Apple unveils the all-new iPad mini: OLED, thinner design, more

Apple has officially unveiled a new iPad mini. The company calls it “the biggest update ever” for the iPad mini, adding an OLED display and a thinner, lighter design. The new iPad mini is powered by the A20 Pro chip.

Here’s everything you need to know.

New iPad mini: everything you need to know

Apple says the new iPad mini is even thinner than before, measuring 5.4mm thick. For comparison, the previous generation measured 6.3mm thick. It weighs 255 grams, compared to 297 grams of the previous model. The new design is also IP67 rated for water and dust resistance.

The new iPad mini also features an 8.5-inch OLED display, slightly larger than the previous 8.3-inch iPad mini. Apple says this is due to 24% thinner bezels. The screen reaches a maximum brightness of 1,200 nits.

The press release and tech specs page for the new iPad mini don’t mention 120Hz or ProMotion support, so it appears to have a 60Hz refresh rate display.

For performance, the new iPad mini is powered by the A20 Pro chip. However, there is an interesting split between storage tiers. Here are the specifications of the A20 Pro chip in the 128GB and 256GB models:

5-core processor with 2 super cores and 3 efficient cores
7-core GPU
Neural accelerators
Hardware-accelerated ray tracing
16-core neural engine

And here are the specifications of the A20 Pro chip in the 512GB iPad mini configuration:

6-core processor with 2 super cores and 4 efficient cores
7-core GPU
Neural accelerators
Hardware-accelerated ray tracing
Dual 16-core neural engine

Apple touts that the new iPad mini has an “acoustic screen.” Here’s how the company explains this technology:

The new iPad mini features an innovative acoustic display for an even better audio experience when gaming, watching videos or editing content. Specially designed woofers are coupled through the display to produce punchier bass and more volume. Additionally, custom tweeters are now hidden between the glass and aluminum housing for clearer highs. The acoustic shield also has a sealed enclosure that allows the iPad mini to achieve its IP67 rating.

The iPad mini’s 12MP Center Stage front camera is now located along the edge of the landscape. There is also a 12 MP wide rear camera with support for Smart HDR 4 and 4K video at up to 60 frames per second.

More specifications:

Release date and price of the new iPad mini

The new iPad mini will be available for pre-order starting Wednesday, October 28, with the first orders arriving on Friday, November 6. Pricing starts at $699 for 128GB of storage. It is available in midnight and starlight colors.

The 256GB and 512GB models are available with a nano-textured glass option as an additional $100 upgrade.