Apple’s New iPad mini Adds OLED, Water Resistance and a Higher Price

The new iPad mini, detailed on November 3, pairs a slightly larger 8.5-inch display with OLED technology. The screen reaches up to 1,200 nits for HDR content, but lacks the 120Hz refresh rate found on the iPad Pro. A nano-texture glass option, which reduces reflections, costs an extra $100.

Apple has equipped the tablet with an A20 Pro processor. The company says graphics performance is up to 2.7 times faster and AI performance up to 4.5 times faster than on the previous model. The device also supports Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6, and its new cellular modem is claimed to deliver up to 50 percent faster data speeds. Battery-life estimates are unchanged, while fast charging can reach 50 percent in 30 minutes with a compatible adapter.

The tablet is Apple’s first iPad with an IP67 water-resistance rating. Its redesigned speaker system removes the side grilles, placing tweeters near the display edges and directing bass through the screen. The sound is adequate for video and occasional movie watching, though it does not match larger devices, one assessment found. The front camera has moved to the tablet’s longer edge for landscape video calls.

The new model is thinner and lighter than its predecessor, and its display has narrower bezels. Apple has cut the color choices to Midnight and Starlight. Prices begin at $699 for 128GB, while a 512GB cellular model with nano-texture glass costs $1,249. The tablet supports Apple Pencil Pro and runs iPadOS 27.