Yes, the mini does have fans, no question about it and it's because of its size. In 2022 it was 7% of iPad sales. That is still however lower than the worst-performing competitor Huawei with 9%. Compare that 7% to 44% of iPad Pro sales, 19% of iPad Air sales or 26% of iPad sales, the mini as cute as it is, does end up being a niche device - hence Apple's low appetite for frequent refreshes.