iPad mini leak points to a landscape camera: what is reported and what Apple confirms

Image: Apple — current iPad mini announced in 2024, not the leaked successor · Source

Reported images suggest a landscape front camera for a future iPad mini. The device remains unannounced; Apple’s current specifications show what is confirmed today.

A report about the next iPad mini points to a change in front-camera placement, but the device and its specifications remain unannounced. MacRumors says images found in Apple code show a camera positioned for landscape use. That is the specific design change behind the latest discussion, rather than a confirmed redesign of every iPad.

MacRumors attributes the discovery to contributor Aaron Perris. Its September 25 report also describes references to an A20 Pro chip and a small opening at the edge of the display glass, which it interprets as a possible speaker opening. The publication says the visible images show only the front, so they do not establish changes to the rear or the device's thickness.

Other features mentioned in the report, including an OLED screen and water resistance, remain rumors. An October launch expectation is attributed to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, not an announcement from Apple. None of those details should be treated as final specifications or a release date.

Apple's published specifications provide a useful baseline for the iPad mini already on sale. That model uses an A17 Pro chip and an 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display with LED backlighting and IPS technology. Apple lists a resolution of 2266 by 1488 pixels, a maximum brightness of 500 nits and storage options of 128GB, 256GB or 512GB.

The current tablet has a 12-megapixel rear camera and a 12-megapixel Center Stage front camera. Its supported accessories include Apple Pencil Pro and Apple Pencil with USB-C. Wireless connectivity includes Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3, while the USB-C connection supports data transfer at up to 10Gb/s. These are existing-model specifications, not evidence of what a successor will offer.

Apple lists the present iPad mini with a weight of 293g for the Wi-Fi version and 297g for the cellular version. The official product photographs below show that current model and its control layout; they are included for comparison and do not depict the leaked successor.

Until Apple publishes an announcement and technical specifications for a new model, the camera change remains reported information. The sources below let readers distinguish the original reporting from Apple's confirmed current-product documentation.