Apple's French site lists Smart Folio A3632 for iPad mini

A new Smart Folio bearing model number A3632 has appeared on Apple’s French regulatory site, a listing that does not match any iPad mini case Apple has sold to date.

The entry, added recently alongside accessories for the iPhone 18 Pro that were posted in September, is dated September 9, although the exact go-live time is unclear. Because Apple currently uses a single Smart Folio across the iPad mini (2021) and the iPad mini (2024), a fresh model number is widely read as an indication the next iPad mini will have physical changes that make existing folios incompatible, though that remains speculative.

Materials, magnets and what the listing discloses

The document includes no technical specifications for a tablet, but it does list material and component figures for the folio. Apple records the new cover as containing at least 3% recycled materials, down from at least 9% in the current model. It also lists at least 6,610 mg of rare earth elements, up from 3,947 mg in the existing folio, a change commentators have suggested could reflect modifications to the magnets that secure the cover to the device. The possibility of altered magnet layout or strength is presented as conjecture, not a confirmed design change.

Separately, rumors circulating about the next iPad mini point to an OLED display and a more water-resistant enclosure. Leaks and reporting expect the tablet to arrive later this month and indicate an announcement could coincide with a touchscreen MacBook reveal on October 27 or 28.

The regulatory entry contains no technical specifications for the tablet itself.