New iPad mini gets OLED and A20 Pro chip

Apple has updated its compact tablet with an 8.5-inch OLED display, an A20 Pro chip, a thinner body and IP67 protection. Pre-orders open on October 28, with sales beginning November 6; prices start at $699.

Apple unveiled the new iPad mini, calling it the biggest update in the history of its compact lineup. The tablet features an A20 Pro processor, a larger OLED display, a thinner body and dust and water resistance. Other changes include updated cameras, wireless connectivity and a new audio system.

The display is larger and brighter

The previous iPad mini featured an 8.3-inch Liquid Retina LCD panel with a resolution of 2266 × 1488 pixels. The new version has an 8.5-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display. The switch to OLED delivers deeper blacks, while peak brightness has increased from 600 to 1200 nits. Apple says this should improve screen visibility outdoors and HDR content viewing. Minimum brightness is 1 nit.

A nano-texture display option is available with the 256 GB and 512 GB configurations. It is designed to reduce glare and reflections.

The display also plays a role in the built-in audio system. Apple calls it Acoustic Display: specially designed low-frequency speakers positioned behind the screen are intended to boost bass and increase maximum volume. New tweeters, placed between the glass and aluminum body, are designed to make high frequencies clearer.

Cameras and design

The 12 MP Center Stage front camera is now positioned along the tablet’s longer edge; it was previously on the shorter edge. The main camera also has a 12 MP resolution. It captures photos with Smart HDR 4 processing and records 4K video at 60 frames per second. The new Adaptive True Tone flash, Apple says, improves not only photos but also document scanning.

Despite nearly unchanged dimensions—195.3 × 132.6 mm (7.69 × 5.22 inches)—the body is thinner: 5.4 mm compared with 6.3 mm for its predecessor. The bezels have been reduced by 24%, allowing the display diagonal to increase without enlarging the body. Weight is down by about 34 g: the new model weighs 263 g (0.58 pounds), compared with 297 g (0.66 pounds) for the previous one.

The tablet has an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance. The previous generation had no official IP rating.

Processor and connectivity

The A20 Pro powers the tablet—the same chip used in the flagship iPhone 18 Pro and the new foldable Duo. Apple calls the performance boost a “giant leap,” promising up to 4.5 times faster AI task performance, up to 2.7 times better graphics performance and a 60% increase in multi-core CPU performance.

The 512 GB version has a dual-die, 16-core Neural Engine. Apple says it doubles the computing power of the previous-generation iPad mini. The A20 Pro also doubles unified memory bandwidth.

The tablet features Apple’s N1 wireless chip, which supports Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 and Thread. The company promises faster network connectivity, as well as improved AirDrop and AirPlay performance. Cellular models feature the new Apple C2 modem.

The new iPad mini is compatible with Apple Pencil with USB-C and Apple Pencil Pro.

Dave Pakula, Apple’s vice president of hardware engineering, noted that a range of users value the compact tablet for its portability, performance and display, from content creators and small-business owners to doctors, field service professionals and gamers.

According to Pakula, the thinner, lighter body, new OLED display, powerful A20 Pro and dust and water resistance make this a significant step forward for people who want the capabilities of a full-size iPad in a compact device.

Availability and pricing

Pre-orders for the new iPad mini open on October 28 at 1:10 p.m. Eastern Time (10:10 a.m. Pacific Time). Deliveries begin November 6. Alongside the dark Midnight finish, a new Starlight option will be available.

The base Wi-Fi model with 128 GB of storage costs $699. The 256 GB model is priced at $799, while the 512 GB configuration costs $999. The nano-texture display is available only on the two higher-capacity models and adds $100 to the price. Cellular connectivity costs an additional $150.

Images courtesy of Apple.