Summary
Apple has announced a redesigned iPad mini with an 8.5-inch OLED display, A20 Pro chip and IP67 water and dust resistance. Pre-orders begin October 28 in 36 countries and regions, with US prices starting at $699.
Apple announced a redesigned iPad mini on October 26, 2026, with an 8.5-inch OLED display, an A20 Pro chip and IP67-rated resistance to water and dust. The tablet is 5.4 mm thick; Apple says the larger screen fits within the previous model’s footprint because its bezels are 24 percent thinner. Pre-orders open October 28 in 36 countries and regions, with availability beginning November 6.
OLED display and A20 Pro
The new Super Retina XDR screen uses OLED, which controls light at the pixel level to produce deeper blacks. Apple specifies peak brightness of up to 1,200 nits, full-screen brightness of 600 nits for SDR and HDR content, a 1-nit minimum brightness and a 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio. A nano-texture option is also available; Apple says it reduces glare in bright settings.
The A20 Pro has a 7-core GPU with Neural Accelerators in each core and a CPU with up to six cores. Apple says it delivers up to 4.5 times the previous generation’s AI performance, up to 2.7 times the graphics performance and up to 60 percent faster multithreaded CPU performance. These are Apple-reported comparisons; the company says its testing was conducted in September 2026. The 512GB configuration has a Dual 16-core Neural Engine, and Apple says the chip also provides more than twice the previous model’s unified memory bandwidth.
The tablet adds an Apple-designed N1 chip supporting Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 and Thread. Cellular models use Apple’s C2 modem, which the company says enables up to 50 percent faster cellular data speeds than the previous iPad mini. The device also has a 12MP front camera on its landscape edge and a 12MP rear camera capable of recording 4K video at up to 60 frames per second.
Software, durability and availability
The iPad mini runs iPadOS 27. Apple says Siri AI will roll out in beta with iPadOS 27.2, with features including personal-context understanding and awareness of on-screen content. Siri AI requires a supported language and is not currently available in the EU, according to Apple. The device also supports Apple Pencil Pro and Apple Pencil (USB-C), sold separately.
Apple rates the tablet IP67 under IEC standard 60529. Its stated laboratory rating covers immersion at a maximum depth of 1 metre for up to 30 minutes. Apple cautions that resistance can decline with normal wear; liquid damage is not covered under warranty.
The iPad mini will be offered in midnight and starlight, with 128GB, 256GB and 512GB configurations. US prices start at $699 for Wi-Fi and $849 for Wi-Fi + Cellular. Apple says pre-orders open October 28 at apple.com and in its Store app across 36 countries and regions, including the US; deliveries and in-store availability begin November 6.