Apple unveils new iPad mini with OLED display, A20 Pro chip and water resistance

Cupertino, California — Apple unveiled the new iPad mini on Monday, which the company describes as the biggest update in the history of its smallest tablet, with an OLED display for the first time, the A20 Pro chip and water and dust resistance.

The new 8.5-inch Super Retina XDR display, slightly larger than the previous 8.3-inch one, offers more than twice the peak brightness of the previous generation, up to 1,200 nits, plus deeper blacks and more vivid colors thanks to OLED technology. Bezels were reduced by 24%, so the larger screen fits in the same overall device size.

The A20 Pro chip, built on 2-nanometer technology, promises AI performance up to 4.5 times faster, graphics up to 2.7 times faster and a processor up to 60% faster on multi-core tasks, according to Apple. The tablet runs iPadOS 27, with the next generation of Apple Intelligence and the Siri AI assistant.

The device is just 5.4 millimeters thin, carries an IP67 rating against water and dust, a 12-megapixel Center Stage front camera on the landscape edge for video calls and an Acoustic Display audio system. It also debuts the N1 wireless chip, with Wi-Fi 7, and a C2 modem in cellular models, with data speeds up to 50% faster.

It will be available in midnight and starlight, with 128GB, 256GB and 512GB of storage. The Wi-Fi model will start at $699 and the Wi-Fi + Cellular model at $849. Pre-orders open Wednesday, October 28, and it arrives in stores Friday, November 6. The display, however, stays at 60 Hz, without the ProMotion technology of the iPad Pro models, according to Pocket-lint's analysis.

Photo: Apple / The Mac Observer

Source: Apple