If you’ve been holding out hope for a new iPad mini, you could say Apple has answered the call. Ahead of its Pro and Tell experience on Wednesday, October 28, 2026 — and precisely two years and three days since it last introduced a mini tablet, the iPad mini 8.3-inch (2024) — Apple has just unveiled the eighth-generation iPad mini, starting at $699 / £699 / AU$1,099.

While rumors had suggested the new mini would get an OLED display, the update packs a bigger punch than that. But central to the refresh is indeed a larger 8.5-inch OLED Super Retina XDR screen. That’s 0.2 inches larger than the previous generation’s Liquid Retina display, made possible by Apple's design team shrinking the bezels by 24% all around while keeping the same overall dimensions.

The Super Retina XDR display is a welcome addition, promising a more immersive view with more vibrant, crisper visuals. And since the iPad mini is often touted as a device to carry around — and is even used in cockpits by pilots — it also gets a brightness boost, now topping out at 1,200 nits, which is a considerable leap over the previous mini's 500 nits. The screen still supports the P3 color gamut and Apple’s True Tone technology, which matches the display’s color temperature to your surroundings.

This new display is, however, still locked to 60Hz, so the iPad Pro remains Apple's only 120Hz-compatible iPad.

Under and around the iPad mini's OLED screen is a new ‘Acoustic Display’ that places custom-designed woofers in the screen for higher peak volume and stronger bass. Tweeters for better high-end audio are also inserted between the aluminum and glass. I’m eager to test this new audio system out, but it’s no doubt an improvement over the previous mini's stereo speakers.

Trickling down from the iPad Pro is a Nano-Texture display option. Similar to the screen technology used on the iPhone Duo — and even the iMac, MacBook Pro, and aforementioned iPad Pro — this layer can help block natural and artificial reflections.

I use it daily on a 14-inch MacBook Pro, and with that brightness boost, it'll make the new iPad mini more of a road warrior, even in harsher lighting. You'll need to opt for at least the 256GB model to add Nano Texture, though, and it's a $100 feature, bringing the iPad mini's price from $799 to $899. The tablet still starts at 128GB, which is a tad disappointing.

A big surprise addition is that the new mini's aluminum design adds IP67 water and dust resistance, making it more durable on the go and potentially a better option as a kids' tablet.

The iPad mini is also thinner and lighter than its predecessor, measuring 5.33mm thick and weighing 254g, compared to 6.35mm and 295g, respectively. For those wondering, the iPhone Duo measures the same 5.33mm when unfolded, so the Duo and mini are equal here.

Now, if you were hoping for a range of color options, Apple is slimming things down to just two. The new iPad mini comes in Starlight or Midnight, so it’s a fond farewell to Blue, Purple, and Space Gray.

Under the hood, the eighth-generation iPad mini gets a sizable leap to Apple’s 2nm A20 Pro chip, but which chip edition you get depends on your storage configuration.

The 128GB and 256GB models feature a five-core CPU (two super cores and three efficiency cores), a seven-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine. The 512GB variant offers a more capable six-core CPU (two super cores and four efficiency cores), the same seven-core GPU, and a Dual 16-core Neural Engine.

If you’re upgrading from an older iPad mini or iPad, you can expect a more noticeable leap in everyday performance, from opening apps and handling daily tasks to exporting files. For those coming from the A17 Pro, Apple promises up to 60% faster multithreaded CPU performance, 4.5x faster AI performance, and 2.7x better graphics performance generation over generation.

Apple hasn’t yet confirmed the amount of memory inside the new iPad mini (we may need to wait for reviews or a teardown), but like the latest-generation iPhones, unified memory bandwidth has doubled. All of this should come together to make for an excellent experience on iPadOS 27, with full Siri AI compatibility thrown in for good measure.

And remember, the iPad mini supports the full multitasking experience iPad offers. Compared to the iPhone Duo, you can do more than just split the screen, which makes a big difference.

Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread are all supported here, courtesy of the Apple-made N1 chip. If you opt for a cellular iPad mini, the C2 modem enables cellular connectivity. Apple promises it can deliver up to 50% faster data speeds compared to the previous modem in the seventh-generation iPad mini.

Lastly, the 12MP Center Stage camera remains embedded in the now-slimmer bezels around the 8.5-inch Super Retina XDR display. It still sits on the longer side of the iPad mini, like the rest of the lineup, and is joined on the rear by a 12MP camera and Adaptive True Tone flash.

The price you pay

Now, Apple has delivered solid updates across the board — a better screen, a new audio system for richer sound, a sizable performance leap, and perhaps the biggest sleeper surprise: IP67 water and dust resistance.

These upgrades do come at a higher price, though: the new iPad mini starts at $699 / £699 / AU$1,099 for Wi-Fi or $849 / £849 / AU$1,349 for Wi-Fi and Cellular. That’s a leap over the previous 7th Gen iPad mini, which started at $499 / £499 / AU$799 at launch, then jumped to $599 / £599 / AU$949 in June this year.

Even so, you get a much better-equipped processor for smooth performance in the near term and the long term, paired with a display that'll be a big jump on its own, no matter what generation you come from.

With audio improvements, a slimmer build, and a Nano-Texture display option, it feels like we're inching closer to an iPad Mini Pro. I also think the dust and water resistance upgrade will be a huge hit with families, and kids generally like the mini's smaller size.

Apple will begin taking orders for the iPad mini on October 28, 2026 — this Wednesday, if you’re counting down the days — at 10:10am PT / 1:10pm ET / 5:10pm GMT, and it will begin shipping on November 6, 2026.

I can’t wait to get my hands on the new iPad mini and see how it performs, especially compared to the previous generation, and it's small enough to go wherever I go.

As for accessories, it’ll still support the Apple Pencil Pro or the Apple Pencil USB-C, and Apple is shipping a new TechWoven Folio Case in navy blue and taupe. There’s still no official Apple Magic Keyboard, but we’ll no doubt see some third-party options.

I’m keen to know what you think about Apple’s upgrade this time around with the iPad mini, so sound off in the comments below.