Ahead of this week’s “Pro and tell” MacBook event, Apple unveiled a new iPad mini this morning that boasts major enhancements, including an OLED display. However, the smaller tablet now starts at $699, a $200 price increase over the 2024 model.
The new iPad mini is designed to be lighter, thinner, and brighter than before; it even includes water and dust resistance. Hence, Apple calls the refresh its “biggest update ever.” But the price is going up, thanks to the ongoing memory shortage. In June, the company increased the cost of the last-gen iPad mini from $499 to $599. Now it’s getting another price bump, even though the tablet still starts with only 128GB of storage.
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Still, Apple indicates the new model is packed with premium features, including an 8.5-inch OLED display that promises to be 2x brighter than the last generation and supports up to 1,200 nits. The screen is also slightly larger than the older 8.3-inch display, but maintains the same footprint, “thanks to 24% thinner bezels,” Apple says.
The tablet’s CPU has also been upgraded from the A17 to the A20 Pro, which launched in the iPhone 18 Pro and Duo models. “The powerful CPU delivers up to 60% faster performance than the previous model,” Apple says. Meanwhile, GPU performance is up to 2.7x faster while AI workloads can see up to a 4.5x increase.
(Credit: Apple)
Users can expect the product to feel a little more portable and easier to hold, too. The new iPad mini measures 0.21 inches thick, down from 0.3 inches. It also weighs 0.56 pounds for the Wi-Fi model and 0.58 pounds for the cellular version, down from 0.65 pounds in the last-gen model.
One interesting enhancement involves a better sound experience from the iPad mini’s Acoustic Display. “Specially designed woofers are paired through the display to produce punchier bass and more volume. In addition, custom tweeters are now hidden between the glass and aluminum enclosure for clearer highs,” the company says.
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(Credit: Apple)
Other changes include support for Wi-Fi 7 and the IP67 rating, meaning it’s protected from dust and can withstand water immersion up to one meter for at least 30 minutes. The company has also shifted the front-facing 12MP camera from the shorter side to the long horizontal “landscape” edge, making it better for FaceTime calls and video conferencing, Apple says.
(Credit: Apple)
Apple will open preorders for the new iPad mini on Wednesday, Oct. 28, ahead of a Nov. 6 launch. It’ll arrive in two colors, a dark gray “midnight” and a bright yellow “beautiful starlight.” You can configure the 256GB and 512GB models with “Nano-texture glass” to reduce glare, for an extra $100. The $999 512GB model also features an upgraded “dual 16-core” neural engine.
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About Our Expert
Michael Kan
Principal Reporter
Experience
I’ve been a journalist for over 15 years. I got my start as a schools and cities reporter in Kansas City and joined PCMag in 2017, where I cover satellite internet services, cybersecurity, PC hardware, and more. I’m currently based in San Francisco, but previously spent over five years in China, covering the country’s technology sector.
Since 2020, I’ve covered the launch and explosive growth of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service, writing 600+ stories on availability and feature launches, but also the regulatory battles over the expansion of satellite constellations, fights with rival providers like AST SpaceMobile and Amazon, and the effort to expand into satellite-based mobile service. I’ve combed through FCC filings for the latest news and driven to remote corners of California to test Starlink’s cellular service.
I also cover cyber threats, from ransomware gangs to the emergence of AI-based malware. In 2024 and 2025, the FTC forced Avast to pay consumers $16.5 million for secretly harvesting and selling their personal information to third-party clients, as revealed in my joint investigation with Motherboard.
I also cover the PC graphics card market. Pandemic-era shortages led me to camp out in front of a Best Buy to get an RTX 3000. I’m now following how the AI-driven memory shortage is impacting the entire consumer electronics market. I’m always eager to learn more, so please jump in the comments with feedback and send me tips.
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