pro M4, we'd expect the 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Pro M5 models to mirror a similar release window of around May 2025.
This fits nicely with Apple's new approach to offering more consistent annual upgrades across its product catalog. As such, it's also likely that the new iPad Pro M5 will be released alongside new iPad Air models.
However, the standard 11th Gen iPad and iPad mini 7 could potentially be released this year — with a September through October 2024 release window being the earliest we'll see the pair judging by previous iPad releases.
iPad mini (4th Generation) release date: September 9, 2015
iPad mini (5th Generation) release date: March 18, 2019
iPad mini (6th Generation) release date: September 24, 2021
iPad (8th Generation) release date: September 18, 2020
iPad (9th Generation) release date: September 24, 2021
iPad (10th Generation) release date: October 26, 2022
Which iPad mini can we expect?
Rumors surrounding a 7th Gen iPad mini have been swirling for some time, with experts, analysts, and leakers all being proven wrong in their predictions about how close the tablet was to release.
The most up-to-date predictions from reliable analyst Ming-Chi-Kuo suggest that the iPad mini 7 will begin mass production in 2H24 — which fits with earlier predictions from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman that the small-scale iPad is likely to arrive "Before the end of the year at the earliest."
However, a recent leak from ZDNet Korea suggests that the iPad mini may feature an OLED display, but it's not yet known if this means the upcoming 7th Generation release or a future 8th Generation model.
We've yet to gain any further clarity on which we can expect, but it does talk to Apple's intentions of making the leap to OLED in full after adopting the display tech for the first time with the latest iPad Pro M4.
For more information, check out the latest information in our iPad mini 7 and OLED iPad mini rumor hubs.
