Apple's iPad mini has been redesigned for the first time since late 2024, gaining an 8.5-inch OLED display, the A20 Pro chip and the line's first water and dust resistance rating (8, 9). The tablet was unveiled on October 26 without a live event, through a press release and a quiet website update (12), with a starting price of $699 in the US and Rs 69,900 in India, and sales beginning November 6 (8, 9, 15).
iPad mini price
The new model starts at $699 in the US, $100 more than the $599 starting price of the 2024 model, marking the second price increase for the mini line this year after a summer hike attributed to component shortages (11). In India, the Wi-Fi model starts at Rs 69,900, with the Wi-Fi plus Cellular version at Rs 79,900, both inclusive of GST, which is about Rs 20,000 above the previous mini's Rs 49,900 launch price, roughly a 40 percent jump (15). One report also cited a starting price of Rs 82,900 for India (9), so the exact India figure is as reported and varies between stories.
iPad mini specs
The redesign centers on a new display and processor. Apple jumped the chip three generations at once, from the A17 Pro in the previous model to the A20 Pro (12), the same chip used in the iPhone 18 Pro and the foldable iPhone Duo (8). The screen grows slightly from 8.3 inches to 8.5 inches and switches from LCD to OLED, which Apple calls Super Retina XDR, with a resolution of 1512x2316 pixels and peak brightness reaching 1,200 nits, or 600 nits full-screen for SDR and HDR content (10, 12, 15). The tablet also gains an IP67 rating for water and dust resistance, a first for the mini line, made possible partly because the Acoustic Display sound system removes the need for exposed speaker holes (9). That system fires sound through under-panel woofers paired with hidden tweeters, which Apple says delivers more bass and volume than before (9). The body is just 5.4mm thick (10).
| Spec | Detail |
|---|
| Display | 8.5-inch Super Retina XDR OLED, 1512x2316 (10, 15) |
| Chip | A20 Pro (8, 12) |
| Water/dust resistance | IP67 (9, 10) |
| Thickness | 5.4mm (10) |
| Brightness | Up to 1,200 nits peak, 600 nits full-screen (15) |
| Sound | Acoustic Display with under-panel woofers and hidden tweeters (9) |
Apple itself has not assigned a generation number to the device, but it succeeds the A17 Pro iPad mini from 2024 and is widely expected to be referred to as the iPad mini 8 (8, 12).
iPad mini release date and availability
Reports in early October pointed to an October 27 event for the new iPad mini, as part of a second wave of autumn hardware alongside new MacBook Pro and iMac models (2, 3, 4, 5, 6). That timing shifted slightly: Apple ultimately revealed the iPad mini on Monday, October 26, ahead of a separate
Sources
- Apple Plans October 27 Event for Redesigned Touchscreen MacBook Pro
- OLED MacBook Pro 14 and 16 Inch Models Lead Apple Late October Lineup
- Apple Targets October 27 Event for Next iPad Mini With A20 Pro
- Apple Targets Creative Pros With Second October Hardware Showcase
- Apple Readies M6 MacBook Pro 14 and iMac for Late October Event
- Apple's New iPad Mini Gets OLED Display, A20 Pro Chip, $699 Price
- Apple's New iPad Mini Hides Its Speakers Inside The Screen
- Apple Unveils OLED iPad Mini, Teases Bigger Launches This Week
- iPad Mini 8's OLED Screen Costs $100 More Than Last Year's
- Apple's iPad Mini 8 Debuts With A20 Pro Chip And OLED Display
- iPad Mini OLED Launches In India At Rs 69,900, A 40% Jump
Last updated October 29, 2026. This guide is kept by Hitechreports' automated Guide Desk from the stories listed above and is refreshed as new reports come in. Prices and deals are as those reports gave them on the dates shown and change often; Hitechreports does not test products itself.
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