Apple has officially announced its new iPad mini, introducing a larger 8.5-inch OLED display, the powerful A20 Pro chip, improved cameras, and water resistance. The redesigned tablet also features a thinner and lighter body, faster connectivity, and support for Apple’s latest AI features through iPadOS 27.
The new iPad mini starts at $699 in the US, with preorders opening on October 28 and availability beginning November 6. It comes in midnight and starlight finishes, with storage options ranging from 128GB to 512GB.
As previously reported, Apple has been preparing a major upgrade to its smallest tablet, with OLED technology among the most anticipated additions.
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Larger 8.5-Inch OLED Display With Higher Brightness
The biggest change is the new 8.5-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display, replacing the 8.3-inch LCD panel found on the previous generation.
Apple has reduced the bezels by 24%, allowing the larger screen to fit within the same overall footprint. The display also delivers deeper blacks, improved contrast, and better brightness.
Key display specifications include:
- Display: 8.5-inch Super Retina XDR OLED
- Peak brightness: Up to 1,200 nits
- Full-screen brightness: 600 nits for SDR and HDR content
- Contrast ratio: 2,000,000:1
- Minimum brightness: 1 nit
- Additional option: Nano-texture glass to reduce glare
The new model measures just 5.4mm thick and carries an IP67 rating for water and dust resistance, addressing another feature previously rumored for the OLED iPad mini.
A20 Pro Chip Brings Major Performance Improvements
Apple has equipped the new iPad mini with the A20 Pro processor, manufactured using its latest 2-nanometer process technology.
Compared with the previous generation, Apple claims the following improvements:
| Performance area | Improvement |
|---|---|
| CPU performance | Up to 60% faster |
| Graphics performance | Up to 2.7x faster |
| AI performance | Up to 4.5x faster |
| Unified memory bandwidth | More than 2x higher |
The processor features up to a 6-core CPU and a 7-core GPU with hardware-accelerated ray tracing and Neural Accelerators.
Meanwhile, the 512GB configuration includes a Dual 16-core Neural Engine, offering additional processing power for demanding on-device AI workloads.
Better Cameras, Audio, and Wireless Connectivity
Apple has moved the 12MP Center Stage front camera to the landscape edge, improving framing during FaceTime calls and video meetings.
The rear camera remains a 12MP Wide sensor, now accompanied by an Adaptive True Tone flash for improved photography and document scanning.
Other notable upgrades include:
- Acoustic Display: Redesigned speakers deliver stronger bass and clearer audio.
- Wi-Fi 7: Apple’s N1 chip adds Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread support.
- C2 modem: Cellular models offer up to 50% faster data speeds.
- Fast charging: New charging support reduces charging time.
The tablet also runs iPadOS 27, bringing the next generation of Apple Intelligence, Siri AI, improved multitasking, and extended external display support with iPadOS 27.2.
New iPad Mini Price and Availability
Apple will offer the new iPad mini in three storage configurations, with Wi-Fi and cellular options.
| Details | Availability |
|---|---|
| Starting price, Wi-Fi | $699 |
| Starting price, Cellular | $849 |
| Storage | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB |
| Colors | Midnight, Starlight |
| Preorders | October 28, 2026 |
| Release date | November 6, 2026 |
The new iPad mini also supports Apple Pencil Pro and Apple Pencil (USB-C), alongside a redesigned TechWoven Smart Folio priced at $79.
With its OLED display, considerably faster processor, improved durability, and redesigned audio system, the new iPad mini represents one of the largest upgrades to Apple’s compact tablet in years.
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