Apple updates iPad mini with A20 Pro and OLED display
Apple has announced a redesigned iPad mini with a larger OLED display and its latest A20 Pro processor. Preorders begin October 28, with availability following November 6.
Radwan AbdulhadiEditor and technology writer
A larger OLED display
Apple has announced a new iPad mini with an 8.5-inch OLED display, expanding the screen from the previous generation’s 8.3-inch panel. The company says slimmer bezels, reduced by 24 percent, allow the tablet to offer more display area while retaining its compact form factor. Apple announced the 2026 iPad mini ahead of its planned hardware event later this week.
According to Apple, the new OLED screen can reach 1,200 nits of peak brightness, twice the peak brightness of the 2024 iPad mini. It can sustain 600 nits across the full screen for both SDR and HDR content and offers a 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio. The display can also be configured with an optional nano-texture coating intended to reduce glare.
The updated tablet is 5.4mm thick and lighter than its predecessor, according to corroborating details from The Verge. Its display supports resolutions up to 4K at a 60Hz refresh rate, but the technical specifications do not list Apple’s ProMotion technology. The panel also supports a minimum brightness of 1 nit for darker environments.
A20 Pro brings faster processing
The iPad mini is powered by Apple’s A20 Pro system-on-a-chip, which the company says delivers stronger CPU performance than the A17 Pro used in the 2024 model. Apple is also highlighting the chip’s AI capabilities, positioning the new tablet for running large language models locally on the device. The processor previously debuted alongside the iPhone 18 Pro earlier this year.
The A20 Pro configuration varies by storage capacity. Models with 128GB or 256GB include a five-core CPU with two performance cores and three efficiency cores, while the 512GB version has a six-core CPU with two performance cores and four efficiency cores. All configurations include a 16-core Neural Engine.
Apple says the on-device processing also supports some of its newer Siri features, including controls for adjusting the assistant’s voice expressiveness and speaking pace. The company has not provided additional details in the supplied materials about which other AI capabilities will be available on the tablet.
New audio and camera features
The new iPad mini introduces what Apple calls an Acoustic Display. Custom woofers are embedded through the display, which the company says produces punchier bass and greater volume. Custom tweeters sit between the touchscreen glass and the aluminum enclosure to deliver clearer high-frequency sound.
The tablet now has a 12-megapixel front-facing camera positioned along its long edge. That landscape orientation is designed to make video calls appear more natural when the iPad mini is used horizontally. The rear camera is also 12 megapixels and supports Smart HDR 4 and 4K video recording at up to 60 frames per second.
Apple has sealed the enclosure and rates the new iPad mini IP67 for protection against water and dust. The company also claims up to 10 hours of battery life when browsing the web or watching video over Wi-Fi.
Connectivity and storage options
Apple has equipped the tablet with its in-house N1 networking chip, which supports Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 and Thread connectivity. Cellular versions use Apple’s C2 modem, which the company says provides data speeds up to 50 percent faster than the modem in the previous iPad mini.
The new model is available in midnight and starlight finishes, with 128GB, 256GB and 512GB storage options. The entry-level capacity is double the base storage offered by the previous model. Customers can choose the nano-texture display option for glare reduction.
Pricing and availability
The Wi-Fi-only iPad mini starts at $699, which is $200 higher than the launch price of the 2024 iPad mini. Cellular models start at $849. Preorders for both versions open October 28, and the tablet will become generally available November 6.
The new tablet follows Apple’s seventh-generation iPad mini from 2024, which primarily updated the processor, added Apple Pencil Pro support and raised base storage to 128GB. The latest model represents a broader hardware update, centered on its OLED display, A20 Pro chip, redesigned audio system and upgraded connectivity.
Sources
- EngadgetApple updates the iPad mini with an A20 processor and OLED display
- The VergeApple updates the iPad Mini with a larger OLED display
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