Somewhat oddly, according to a new rumor, we recommend not buying an iPad Mini According to new reports, iPad Mini inventory is “constrained,” meaning that production of Apple's smallest iPad is down and inventory is low

As seen by Apple Insider, the tight inventory suggests that Apple may be working on a refresh of the iPad Mini

Given that Apple Intelligence will be included in all future Apple devices, it is not surprising that the company would want to refresh all of its products Other than adding AI to the tablet, the iPad Mini has not seen any major updates since the release of the redesigned iPad Mini 6 in 2021

Also, according to a report posted on X by Apple Whisperer's Mark Gurman, the low production numbers could indicate that a refresh is planned primarily to bring AI to this smaller tablet

The iPad Mini has had a sporadic update schedule since it first appeared in 2012 The first four generations were on a yearly schedule, but the fifth generation was not released until 2019, with the current model coming two years later

There were rumors that Apple would release a new iPad Mini at its “Let Loose” event in May, but it turned out to be an iPad Pro with the new M4 chip

Potential updates to the new iPad Mini could include moving the front-facing camera and Face ID sensor, similar to what was done with the new M4 iPad However, this may not be necessary on the smaller iPad, as it is not a “laptop replacement” like the iPad Pro

We have seen rumors that the iPad Mini and iPad Air will have OLED displays, but these leaks indicate that a new iPad Mini will not appear until 2026, and these rumors make us want an iPad Mini Pro

An AI-powered iPad Mini would also need at least an A17 Pro or M4 processor The 6th generation iPad Mini has an A15 chipset If we believe the rumors, all next-generation iPhones, including the rumored iPhone SE 4, will have an A18 processor Thus, there is no chance that the next iPad Mini will have an enhanced processor specifically for AI

Apple may announce a refreshed iPad Mini model at the Glowtime Apple Event on September 9 We could also wait until late fall when they release new MacBooks and Macs We will just have to wait and see