Apple didn’t wait for its Wednesday event. Early Monday it announced a new iPad mini by press release, and it’s the biggest change to the small tablet in years: an OLED screen, a 2-nanometer A20 Pro chip, water and dust sealing, and a front camera finally moved to the long edge.
Minutes later, Apple marketing chief Greg Joswiak teased an “exciting week” ahead, per MacRumors. That lines up with reports that the touchscreen MacBook Pro and M6 Macs are coming before Apple’s hands-on event in Los Angeles on Wednesday.
What’s new
- A bigger OLED screen in the same footprint. The display grows to 8.5 inches, with bezels Apple says are 24 percent thinner, so the tablet itself isn’t bigger. Apple quotes up to 1,200 nits peak brightness (more than double the last model), 600 nits full-screen, and a 1-nit minimum for reading in the dark. A nano-texture anti-glare option, previously an iPad Pro feature, is available too.
- A20 Pro. Apple’s latest phone-class chip, built on a 2nm process. Apple claims up to 4.5x faster AI performance, up to 2.7x faster graphics and up to 60 percent faster multithreaded CPU performance than the previous iPad mini. The 512GB model gets what Apple calls a Dual 16-core Neural Engine.
- IP67. The mini is now rated against water and dust (1 meter for up to 30 minutes, per Apple’s fine print). Apple still says liquid damage isn’t covered under warranty.
- Thinner. It’s 5.4 mm thick and comes in midnight or starlight.
- A landscape front camera. The 12MP Center Stage camera now sits on the long edge, which is how most people hold a tablet on a video call. The back camera gets an Adaptive True Tone flash for better document scans.
- “Acoustic Display” audio. Woofers work through the display for more bass and volume, and tweeters hide between the glass and the aluminum frame. MacRumors notes this is Apple’s first Acoustic Display, and its sealed design is part of how the mini reaches IP67.
- Apple’s own wireless chips. N1 brings Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 and Thread. Cellular models get Apple’s C2 modem, which Apple says is up to 50 percent faster than the last mini’s cellular.
It ships with iPadOS 27, and Apple says the new Siri AI arrives in beta with iPadOS 27.2. Apple’s fine print says Siri AI isn’t available in the EU on iPadOS for now.
Price and dates
- Wi-Fi: from $699
- Wi-Fi + Cellular: from $849
- Education: from $649
- Storage: 128GB, 256GB or 512GB
- New TechWoven Smart Folio: $79, in navy blue or taupe
- Pencil: works with Apple Pencil Pro ($129) and Apple Pencil (USB-C) ($79)
Pre-orders open Wednesday, October 28, in 36 countries and regions, including the U.S. Deliveries and in-store availability start Friday, November 6.
Should you buy one?
Who it’s for. If you use a mini for reading, note-taking, flying, field work or handing to a kid in the back seat, this is a big upgrade. The OLED screen, water resistance and dim 1-nit mode are made for exactly that kind of use. The landscape camera alone fixes one of the most annoying things about older minis on video calls.
What’s missing. Apple’s announcement doesn’t mention a higher refresh rate (ProMotion), and early reader comments under MacRumors’ coverage are already flagging it. If smooth scrolling matters most to you, check the full spec sheet on apple.com/ipad-mini before pre-ordering.
The Duo question. Apple just launched the iPhone Duo, its foldable, and some buyers will weigh a big-screen phone against a small tablet. The Duo has had a rough first week, with screen failures near the hinge. The new mini is IP67 rated and has no hinge to worry about.
Consider waiting until Wednesday. Apple is expected to show more hardware this week, and pre-orders don’t open until Wednesday anyway. There’s no reason to decide today.
Sources: Apple Newsroom (Oct. 26), MacRumors on Acoustic Display (Oct. 26), MacRumors on Apple’s “exciting week” tease (Oct. 26).
Reporting reference: Apple Newsroom ↗