It feels like we've been waiting for forever for Apple to put an OLED display in the iPad mini but that day has finally arrived. The new display has double the peak brightness of the one on the previous model at 1,200 nits, and it has a 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio. The base storage remains the same at 128GB, though if you opt for 256GB or 512GB of storage, you can snag a variant with a nano-texture glass display. That'll cost you extra, naturally.
The company managed to squeeze in a larger screen — an 8.5-inch display rather than the 8.3-inch one in the previous model — without increasing the size of the tablet. In fact, the new iPad mini is slightly narrower than the last one, at 5.22 inches vs. 5.3 inches. It's lighter as well, with the Wi-Fi model coming in at 0.56 pounds (compared with 0.65 pounds last time) and the 5G variant weighing 0.58 pounds (versus 0.66 pounds). The latter, by the way, now boasts Apple's C2 modem, which is said to deliver up to 50 percent faster data speeds than the previous iPad mini. There's also Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 and Thread connectivity thanks to the N1 chip.
The OLED iPad mini — the eighth generation of the device — runs on the A20 Pro, the same chipset as the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo. Apple says the SoC is capable of running large language models locally, in case you're into that kind of thing. Otherwise, the tablet should be notably faster than earlier models. It supports Apple Intelligence and Siri AI as well, of course. The chipset also boasts a 7-core GPU — two more cores than the A17 Pro, which powered the last-gen iPad mini.
On the camera front, there's a 12MP Center Stage lens on front of the tablet, which Apple has shifted to the landscape edge on the iPad mini. However, there's still no Face ID. The 12MP camera on the rear supports 4K 60fps video capture and Smart HDR 4.
The 8th-gen iPad mini has a sealed enclosure to help protect it from the elements. The tablet has an IP67 rating, meaning that it should withstand dust and being immersed in a meter of freshwater for up to 30 minutes, though I would advise against intentionally submerging your iPad mini.
As for battery life, Apple says that should be roughly the same as last time. The company says the new iPad mini should run for up to 10 hours when you're watching video or surfing the web over Wi-Fi. That drops down to nine hours if you're browsing over a cellular connection. If you have at least a 35W power adaptor, you'll be able to recharge the battery to 50 percent of its capacity in 30 minutes, Apple says.
The most interesting thing to me about this iPad mini is that it has Apple's first Acoustic Display, which the company says helps it deliver "an even better audio experience." It claims the tablet offers more volume and "punchier bass" thanks to woofers that "are paired through the display." Apple added that "custom tweeters are now hidden between the glass and aluminum enclosure for clearer highs." I'm definitely curious to find out how all of that sounds in practice.
Inevitably, the latest iPad mini comes with a price hike. It starts at $699, which is $150 more than the previous model after Apple increased the price of that in June. Pre-orders open on October 28, and the tablet will hit shelves on November 6.