Apple gives iPad mini a larger OLED display
Apple's new iPad mini pairs an 8.5-inch OLED display with A20 Pro performance, a thinner design and a higher $699 starting price.
Apple has launched the eighth-generation iPad mini with an 8.5-inch OLED display, the A20 Pro chip and a thinner design. The tablet keeps the compact footprint of the previous model while adding a brighter screen, a landscape-oriented camera and IP67 water and dust resistance, according to Apple's announcement. 1
The OLED panel runs at 2,316 by 1,512 pixels, reaches up to 1,200 nits in HDR and supports a claimed 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio. Apple has also cut the bezels by 24 per cent, while the tablet measures 5.4mm thick and weighs 255g in its Wi-Fi configuration. 1
What the new iPad mini changes
The A20 Pro is available in two configurations. The 128GB and 256GB models use a five-core CPU, while the 512GB version gets a six-core CPU and twice the Neural Engine hardware. Apple says the chip is designed to accelerate on-device AI, although the company has not supplied an independent comparison between the configurations. 1
Other changes include a 12MP Center Stage camera on the landscape edge, Apple's Acoustic Display speaker system, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 and a C2 modem on cellular models. The tablet supports Apple Pencil Pro and runs iPadOS 27. Battery life is rated at up to 10 hours, with fast charging capable of reaching 50 per cent in roughly 30 minutes using a compatible 35W adapter. 1
The new iPad mini starts at $699 in the US for 128GB of Wi-Fi storage, with cellular models starting at $849. Pre-orders open on October 28 and the tablet reaches stores on November 6. Midnight and starlight finishes are available, while nano-texture glass is optional on the 256GB and 512GB versions. 1
Our opinion
The OLED screen is the obvious headline, but the smaller improvements may matter more day to day. A landscape camera, water resistance and a brighter display make the mini a more convincing carry-everywhere tablet rather than simply a faster version of the old one. The problem is the new starting price: at $699, it needs to feel substantially better in ordinary use, not merely more impressive on a specification sheet.
Apple is making the mini more ambitious without making it larger in the hand. Whether the A20 Pro and OLED panel justify the jump will depend on battery life, sustained performance and how much the new screen improves reading, gaming and video. Those are questions for hands-on testing, not a launch announcement.