- Apple upgrades the compact tablet with an 8.5-inch OLED display, HDR support, and an optional nano-texture finish.
- The new chip promises up to 4.5× faster AI performance, alongside improved CPU performance and connectivity.
- Starting at $699, the new iPad mini opens for pre-orders on October 28, with sales beginning November 6.
The smallest iPad finally gets the screen it was missing. Apple announced a new iPad mini with an 8.5-inch OLED display, an A20 Pro chip, and a thinner, lighter body. It is the first OLED iPad mini. Pre-orders open October 28, and the first units ship November 6. If your iPad mini also serves the purpose of an e-reader to you, if you watch HDR content, or if you want to lean more on Apple Intelligence with a tablet you hold in one hand, this update matters to you.
Apple unveils new iPad mini with OLED display and faster A20 Pro chip
Apple announced the new iPad Mini today—Monday, October 26, shortly before its “Pro and Tell” event. In its newsroom post, Apple calls it the biggest update the iPad mini has ever had. The headline changes are the 8.5-inch OLED display, an optional nano-texture finish, the A20 Pro chip, IP67 water and dust resistance, and a new audio system called Acoustic Display that removes the speaker holes.
According to the official announcement, the starting price is $699 for Wi-Fi and $849 for the Wi-Fi plus cellular model.
iPad mini 2026 specs: what changed from the last model
On Apple’s product page, the current mini has an 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display and an A17 Pro chip. Here is how the new one compares, using only details we could confirm.
| Spec | New iPad mini | Old iPad mini |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 8.5-inch OLED, Super Retina XDR, nano-texture option | 8.3-inch Liquid Retina |
| Chip | A20 Pro | A17 Pro |
| Apple Intelligence | Next-generation Apple Intelligence and Siri features, per Apple | Supported – old version |
The panel hits up to 1,200 nits peak brightness and 600 nits full-screen for both SDR and HDR. Apple also lists a 2-million-to-1 contrast ratio and P3-wide color. The front camera is a 12-megapixel Center Stage unit. The tablet also gets faster wireless and cellular connectivity and fast charging.
Apple’s A20 Pro isn’t new silicon, as we know; it debuted earlier this year with the iPhone 18 Pro series. If you followed our earlier report on the iPad mini 8 showing up on Apple’s French regulatory website, this is the product behind that filing.
What OLED and A20 Pro change on a screen this small
OLED lets each pixel control its own light, and that is how Apple gets the 2-million-to-1 contrast figure; it makes the biggest difference in dark mode, late-night reading and movies with black backgrounds.
Read the brightness numbers carefully, though. The 1,200 nits is a peak for small bright areas. A full-screen white page tops out at 600 nits. HDR highlights should look great, but outdoor readability is the first thing to check once reviews land.
The chip story is less obvious. The old mini already ran Apple Intelligence on the A17 Pro, so the new chip doesn’t unlock the features. It speeds them up. Apple claims up to 4.5 times faster AI performance, powered by a seven-core GPU with Neural Accelerators. It also claims up to 60 percent faster multithreaded performance from the six-core CPU. These are Apple’s own numbers, and the baseline comparison sits in Apple’s footnotes. Treat them as claims until independent tests arrive.
My take: upgrade if you use the mini for HDR video, drawing, or on-device AI tasks. If you mostly browse, read, and watch standard video, the older mini still does the job.
iPad mini price, pre-order date, and availability
Wi-Fi: $699 (USD) / ₹82,900 (INR)
Wi-Fi plus cellular: $849 (USD) / ₹1,00,900 (INR)
Pre-order: October 28
Availability: November 6
Display option: nano-texture finish
What to watch next
Four things will decide whether this is a great mini or just a good one. Those are battery life, sustained brightness, display refresh rate, and real-world speed against Apple’s claims. Apple hasn’t confirmed the refresh rate in the coverage we reviewed.
Another unanswered question is the repairability: teardowns will tell us how Apple built the sealed enclosure. For context on how Apple handles parts and pricing normally, see how Apple handled those aspects for the new iPhone 18 Pro repair parts and the iFixit repairability verdict on Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4.
The mini is also not the only product in play this month. We reported that Apple may unveil an OLED MacBook Pro and M6 Macs. Which other products Apple showed at “Pro and Tell” are not confirmed in the coverage we reviewed.
One more thing to expect: OLED and HDR on a small tablet should make for good HDR clips and small-screen gaming demos. That is a guess on our part, and we will test it before we say more when we have the product in hand—stay tuned for the review.
Should you buy the new iPad mini now or wait?
That’s always a tough one to answer. We always suggest waiting for product reviews to drop to help you make the best purchase decisions. However, you could buy it now if OLED and the A20 Pro are the reasons you want it. However, wait for reviews if battery life or outdoor brightness are dealbreakers for you. Preorders open October 28, so you have a few days to see what early impressions say.
Is a new iPad mini coming out in 2026?
Yes. Apple announced it on October 26 with an 8.5-inch OLED display and the A20 Pro chip. Preorders start October 28, and availability begins November 6.
How much will the OLED iPad mini cost?
It starts at $699 for Wi-Fi and $849 for Wi-Fi plus cellular, as per Apple’s official announcements and press releases. Check Apple’s product page for final pricing and storage options.
Is it worth buying an iPad mini 7 in 2026?
It can be. The older mini has an 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display, an A17 Pro chip and Apple Intelligence support. If you don’t need OLED or the faster chip, it still fits. Check its current price first, along with reviews and comparisons, to make an informed decision.
Should I buy a new iPad mini now or wait?
We truly recommending waiting for full reviews, or battery and display tests if either one drives your decision. Buy now only if OLED or faster on-device AI is the reason you want the upgrade.
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