Apple unveils OLED iPad mini with A20 Pro chip, IP67 rating and $699 starting price

Design and display

Apple unveiled the new iPad mini on Monday, 26 October 2026, replacing the LCD panel of the previous model with an 8.5-inch OLED screen. Bezels are 24% smaller than before, which lets the display grow while the tablet stays close to its predecessor's size, at 132.6 mm wide against 134.8 mm. At 5.4 mm the device is the thinnest iPad mini so far, down from 6.3 mm, and the Wi-Fi model weighs 255 grams compared with 293 grams previously. Peak brightness reaches 1,200 nits, against a previous maximum of 600, with a 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio and a 1-nit minimum for dim rooms. A nano-texture option that reduces glare is offered on the 256 GB and 512 GB models, and the tablet comes in Midnight and Starlight.

Performance, camera and connectivity

The tablet runs the A20 Pro chip, built on a 2-nanometre process and first used in the iPhone 18 Pro, according to Apple. The company says the chip delivers up to 4.5 times faster AI performance than the previous generation, powered by a 7-core GPU with Neural Accelerators in each core. A new N1 wireless chip adds Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 and Thread support, while the cellular version uses Apple's own C2 modem. The front camera is now a 12MP Center Stage unit on the landscape edge, making the iPad mini the last current iPad to move its front camera to that side. The rear 12MP camera records 4K video at up to 60 frames per second, and an Acoustic Display uses woofers integrated into the screen to produce sound.

Pricing and availability

In the United States the iPad mini starts at $699 for the Wi-Fi model and $849 for the Wi-Fi and cellular version, which is $200 more than the previous model's starting price. German prices begin at 749 euros for the 128 GB Wi-Fi model, with 879 euros for 256 GB and 1,129 euros for 512 GB, and the 5G versions cost 1,019, 1,049 and 1,299 euros respectively. Nano-texture glass adds to the price, bringing the 256 GB model to 1,009 euros and the 512 GB model to 1,259 euros. Apple says the tablet reaches 50% charge in around 30 minutes with a USB-C adapter rated 35W or higher, which costs $59 and is sold separately, while the box includes a 20W adapter. The 18.9-watt-hour battery is rated for up to 10 hours of web browsing or video. Pre-orders open on Wednesday, 28 October, and the iPad mini goes on sale on Friday, 6 November.

128 GB749

256 GB879

512 GB1,129

128 GB

749 EUR

256 GB

879 EUR

512 GB

1129 EUR

Data from the article text

Launch week and rumours

Apple announced the tablet just days before a Wednesday event that TechCrunch calls its 'Pro and Tell' event. Apple's vice president of hardware engineering, Dave Pakula, said in a press release that the model brings the full iPad experience into the palm of a user's hand. Rumours circulating that week pointed to new MacBooks on Tuesday and a touchscreen Mac at the Wednesday event. The previous iPad mini came out in 2024, and more than three years passed without an update before that. Apple says the device is used by small business owners, doctors, field service workers and gamers.