The key facts
- The new iPad mini features an 8.5-inch OLED display with peak brightness up to 1200 nits and a nano-texture option
- The A20 Pro chip delivers up to 4.5x better AI performance and up to 60% faster multi-threaded performance
- Pre-orders open October 28, on sale November 6; prices from $699 (Wi-Fi) and $849 (Wi-Fi + cellular)
Announcement of the new iPad mini
On Monday, October 26, Apple unveiled a new generation of the iPad mini. According to TechCrunch, the tablet received a larger 8.5-inch OLED display, a body thinner and lighter than its predecessor, and runs on the A20 Pro chip. The device is 5.4 mm thick and comes in two colors. The announcement came a few days ahead of Apple's 'Pro and Tell' event scheduled for Wednesday.
Display and sound
The Super Retina XDR OLED-based display offers pixel-level backlight control, deeper blacks, and support for the wide P3 color gamut. Peak brightness reaches 1200 nits — more than double that of the previous generation, full brightness for SDR and HDR content is 600 nits, and contrast ratio is 2,000,000:1. Apple says the tablet is well suited for use in low light. For the first time on the iPad mini, a nano-texture option is available, reducing glare in bright light — previously used on the iPad Pro. The device also features an 'Acoustic Display': subwoofers built into the display, according to the company, deliver deeper bass and higher volume.
Performance and camera
The A20 Pro chip includes a 6-core CPU and a 7-core GPU with neural accelerators in each core. According to Apple, AI task performance improved up to 4.5x compared with the previous generation, and multi-threaded performance by up to 60%, speeding up photo editing and multitasking. The tablet also gained a 12-megapixel front camera with Center Stage, faster wireless and cellular connectivity, and fast charging support.
Apple Intelligence and pricing
The new iPad mini ships with a new generation of Apple Intelligence and Siri, which, according to the company, can use the user's personal context to search for information, answer questions, and understand on-screen content. Prices start at $699 for the Wi-Fi version and $849 for the Wi-Fi + cellular version. Pre-orders open on October 28, with sales beginning November 6. Notably, Apple announced the new product in a separate announcement rather than at the upcoming 'Pro and Tell' event — editorially, this may indicate a desire to highlight the mini lineup update against the backdrop of larger presentations, although the sources themselves do not state the company's motives.
Why it matters
The update matters to users of compact tablets: for the first time, the iPad mini gets an OLED display and the nano-texture option previously available only on the iPad Pro, changing the balance of features within the lineup. In practical terms, this means a noticeable jump in brightness and on-device AI performance while keeping the compact form factor, and clear dates — pre-orders on October 28 and sales from November 6 — let buyers plan their purchase. Sources do not report pricing for individual markets, including Uzbekistan.
