Apple's new iPad mini is the biggest update the small tablet has ever had: an 8.5-inch OLED display, the A20 Pro chip and IP67 water resistance, starting at $699. Apple announced it Monday, Oct. 26, 2026. Pre-orders open Wednesday, Oct. 28, and the iPad mini arrives in stores Friday, Nov. 6.
The upgrades come with another price increase. The new model costs $100 more than the $599 mini it replaces, which itself rose from $499 earlier this year, MacRumors reported.
How much does the new iPad mini cost?
| Model | Price |
|---|---|
| iPad mini Wi-Fi, 128GB | $699 |
| iPad mini Wi-Fi + Cellular, 128GB | $849 |
| Education pricing | From $649 |
| TechWoven Smart Folio | $79 |
| Apple Pencil Pro | $129 |
| Apple Pencil (USB-C) | $79 |
Storage options are 128GB, 256GB and 512GB. Prices are Apple's U.S. launch prices.
What's new on the OLED iPad mini?
| Feature | New iPad mini (2026) |
|---|---|
| Display | 8.5-inch OLED Super Retina XDR, up to 1,200 nits peak, optional nano-texture |
| Chip | A20 Pro (2nm), up to 6-core CPU, 7-core GPU |
| Durability | IP67 water and dust resistance |
| Thickness | 5.4mm |
| Cameras | 12MP landscape Center Stage front, 12MP wide rear with 4K60 video |
| Wireless | Apple N1 (Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, Thread); C2 modem on cellular models |
| Colors | Midnight, starlight |
| Software | iPadOS 27 with Apple Intelligence |
The display is the headline. It is Apple's first OLED iPad mini, growing from 8.3 to 8.5 inches with 24% thinner bezels in the same footprint. Apple says peak brightness is more than double the previous generation, with deeper blacks and a 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio.
The A20 Pro is built on a 2-nanometer process. Apple claims up to 60% faster multithreaded CPU performance, up to 2.7 times faster graphics and up to 4.5 times faster AI performance than the previous mini, with Neural Accelerators in every GPU core.
Water resistance is new for the mini. Apple rates it IP67, tested to 1 meter for 30 minutes in lab conditions. Bloomberg highlighted it in its headline as a first for the iPad mini.
Apple also redesigned the speakers into what it calls an Acoustic Display, moved the front camera to the landscape edge for video calls, and switched cellular models to its in-house C2 modem, which it says delivers up to 50% faster cellular speeds.
When can you buy the new iPad mini?
- Pre-orders: Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026, at apple.com and in the Apple Store app, in 36 countries and regions including the U.S.
- In stores: Friday, Nov. 6, 2026
The pre-order date lines up with Apple's expected late-October Mac announcements; see our coverage of Apple's 'Pro and Tell' event.
Is the new iPad mini worth the higher price?
That depends on what you value. The OLED screen, faster chip and water resistance are substantial upgrades, and Apple's Dave Pakula, vice president of hardware engineering, said the mini "is beloved for its fantastic portability, performance, and display by a wide range of users." But at $699, the mini now costs $200 more than it did in 2024, with the same 128GB base storage, a point CNN's reviewer raised in asking whether it is "worth the new price." The $79 Smart Folio is also up from $59, according to MacRumors.
If you are deciding between Apple's newest devices, our iPhone Duo vs. iPhone 18 Pro guide covers the phone side of the lineup.
Specs and prices are from Apple's announcement. Price history is from MacRumors.
