Apple unveiled the new iPad mini on Monday, featuring a larger 8.5-inch OLED display. The tablet is thinner and lighter than its predecessor and is powered by the A20 Pro chip. The new iPad mini starts at $699 for the Wi-Fi model and $849 for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model. The tech giant announced the new device just days ahead of its “Pro and Tell” event, scheduled for Wednesday.
The new iPad mini measures 5.4 mm in thickness and is available in two colors.
The device offers a peak brightness of up to 1,200 nits—more than double that of the previous generation—with a full-screen brightness of 600 nits for both SDR and HDR content, and a contrast ratio of 2,000,000:1. Apple states that the iPad mini is exceptionally well-suited for use in dimly lit environments.
The new iPad mini now offers a nano-texture display option—a feature previously introduced on the iPad Pro—which helps reduce glare in bright lighting conditions. Additionally, this upgraded tablet includes a 1200-megapixel front-facing camera (positioned along the side), faster wireless and cellular connectivity, and support for fast charging.
The Ultra Retina XDR display utilizes OLED technology to provide pixel-level lighting control, delivering deeper blacks and richer contrast. It also supports the P3 wide color gamut, resulting in more vivid colors.
The device also features an “acoustic display”—a technology that Apple states enhances the audio experience when gaming, watching videos, or editing content. According to the company, a custom-engineered woofer integrated into the display delivers deeper bass and higher volume, creating a richer sound profile.
The new iPad mini features the latest generation of Apple Intelligence and Siri, which leverage the user’s personal context to help them find information, answer questions, and understand content displayed on the screen.
According to Apple, the iPad mini is equipped with a 7-core GPU—with each core featuring a neural accelerator—delivering up to 4.5 times better AI performance than the previous generation. It also includes a 6-core CPU, which provides up to a 60% boost in multi-threaded performance for everyday tasks, such as photo editing and multitasking across apps.
The device will be available for pre-order starting October 28, with sales beginning on November 6.