Apple has upgraded the new iPad mini with an OLED display, but the company has decided to keep ProMotion exclusive to the iPad Pro lineup, which means the smaller tablet still runs at a maximum refresh rate of 60Hz.
That decision stands out because ProMotion allows supported Apple displays to adjust their refresh rate depending on what appears on screen, reaching up to 120Hz for smoother scrolling, animations, and motion while lowering the refresh rate when higher speeds are unnecessary.
Apple says OLED still improves motion
In an interview with YouTuber and podcaster Christopher Lawley, Apple vice president of hardware design David Pakula explained that the OLED panel still delivers a major improvement over the LCD display used in the previous iPad mini.
Don’t miss the best of The Mac Observer
Set us as a preferred source and our Apple reporting ranks higher in your Google Search results and Discover feed — one tap, no account changes.
Pakula said OLED offers pixel response times that are more than an order of magnitude faster than LCD, which reduces motion blur and helps content appear smoother even without a 120Hz refresh rate.
He also pointed to improvements in contrast, brightness, and color as part of the overall display experience, with Apple describing the new panel as a significant upgrade over the previous generation.
New iPad mini display gets brighter
Apple says the new iPad mini reaches up to 600 nits of brightness for standard content, compared with 500 nits on the previous model, while HDR content can reach up to 1,200 nits.
The OLED display also offers a 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio, 326 pixels per inch, and P3 wide color support, while individual pixels can turn off completely to produce deeper blacks.
The new iPad mini starts at $699 in the United States, with pre-orders available now ahead of its November 6 launch.
Discussion