Apple has announced a redesigned iPad mini featuring an OLED display, A20 Pro chip, and an unusual new speaker system that eliminates traditional speaker grilles.
The new model starts at $699, with pre-orders opening October 28 and availability beginning November 6. Apple is calling it the biggest upgrade in the iPad mini’s history.
The headline improvement is an 8.5-inch OLED display, slightly larger than the previous model’s 8.3-inch LCD. It delivers deeper blacks, improved contrast, and up to 1,200 nits of peak brightness when displaying HDR content.
There’s one notable omission, however. Despite the switch to OLED, the iPad mini still lacks ProMotion, so buyers get a 60Hz refresh rate rather than the smoother 120Hz experience on Apple’s Pro models.
A new speaker system makes the iPad mini water-resistant
One of the more unusual changes is Apple’s new Acoustic Display technology, which produces sound through components positioned behind the screen.
Woofers provide bass through the display, while tweeters sit between the glass and aluminum enclosure. This arrangement eliminates visible speaker holes and gives the tablet a cleaner exterior.
It also helps the iPad mini achieve IP67 water and dust resistance, making it the first iPad with an official ingress protection rating.
The redesign extends to the chassis. At 5.4mm thick and 0.56 pounds, the Wi-Fi model is approximately 15% thinner and lighter than its predecessor.
Apple also moved the front-facing camera to the landscape edge, making video calls feel more natural when the tablet is held horizontally.
A20 Pro brings a substantial performance boost
Inside, the iPad mini uses the same A20 Pro chip family introduced with the iPhone 18 Pro, manufactured using TSMC’s 2nm process.
Apple claims significant improvements over the previous A17 Pro model:
- CPU performance: Up to 60% faster.
- Graphics: Up to 2.7 times faster.
- AI performance: Up to 4.5 times faster.
However, not every storage configuration gets the same processor.
The 128GB and 256GB models feature a 5-core CPU and one 16-core Neural Engine, while the 512GB version includes a 6-core CPU and two 16-core Neural Engines.
Other upgrades include Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 through Apple’s N1 wireless chip. Cellular models use the C2 modem, promising up to 50% faster data speeds.
Fast charging also arrives for the first time, reaching 50% battery capacity in approximately 30 minutes with a 35W or higher power adapter. Apple includes a 20W adapter in the box.
The iPad mini now starts at $699
The new pricing marks the iPad mini’s second increase this year.
Its predecessor originally launched for $499 in 2024 before climbing to $599 in June 2026. The OLED model adds another $100, bringing the starting price to $699.
Buyers can choose between Midnight and Starlight, with an optional nano-texture display available for an additional $100 on 256GB and 512GB models.
The tablet also supports extended display mode with an external monitor through iPadOS 27.2, giving it more flexibility for multitasking.
Pre-orders begin Wednesday, October 28, at 10:10 a.m. Pacific, ahead of its November 6 retail release.
