Apple’s New iPad mini Gets OLED, More Power, and a $699 Starting Price

Apple’s smallest iPad is getting a pretty big makeover. The company announced a redesigned iPad mini with a larger OLED screen, an A20 Pro chip, and water and dust resistance, all packed into a thinner body.

For anyone who likes the mini because it fits easily in a bag or feels comfortable to hold while reading, that familiar compact size is sticking around. The changes are mostly about getting more out of it, whether you’re playing games, drawing, watching movies, or catching up on work.

Preorders begin October 28, with availability starting November 6. The Wi-Fi model starts at $699 in the United States, while the cellular version starts at $849.

A bigger screen without a bigger tablet

The screen is probably the biggest reason to pay attention to this update. Apple has moved to an 8.5-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display, with bezels that are 24 percent thinner. That gives you more screen space while keeping the same overall footprint as the previous mini.

Apple lists peak brightness at 1,200 nits, with 600 nits of full-screen brightness for SDR and HDR content. At the other end, the display can dim to just 1 nit, a useful detail for anyone who reads in bed and doesn’t want a bright screen lighting up the room.

There’s also a nano-texture display option designed to reduce glare. That could be helpful for people who draw, edit photos, or work outdoors.

Thinner, lighter, and better prepared for everyday accidents

The new mini measures 5.4 millimeters thick and comes in midnight and starlight. Apple says it’s also lighter than the previous generation, making it easier to carry and use with one hand.

Another welcome addition is IP67 water and dust resistance. Under controlled testing, that rating covers immersion in up to one meter of water for as long as 30 minutes.

That gives the mini some extra protection around spills or rain, but it isn’t an invitation to take it swimming. Apple says resistance can decrease with wear, and liquid damage isn’t covered under its warranty.

A20 Pro brings more room for games and creative apps

Inside is Apple’s A20 Pro chip, built using a 2-nanometer process. According to Apple, it delivers up to 60 percent faster multithreaded CPU performance, up to 2.7 times the graphics performance, and up to 4.5 times the AI performance of the previous generation.

Those are Apple’s figures, so independent testing will tell us how much of that difference shows up in everyday use. Still, the upgrade should give demanding games, photo editors, and drawing apps more room to work.

The chip includes a seven-core GPU with hardware-accelerated ray tracing and mesh shading. The 512GB configuration also gets a Dual 16-core Neural Engine, giving that version additional processing power for supported AI workloads. Memory bandwidth has more than doubled as well.

Better sound and a more sensible camera position

Apple is introducing an audio system it calls Acoustic Display. It pairs specially designed woofers with the display and hides tweeters between the glass and aluminum enclosure. The company says the result is stronger bass, more volume, and clearer high frequencies.

The front camera has moved to the landscape edge, which makes more sense when you’re holding the tablet horizontally during a video call. It’s a 12MP Center Stage camera that can help keep you in the frame as you move.

On the back, there’s a 12MP camera with Smart HDR 4 and support for 4K video at up to 60 frames per second. An Adaptive True Tone flash is also included, with improvements aimed at photos and document scanning.

Faster connections and charging support

The mini’s new N1 wireless chip brings Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread support. Apple also says it improves the performance and reliability of AirDrop and AirPlay.

Cellular models use Apple’s C2 modem, with claimed cellular data speeds up to 50 percent faster than the previous mini. Actual speeds will depend on your carrier, coverage, and network conditions.

The tablet supports eSIM and fast charging. Apple also says iPadOS 27 improves the transition between Wi-Fi and cellular connections, which could help keep calls connected when you leave home or move between networks.

More AI features, with some still on the way

The new mini runs iPadOS 27 and supports the next generation of Apple Intelligence, including Siri AI in beta.

Apple says Siri AI can use personal context from messages, emails, photos, and other content to help find information. It can also understand what’s on the screen and respond to requests related to that content.

Other additions include upgraded photo cleanup tools, Spatial Reframing, Extend, and photorealistic image generation in Image Playground. Safari’s Notify Me feature can monitor pages for changes such as price drops or products coming back in stock.

There are regular interface changes too, including a setting to adjust the appearance of Liquid Glass. Extended display support is scheduled for iPadOS 27.2, allowing the mini to work with windowed apps on an external screen.

Pencil support stays, and the cover gets an update

The new mini works with both Apple Pencil Pro and Apple Pencil USB-C. Pencil Pro includes features such as squeeze controls, barrel roll, and Find My support.

Apple’s redesigned Smart Folio uses TechWoven fabric and comes in navy blue or taupe. Its adjustable design offers more viewing angles, and it costs $79.

Apple Pencil USB-C is also $79, while Apple Pencil Pro costs $129. Both are sold separately.

Storage, pricing, and release date

The new iPad mini comes in 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB capacities, with midnight and starlight finishes.

U.S. starting prices are $699 for Wi-Fi and $849 for Wi-Fi + Cellular. Education pricing starts at $649 for eligible buyers.

Preorders open Wednesday, October 28, and the tablet arrives Friday, November 6.

There’s a lot here for people who have been waiting for a more capable small tablet. The OLED screen is the headline change, but the thinner design, landscape camera, and water resistance could matter just as much in daily use. Whether all of that earns a place in your bag will depend on how well it performs once the reviews arrive.