Apple unveils redesigned iPad mini with 8.5-inch OLED display and A20 Pro chip ahead of Pro and Tell event

In brief

• Apple announced a new iPad mini with an 8.5-inch OLED display, a 5.4 mm body and an A20 Pro chip, priced from $699 for Wi-Fi and $849 for Wi-Fi and cellular.
• The 512GB model carries the fuller A20 Pro with a 6-core CPU and dual 16-core Neural Engine, while 128GB and 256GB versions use a 5-core CPU and a 16-core Neural Engine.
• Pre-orders open on October 28 and sales begin on November 6.
• Apple has said more products will follow this week, with analysts expecting an OLED touch-screen MacBook Pro and an iMac before the Wednesday Pro and Tell briefing.

New display and design

The updated iPad mini moves to an 8.5-inch OLED panel, up from 8.3 inches, and reaches peak brightness of 1,200 nits, more than double the previous generation (Apple unveils new iPad mini with OLED display and faster A20 Pro chip – TechCrunch). Full-screen brightness is rated at 600 nits for both SDR and HDR content, with a contrast ratio of 2,000,000:1. A nano-texture option, already available on the iPad Pro, reduces glare in bright rooms. The tablet is 5.4 mm thick and carries an IP67 rating for water and dust resistance (Apple just revealed the iPad Mini I’ve always wanted. But is it worth the new price? – CNN) (iPad mini prošel velkou proměnou. Má OLED displej a odolá vodě – Novinky.cz).

Specifications and pricing

The Wi-Fi model starts at $699 and the Wi-Fi and cellular version at $849. Pre-orders open on October 28 and sales begin on November 6.

Chip configurations differ

Only the 512GB model uses the fuller version of the A20 Pro. Versions with 128GB or 256GB of storage get a 5-core CPU with two super cores and three efficiency cores, along with a 16-core Neural Engine. The 512GB model has a 6-core CPU with two super cores and four efficiency cores, and a dual 16-core Neural Engine (New iPad mini has big limitation on all but one model - 9to5Mac – 9to5mac.com). All configurations share a 7-core GPU.

Case compatibility may change

The new body is narrower than its predecessor. Rigid snap-on cases made for the older dimensions may sit loose, while flexible silicone or TPU cases could still fit (New iPad mini shrinks just enough to complicate case compatibility – appleinsider.com).

What comes next

Apple has said more products will follow the tablet this week. Analysts expect an OLED touch-screen MacBook Pro with M5 Max or M5 Pro processors, and an iMac, with the MacBook Pro likely closing the launches on Wednesday (Apple's iPad mini launch is to be followed by the MacBook Pro and iMac – appleinsider.com). The Wednesday event is billed as Pro and Tell and is expected to take the form of a press briefing rather than a public event.