Apple has listed a new Smart Folio for iPad mini that does not match any accessory it sells today. The listing carries model number A3632 and appears just ahead of the OLED iPad mini 8, which is expected to launch later this month.
The entry sits on Apple’s French regulatory site, in an environmental document dated September 8, 2026, as spotted by MacRumors. That is about seven weeks before the expected launch, though it is unclear when Apple made the page public. The listing only says iPad mini, so the link to the iPad mini 8 comes from the timing and the new model number.
The New Smart Folio Carries Less Recycled Material and More Rare Earth Elements
The Smart Folio is the magnetic cover Apple sells for the iPad mini, and it folds into a stand. The document puts the new version at a minimum of 3% recycled materials. The current Smart Folio for the iPad mini (6th generation) lists a minimum of 9% in a document dated December 22, 2022.
Rare earth content goes the opposite way, with at least 6,610 milligrams of rare earth elements in the new accessory against 3,947 milligrams in the earlier version, an increase of roughly 67%. Those elements are commonly used in the small magnets that hold accessories like this in place, so a jump that size could mean changes to how the cover attaches to the tablet.
A New Model Number Suggests the iPad Mini 8 Changes How Cases Fit
The iPad mini (6th generation) and the iPad mini 7 use the same Smart Folio. Giving this one a new model number suggests the iPad mini 8 has physical changes that affect how a case fits.
Several rumored changes could do that, starting with an OLED panel reported at 8.4 inches, slightly larger than the 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display on the iPad mini 7. The iPad mini 8 is also expected to bring these changes:
- The A20 Pro chip
- Thinner bezels
- A relocated front-facing camera
- A redesigned speaker system
- A more water-resistant design
Apple has not confirmed any of these details, and two are still unsettled. Apple reportedly tested both 60Hz and 120Hz ProMotion panels, and it is still unclear which panel Apple chose. Reports also say the tablet will cost well above $599, the current starting price of the iPad mini 7.
Apple is expected to announce the iPad mini 8 on October 27 or October 28, alongside the touchscreen MacBook Pro.
