iPad mini gets 8.5-inch OLED, A20 Pro and IP67: pre-orders October 28 from $699
Apple's new iPad mini has an 8.5-inch OLED display, A20 Pro chip and IP67 rating. It starts at $699, with pre-orders October 28 and shipping November 6.
Apple announced a new iPad mini on Monday with an 8.5-inch OLED display, the A20 Pro chip and, for the first time on the device, IP67 water and dust resistance. The tablet starts at $699 in the U.S. for the Wi-Fi model, with pre-orders opening Wednesday, October 28, and availability beginning Friday, November 6. Apple calls it the “biggest update ever” for the iPad mini.
The Wi-Fi + Cellular model starts at $849. Apple Upgrade leasing starts at $14.99 a month for a 36-month lease on the Wi-Fi model and $18.21 a month for the cellular version, and education pricing starts at $649. Storage options are 128GB, 256GB and 512GB, in midnight and starlight finishes.
A thinner body and a brighter OLED screen
The new iPad mini measures 5.4 mm thick, down from 6.3 mm, and weighs 0.56 pounds (255 grams) for the Wi-Fi model, compared with 0.65 pounds (297 grams) before, according to MacRumors and 9to5Mac. The display grows from 8.3 to 8.5 inches thanks to bezels that Apple says are 24 percent thinner, while the footprint stays the same.
Apple says peak brightness reaches 1,200 nits, more than double the previous generation, with a 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio and a 1-nit minimum brightness for dark rooms. A nano-texture glass option, which cuts glare, adds $100 and is available only on the 256GB and 512GB models. Neither the press release nor the tech specs mention ProMotion, so the screen appears to stay at 60Hz.
Two versions of the A20 Pro
Apple says the A20 Pro is built on a 2-nanometer process and delivers up to 60 percent faster CPU performance, up to 2.7x faster graphics and up to 4.5x faster AI performance than the A17 Pro in the previous iPad mini. The chip is not identical across the lineup: 128GB and 256GB models get a 5-core CPU and a single 16-core Neural Engine, while the 512GB model gets a 6-core CPU and a dual 16-core Neural Engine.
Audio comes through a new Acoustic Display, with woofers paired through the screen and tweeters hidden between the glass and the aluminum enclosure. According to Apple, the sealed enclosure also helps the tablet reach its IP67 rating. The 12MP Center Stage front camera has moved to the landscape edge, and the 12MP back camera shoots 4K video at up to 60 fps.
Wireless connectivity runs through Apple’s N1 chip, adding Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 and Thread, while cellular models use the C2 modem, which Apple says is up to 50 percent faster than the previous generation. The tablet ships with iPadOS 27 and the next generation of Apple Intelligence, with Siri AI rolling out in beta.
The new TechWoven Smart Folio costs $79 and comes in navy blue and taupe. The iPad mini works with both Apple Pencil (USB-C) and Apple Pencil Pro. Pre-orders open October 28 at 10:10 a.m. Pacific Time on apple.com and in the Apple Store app across 36 countries and regions, including the U.S.
Related reading
Sources
- Apple gives iPad mini its biggest update ever — Apple Newsroom
- Apple Announces New iPad Mini With 8.5-Inch OLED Display, A20 Pro Chip, and More — MacRumors
- Apple unveils all-new iPad mini: OLED, thinner design, more — 9to5Mac
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