On October 26, Apple unveiled the next iPad mini with an OLED display, a faster A20 Pro chip, and more. Customers can pre-order the device on October 28, with shipments starting on November 6.
The new iPad mini replaced a model that was released in 2024. That model had an A17 Pro chip, an 8.3-inch display, and a thicker design. Here is everything you need to know about the 2026 iPad mini.
| iPad mini (A17 Pro) | iPad mini (A20 Pro) | |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 8.3-inch Liquid Retina LCD display | 8.5-inch Super Retina OLED display |
| Processor | A17 Pro (8GB RAM) | A20 Pro (12GB RAM) |
| Storage | 128/256/512GB | 128/256/512GB |
| Front camera | 12MP Center Stage camera | 12MP Landscape Center Stage camera |
| Rear camera | 12MP Wide camera | 12MP Wide camera |
| Biometrics | Touch ID in top button | Touch ID in top button |
| Audio | Landscape stereo speakers | Acoustic Display |
| Colors | Space Gray, Blue, Purple, Starlight | Midnight, Starlight |
| Dimensions | H: 7.69 inches (195.4 mm) W: 5.3 inches (134.8 mm) D: 0.25 inch (6.3 mm) | H: 7.69 inches (195.3 mm) W: 5.22 inches (132.6 mm) D: 0.21 inch (5.4 mm) |
| Weight | 0.65 pound (293 grams) | 0.56 pound (255 grams) |
| Price | $599 | $699 |
The new iPad mini makes a much bigger processor jump than previously expected. It features an A20 Pro chip, which was introduced with the iPhone 18 Pro in September. However, Apple offers different versions of the A20 Pro in the mini, depending on how much storage you get. Here are the differences.
| 128GB or 256GB | 512GB | |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | 5-core CPU: 2 super cores and 3 efficiency cores | 6-core CPU: 2 super cores and 4 efficiency cores |
| GPU | 7-core GPU | 7-core GPU |
| Neural Engine | 16-core Neural Engine | Dual 16-core Neural Engine |
Moving from the A17 Pro to the A20 Pro represents a major performance upgrade. The new chip brings substantially faster CPU and graphics performance, along with more capable on-device AI processing for Apple Intelligence, gaming, photo editing and other demanding workloads. It also makes the iPad mini unusually powerful for its size and narrows the performance gap with Apple’s larger iPads. Also with the upgrade to the A20 Pro, the iPad mini now has 12GB of RAM; the A17 Pro iPad mini had 8GB.
The N1 networking chip adds support for Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 and Thread. Cellular connectivity is provided by Apple’s C2 modem, which replaces the Qualcomm modem used in the A17 Pro iPad mini. Cellular connectivity is an option that adds $150/£150 to the price.
Apple
With the A20 Pro iPad mini, Apple upgraded the display from 8.3 inches to 8,5 inches and from LCD to OLED, making the mini the second tablet with the tech. OLED (which Apple markets as Super Retina XDR) brings deeper blacks, higher contrast, faster pixel response, and improved viewing angles compared with the Liquid Reitina LCD in the current iPad mini.
While both screens are classified as Super Retina, however, the iPad mini does not have the same display technology as the iPad Pro. Apple uses a single-stack LTPS OLED panel, rather than the tandem OLED and LTPO technology used in the Pro models. This keeps costs lower, but the single panel does not reach the same brightness levels as the iPad Pro display (1,600 vs 1,200).
Another difference between the OLEDs in the iPad mini and iPad Pro is ProMotion. That means that the maximum refresh rate in the iPad mini is 60Hz. The iPad Pro has ProMotion that supports up to 120Hz refresh for speedy scrolling and smoother animations.
WIth the 256GB and 512GB models, Apple offers a nano-texture display glass option, which provides a matte-like display instead of glossy. The nano-texture option is an additional $100/£100.
Apple
The iPad mini has retained the same overall design since its major redesign in 2021. However, the A20 Pro iPad mini is thinner than its predecessor, measuring 0.21 inches (5.4 mm) compared to 0.25 inches (6.3 mm). Its width is 5.22 inches (132.6 mm), which is slightly narrower than the 5.3 inches (134.8 mm) or the older iPad mini. The iPad mini (A20 Pro) weighs 0.56 pounds (255 grams), quite a bit lighter than the older model’s 0.65 pounds (293 grams).
Tthe iPad mini (A20 Pro) is more water- and dust-resistant than before, with an IP67 rating. As part of this, Apple introduced a new Acoustic Display in the iPad mini, where specially designed woofers are paired through the display, and custom tweeters are hidden between the glass and aluminium enclosure.
With the iPad mini, (A20 Pro), Apple decide to narrow the color choices to Midnight and Starlight. The previous iPad mini was available in Blue, Purple, Starlight, and Space Gray,
Apple
The iPad mini’s 12MP FaceTime camera moves from the short edge to the more convenient landscape edge. It also gets a larger ƒ/2.0 aperture, up from ƒ/2.4.
As for the rear camera the specs are the same as before: a 12MP Wide camera with an ƒ/1.8 aperture, 5x digital zoom, adaptive True Tone flash, Smart HDR 4 for photos, 4K video recording at 24 fps, 25 fps, 30 fps, or 60 fps, and 3x video zoom. The A20 Pro chip could still improve image processing and computational photography.
The iPad mini (A20 Pro) starts at $699/£699. That’s a $100/£100 increase over the iPad mini (A17 Pro), which had its price increased in June 2026 from its initial $499/£499 starting price. Storage options cost an extra $100 per 128GB, so $100 extra for 256GB ($799) and $300 more for 512GB ($999).
