Apple has announced a new iPad Mini that replaces the LCD panel of its predecessor with an OLED display measuring 8.5 inches, slightly larger than the 8.3-inch screen on the previous model. The company unveiled the tablet days before its "Pro and tell" event on Wednesday, according to The Verge. The Wi-Fi-only version starts at $699, while the Wi-Fi and cellular model starts at $849.
The device is 5.4mm thick, making it thinner and lighter than the model it succeeds, and its bezels are 24 percent slimmer. Those reductions let Apple keep the same small form factor while enlarging the screen. The display reaches a peak brightness of up to 1200 nits and a minimum brightness of 1 nit, which Apple says could be easier on the eyes in dim lighting. The specs list support for up to 4K resolution at a 60Hz refresh rate, meaning the iPad Mini still lacks Apple's ProMotion technology for smoother scrolling.
Inside, the iPad Mini carries an upgraded A20 Pro chip capable of running on-device AI models, which enables support for some of Apple's new Siri AI features, including the ability to adjust the expressiveness and pace of the assistant's voice. Models with 128GB or 256GB of storage get a 5-core CPU with 2 super cores and 3 efficiency cores, while the 512GB model offers a 6-core CPU with 2 super cores and 4 efficiency cores. All configurations include a 16-core Neural Engine.
Apple also introduced what it calls an "Acoustic Display," which the company describes as including specially designed woofers paired through the display to produce punchier bass and more volume, along with custom tweeters between the glass and aluminum enclosure for clearer highs. Other updates include a 12MP front-facing camera moved to the long edge for easier video calls in landscape orientation, an IP67 rating for water and dust protection, Apple's next-gen C2 cellular modem and in-house N1 networking chip, and a promised 10 hours of battery life when watching videos or browsing the web over Wi-Fi.
The new model follows the 7th-generation iPad Mini released in 2024, which arrived three years after the 6th-generation model in 2021. That 7th-generation device started at $499 and was primarily a spec bump, adding the A17 Pro chip, support for the Apple Pencil Pro, and 128GB of base storage. In his review, David Pierce called it a new low for the product and said it felt like an iPad designed by a supply chain rather than by someone who wants users to like it.
The launch comes ahead of a string of other rumored product launches that could take place this week, potentially including a touchscreen MacBook Pro, along with an M6-equipped MacBook Pro and iMac. Preorders for the new iPad Mini begin Wednesday, October 28th, with availability on November 6th. The tablet comes in midnight and starlight colors and in 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB configurations, with a glare-reducing nano-texture display option offered on the 256GB and 512GB models.
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