Today Apple introduced the new iPad mini, with an even thinner and lighter design, a huge leap forward in performance thanks to the A20 Pro chip, and water and dust resistance. Let’s not forget the larger 8.5″ Oled display, also available in the nano texture version.
Below are all the features, availability and prices of the new iPad mini 2026.
Design
At 5.4mm thick, the new iPad mini is more portable than ever and is available in two colors: Galaxy and the new Midnight. Furthermore, it has an Ip67 rating which makes it resistant to water and dust. Compact tablet with dimensions of 195.3 x 132.6 x 5.4 mm and weight of 255 g (Wi-Fi), 263 g (Cellular). The weight saving is 38 grams on the Wi-Fi version, while the thickness is reduced by approximately 15% compared to the previous model.
Oled display
The display goes from 8.3 to 8.5 inches, without increasing the size of the device, thanks to bezels reduced by 24%. Tablet with Super Retina Xdr Oled panel, with 2,000,000:1 contrast. Apple’s new tablet also offers up to 1,200 nits of peak brightness, more than double that of the previous generation, and has full-screen brightness of 600 nits for SDR and HDR content. iPad mini is also available in a nanotexture version, a display option that reduces reflections in brightly lit environments. Unfortunately, ProMotion technology with 120 Hz refresh is absent.
New processor
Thanks to the A20 Pro chip (the same processor as the iPhone 18 Pro), iPad mini makes a huge leap forward in performance, bringing a marked improvement in graphics and tasks that require intensive use of AI. It’s built using Apple’s latest 2-nanometer technology and new packaging inspired by its M-series chips. With a 7-core GPU with Neural Accelerator in each core, iPad mini is up to 4.5 times faster at using AI than the previous generation. And thanks to the new architecture with dynamic cache, mesh shading and hardware-accelerated ray tracing, graphics performance is up to 2.7x faster. The 512GB model can also count on the power of the 16-core Dual Neural Engine, which offers double the processing power compared to the previous generation.
Audio and front camera
Thanks to innovative Acoustic Display technology, the new iPad mini offers an even better audio experience when playing games, watching videos or creating content. Specially designed woofers are paired via the display to produce tighter bass and more volume. Plus, custom-made tweeters are hidden between the glass and aluminum shell for crisper highs.
The 12MP Center Stage front camera is now located on the longer side of iPad mini. On the back, the 12MP wide-angle camera remains, with Smart Hdr, 4K video recording up to 60 fps and a new Adaptive True Tone flash.
Connectivity
iPad mini now has N1, an Apple-designed wireless networking chip for Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread technologies. N1 improves performance on 5GHz Wi-Fi networks and increases the reliability and overall performance of features like AirDrop and AirPlay.
Models of the new iPad mini with cellular connectivity integrate C2, Apple’s next-generation cellular modem, which offers up to 50% faster performance on data networks compared to the previous generation iPad mini, and even greater energy efficiency.
Operating system
The new iPad mini 2026 arrives with iPadOS 27. On board the new Apple Intelligence features such as advanced tools for editing photographs, Image Playground with the ability to generate photorealistic images and “Notify me” in Safari, which allows you to monitor changes to web pages, such as changes in the availability or price of a product. iPadOS 27.2 also brings extended screen mode to iPad mini when the device is connected to an external monitor, ideal for those who multitask using various windows.
Accessories
The new Smart Folio case has a two-panel architecture that makes it thin and light, and attaches magnetically to iPad mini. Made from TechWoven fabric, in navy and taupe, the Smart Folio has an adjustable design that gives the user greater freedom of movement and new angles.
iPad mini is compatible with Apple Pencil (USB-C) and Apple Pencil Pro.
Prices and availability
The new iPad mini can be pre-ordered starting Wednesday 28 October. iPad mini will be available in 128GB, 256GB and 512GB capacities. iPad mini can be purchased starting from €759 for the Wi-Fi model and from €929 for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model.
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