Apple has announced a redesigned iPad mini with an 8.5-inch OLED display, an A20 Pro chip and IP67 water and dust resistance. The compact tablet is thinner than its predecessor and starts at $699 in the United States.
Revealed on October 26, the new mini measures 5.4mm thick and comes in midnight and starlight. Apple has reduced the bezels to fit a larger screen within the same footprint as the previous model.
OLED comes to iPad mini
The Super Retina XDR screen offers peak brightness of up to 1,200 nits, 600-nit full-screen brightness and a 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio. A nano-texture option is designed to reduce glare. Apple also introduces an Acoustic Display, using woofers paired through the display and concealed tweeters to improve sound.
The A20 Pro provides up to a six-core CPU and a seven-core GPU. Apple claims up to 60 percent faster multithreaded CPU performance and up to 2.7 times faster graphics than the previous generation in its tests. The 512GB configuration includes a Dual 16-core Neural Engine for more demanding on-device AI workloads.
A 12MP Center Stage camera moves to the landscape edge for video calls. The rear 12MP camera supports 4K recording at up to 60 frames per second and gains an Adaptive True Tone flash.
Connectivity, price and availability
Apple’s N1 chip adds Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 and Thread. Cellular models use its C2 modem and support eSIM. The tablet runs iPadOS 27 and supports Apple Pencil Pro and Apple Pencil USB-C, sold separately.
Storage options are 128GB, 256GB and 512GB. US pricing starts at $699 for Wi-Fi and $849 for Wi-Fi + Cellular. Pre-orders open October 28, with availability beginning November 6 in participating markets.
Uganda pricing and a local release date were not specified. The IP67 rating describes tested resistance rather than permanent protection against water damage, and Apple’s performance claims remain subject to independent testing.
