Apple iPad Mini Gets 8.5-Inch OLED, A20 Pro and $699 Price
Apple’s new 8.5-inch OLED iPad mini packs an A20 Pro, up to 4.5x faster AI, 1,200-nit peak brightness, and November 6 availability from $699 in two colors.
Summary
Apple unveiled the thinner, lighter iPad mini on Monday, October 26, 2026, with an 8.5-inch OLED display, 5.4 mm body, two colors, and prices of $699 for Wi-Fi or $849 with cellular. Its Super Retina XDR panel offers pixel-level lighting, deeper blacks, P3 color, a 2 million:1 contrast ratio, 1,200 nits peak brightness, and 600 nits full-screen brightness for SDR and HDR, which Apple says suits dim environments. A nano-texture option previously offered on iPad Pro reduces glare, while a 12-megapixel Center Stage camera, faster wireless and cellular connectivity, fast charging, and an Acoustic Display with integrated woofers upgrade video, sound and communications.
The A20 Pro combines a 6-core CPU with a 7-core GPU carrying Neural Accelerators in every core. Apple claims up to 60% faster multithreaded performance and 4.5 times faster AI than the previous generation. Next-generation Apple Intelligence and Siri AI can use personal context, answer questions, locate information and interpret on-screen content. Preorders open October 28, the date of Apple’s Wednesday “Pro and Tell” event, with availability beginning November 6.
Positives
- The 8.5-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display reaches 1,200 nits peak brightness, more than twice the previous generation’s peak.
- The A20 Pro delivers up to 4.5 times faster AI and 60% faster multithreaded performance, according to Apple.
- The 5.4 mm redesign is thinner and lighter than its predecessor.
- The 12-megapixel Center Stage camera, faster connectivity and fast charging expand everyday utility.
- Integrated display woofers promise deeper bass and higher volume for games, videos and content editing.
- October 28 preorders lead to November 6 availability, giving buyers a defined launch schedule.
Risks & concerns
- The Wi-Fi and cellular model costs $849, a $150 premium over the $699 Wi-Fi version.
- Full-screen brightness is limited to 600 nits for SDR and HDR, half the advertised 1,200-nit peak.
- The redesigned iPad mini is available in only two colors.
- Apple has not specified the additional price of the glare-reducing nano-texture display option.
- The 4.5 times AI and 60% multithreaded gains are Apple performance claims, with independent results still unavailable.