Tech brief Breaking

Apple's New iPad Mini Gets an OLED Screen, Water Resistance and a $699 Price

By , Tech Cheat Codes Team

Published 6 min read

Apple's new iPad mini held up in one hand, shown from the front with its OLED screen on.
Image: Apple
On this page · 8 sections
  1. A bigger screen in the same size tablet
  2. Water resistant for the first time
  3. A much faster chip, and the new Siri
  4. The camera finally moved
  5. Battery, charging and connections
  6. What it costs
  7. Should you buy one?
  8. References

Apple didn't wait for Wednesday. Two days before its "Pro and tell" event, it posted the new iPad mini on its website at 9 a.m. ET Monday, and it's the biggest change the little tablet has had in years. The screen is now OLED, the same kind of display Apple uses on iPhones and the iPad Pro. The tablet is also rated to resist water and dust for the first time, and it's thinner.

It also costs more. The new iPad mini starts at $699 (price as of ; official source) for the Wi-Fi model with 128GB of storage. The model it replaces started at $499. Pre-orders open Wednesday, October 28, at 10:10 a.m. PT (1:10 p.m. ET), and it arrives in stores and on doorsteps Friday, November 6.

If you've been waiting for a small iPad that feels new again, this is it. If you just want something to read and video call on, the price jump is worth a hard look before you order.

A bigger screen in the same size tablet

The screen grows to 8.5 inches, but the tablet itself takes up the same space on a table as before. Apple did that by shrinking the black border around the screen by 24 percent.

OLED lights each tiny dot on the screen on its own, so black parts of a picture really are black, and movies and photos look punchier. The new mini also gets brighter outdoors, up to 1,200 nits for HDR video and photos, which is more than twice the old model's peak. Regular content tops out at 600 nits. At the other end, it can dim all the way down to 1 nit, which matters more than it sounds if you read in bed and hate being blinded at midnight.

There's also a new nano-texture glass option, a matte finish that cuts glare in sunlight. It's only offered on the 256GB and 512GB models, and it costs extra.

The tablet is 5.4 millimeters thick and weighs 0.56 pounds (255 grams) for the Wi-Fi model. It comes in two colors, midnight and starlight.

Water resistant for the first time

The new mini carries an IP67 rating for water and dust. That's the same rating many phones have, and Apple pitches it for reading by the pool or working outside in the rain. It's the first iPad mini with any official water resistance. Keep in mind that IP ratings come from lab tests, so treat it as protection against spills, splashes and rain. Taking it in the pool on purpose is still a gamble.

A much faster chip, and the new Siri

Inside is the A20 Pro chip, built on Apple's newest 2-nanometer process. Apple's own figures, compared with the previous iPad mini, are up to 60 percent faster at everyday multitasking, up to 2.7 times faster graphics for games, and up to 4.5 times faster at AI tasks. Those are Apple's lab numbers; real-world results can differ, and we'll know more once reviewers get their hands on it.

The 128GB and 256GB models get a 5-core processor. The 512GB model gets a 6-core one and a beefier AI engine, which only matters for people running heavy creative or AI apps.

The practical reason the chip matters for most people is software. The mini ships with iPadOS 27 and supports Siri AI, the rebuilt Siri that can draw on your personal info to help you find things and answer questions in a more natural back-and-forth. It's rolling out as a beta, so expect some rough edges at first. If you want the new Siri on a small tablet, this is the way to get it.

The camera finally moved

This one sounds small, but anyone who video calls family on an iPad will notice it. The 12-megapixel front camera now sits on the long edge of the tablet. Hold the mini sideways on a FaceTime call and you'll be looking straight at the other person instead of off to the side. The camera also has Center Stage, which keeps you in the frame as you move around.

The back camera is 12 megapixels too, and it gains a flash, which helps when you scan documents or receipts in dim light.

Apple also rebuilt the speakers. The new "Acoustic Display" setup sends sound from woofers through the screen itself and tucks small tweeters between the glass and the case, and it's built for punchier bass and more volume.

Battery, charging and connections

Battery life is rated at up to 10 hours of web browsing on Wi-Fi or watching video, and up to 9 hours browsing on cellular. The new mini can now fast-charge to 50 percent in about 30 minutes, but only with a USB-C charger of 35 watts or more. The 20-watt charger in the box won't do it, so you'd need to buy a stronger one.

It gets Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 through Apple's own N1 wireless chip. Cellular models use Apple's C2 modem, rated up to 50 percent faster than the last mini's cellular speeds, and they use eSIM, so you add a phone plan digitally instead of with a physical SIM card.

It works with both the Apple Pencil Pro ($129) and the cheaper Apple Pencil with USB-C ($79). There's a new fabric Smart Folio cover for $79 in navy blue or taupe.

What it costs

On Apple's store, the Wi-Fi models are $699 for 128GB, $799 for 256GB and $999 for 512GB. Cellular adds $150 at each size, starting at $849. Students and teachers can get it starting at $649 with Apple's education pricing.

That $699 starting price is $200 more than the $499 the last iPad mini started at when it launched in 2024.

Should you buy one?

If you love the mini's size and you're on an older model, this is the upgrade that actually changes how it feels to use: a better screen, the camera in the right place for calls, and some peace of mind around water.

If you mostly read, browse and watch videos, a cheaper iPad will handle all of that just fine. And if you're tempted by a bigger iPad or a Mac, there's a good reason to hold off until Wednesday afternoon. Apple's launch on October 28 at 1 p.m. ET is expected to bring new Macs too, and pre-orders for the mini open 10 minutes after that, so you'll be able to see the whole lineup before deciding.

If you already own a recent iPad mini and it's working fine, you don't need to rush.

We'll update this as reviews come in.

References