New OLED iPad mini starts at $699, and only 512GB gets the full A20 Pro
Apple's 8.5-inch OLED iPad mini adds IP67 and A20 Pro, but costs $200 more and trims the chip below 512GB.
Hardware · Macfolio · 27 October 2026
Apple announced a redesigned iPad mini on October 26, 2026. It is the first iPad mini with an OLED display, and also the most expensive one yet. Pre-orders open Wednesday, October 28, in 36 countries and regions including the U.S., with deliveries and in-store availability from Friday, November 6.
What Apple announced
- Display: 8.5-inch OLED, up from 8.3 inches in the same footprint thanks to 24 percent thinner bezels. Apple quotes 1,200 nits peak HDR brightness, 600 nits full screen, and a 1-nit minimum. Nano-texture glass is optional on 256GB and 512GB models.
- Design: 5.4 mm thin, 255 grams for Wi-Fi models, rated IP67 for water and dust, in midnight or starlight.
- Chip: A20 Pro on a 2-nanometer process. Apple claims up to 4.5x faster AI and up to 2.7x faster graphics than the previous generation.
- Connectivity: Apple's N1 chip for Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread, plus the C2 modem on cellular models.
- Also: a 12MP Center Stage front camera on the landscape edge, speakers that play through the display, and USB-C at up to 10Gb/s with one external display up to 4K at 60Hz.
The fine print on price and chips
The Wi-Fi model starts at $699 and Wi-Fi + Cellular at $849, or $649 with education pricing. The A17 Pro iPad mini launched at $499 in 2024, so the entry price rises by $200. The new two-panel Smart Folio costs $79, and the mini works with Apple Pencil Pro ($129) and Apple Pencil (USB-C) ($79).
Apple's spec page shows the 128GB and 256GB models use a 5-core CPU and a single 16-core Neural Engine. Only the 512GB model gets the 6-core CPU and the Dual 16-core Neural Engine behind Apple's biggest AI claims. The press release lists starting prices only.
Who should care
Field staff, pilots, clinicians, and anyone reading documents outdoors gain the most from IP67, a brighter screen, and nano-texture. Check that existing cases and mounts fit before you order, since the body is thinner.
This does not make the current mini obsolete. For reading, notes, and email it still does the job for far less.
Our take: a real upgrade, but at $699 the mini now sits in iPad Air territory. If on-device AI matters, budget for 512GB; otherwise 128GB is enough.
Caveat: performance figures are Apple's own comparisons, and we have not tested the device.