The iPad Mini hasn't received much attention from Apple since it was first introduced in 2012, which each upgrade usually only adding newer internal hardware. Apple last updated the Mini in 2019 with the fith-generation model, which included an Apple A12 Bionic chip and support for the first-generation Apple Pencil. The brand new design already leaked a few days ago, and now additional technical details have been reported.

Earlier renders of the upcoming iPad Mini published by Jon Prosser/Front Page Tech, allegedly based on CAD files and schematics, revealed a completely new design that mirrors the latest iPad Air and Pro models. The physical home button and larger bezels are gone, replaced by an edge-to-edge display with a Touch ID button at the top. Few technical details were known at the time, but Prosser noted that an A14 chip, 5G support, and a smaller Apple Pencil were likely.

iPad Mini 6 colors are silver, black, and gold
iPad Mini 6 leak (Credit: Jon Prosser)

A new report from 9to5Mac now corroborates many of those details, saying the upcoming iPad Mini will have an A15 chip (built on the same 5nm process as the A14), a USB Type-C port, and a magnetic Smart Connector. The tablet carries a model name of 'J310,' and Apple is allegedly also working an upgraded 'A15X' chip that will be used in other iPads in the future. That might indicate that Apple's M-series chips will remain limited to Mac computers and the iPad Pro.

Interestingly, 9to5Mac also claims that an updated entry-level iPad is in development, with a code name of J181. That table is expected to have an A13 chip, which would be a notable upgrade from the current 10.2-inch iPad with an A12 Bionic.

The updated iPad Mini is still expected to be released later this year.

Featured image: iPad Mini leak from Jon Prosser/Front Page Tech