If You’ve Been Waiting to Buy an iPad mini, HomePod mini or Apple TV, Apple’s Own Software Just Gave You 3 Reasons to Hold Off

Apple may be preparing to refresh three of its smaller products, with new code references pointing to an iPad mini 8, HomePod mini 2, and fourth-generation Apple TV 4K.

Files found in Apple’s software contain product identifiers and images for all three devices, none of which Apple has announced.

The iPad mini reveals the most. Apple’s code points to an eighth-generation model powered by the A20 Pro chip, along with camera and speaker changes that suggest more than the usual processor upgrade.

Also: Apple made us wait nearly 4 years for a new Apple TV, and the first look at its replacement is almost comically familiar

The iPad mini gets more than a new chip

Apple appears to be moving the front-facing camera to the landscape edge, putting it in a more natural position for FaceTime calls when the iPad mini is held horizontally.

The speaker arrangement has also changed, although the code doesn’t reveal what Apple plans to do differently.

An A20 Pro would also be a substantial jump from the A17 Pro in the current iPad mini, bringing Apple’s smallest tablet onto much newer silicon.

Previous reporting has pointed to an OLED display for the next iPad mini, potentially arriving as soon as October. Nothing in these newly discovered files confirms that change.

Also: Your 2017 Apple TV 4k just hit the end of the road after 9 years, even though the box under your television may still work fine

HomePod mini and Apple TV could finally get refreshed

Images labeled “HomePod mini 2” show the same familiar spherical speaker in green, pink, blue, white, and black. Green and pink would replace the yellow and orange options Apple currently sells.

The exterior may not be changing much, but the hardware is overdue for an update. Apple introduced the HomePod mini in 2020, and its S5 chip originally debuted with the Apple Watch Series 5 in 2019.

Apple’s other living-room device appears in the files as “Apple TV 4K (4th generation).” Its accompanying image looks nearly identical to the current model, with the same compact black-box design.

The current Apple TV 4K dates to October 2022 and still uses the A15 Bionic introduced with the iPhone 13.

Earlier reports have pointed to newer chips, updated wireless hardware, and expanded Siri AI capabilities across Apple’s home products, but the code discovered here doesn’t confirm those upgrades.

There are no prices or release dates attached to any of the three devices. Code references also don’t guarantee Apple will ship the hardware exactly as it appears today, but their presence gives us the clearest evidence that updates to the iPad mini, HomePod mini, and Apple TV are in development.