Apple has unveiled the all-new iPad mini, and the company is calling it the biggest update the compact tablet has ever received – namely, it’s got a larger 8.5-inch OLED display, the new A20 Pro chip, a thinner and lighter design, and an IP67 water and dust resistance rating.
Meet The New iPad mini
The new iPad mini also measures just 5.4mm thin, making it the most portable version of the device yet; on the processing side, the iPad mini now comes with the A20 Pro chip, carried straight from the iPhone 18 Pro – so you get all the latest and greatest Apple has to offer this year in a slightly bigger format. The 512GB configuration also features a Dual 16-core Neural Engine with double the AI processing power of the previous generation.
Despite housing a larger 8.5-inch screen, the overall footprint remains the same as the previous generation, thanks to bezels that are 24% thinner. The Super Retina XDR OLED display brings deeper blacks and supports the Apple P3 wide color gamut, with peak brightness reaching up to 1,200 nits (more than twice that of the previous generation, Apple says), while full-screen brightness for SDR and HDR content sits at 600 nits. A nano-texture display option is also available.
Audio has also been reworked through an Acoustic Display system, similar to Sony’s BRAVIA TVs which uses the entire panel to improve audio quality. Woofers are paired through the display for punchier bass, while custom tweeters are tucked between the glass and aluminum enclosure for cleaner high frequencies. Since this design does away with speaker grilles, Apple claims this is one of the ways the tablet achieved its IP67 ingress protection rating.
Apple has also relocated the 12MP Center Stage front camera to the landscape edge for more natural video call framing, while the rear 12MP wide camera supports Smart HDR 4 and 4K video at up to 60 fps, alongside a new Adaptive True Tone flash. Connectivity receives a significant upgrade with the N1 wireless networking chip, enabling Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread support; cellular models gain the C2 modem, which Apple says delivers up to 50% faster cellular data speeds than before, with improved power efficiency (plus there’s eSIM support as well).
Pre-orders for the new iPad mini open on 29 October 2026 via apple.com/my and the Apple Store app; units will begin arriving to customers and appear in Apple Store locations and Apple Authorised Resellers from 6 November 2026. The tablet is available in 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB configurations in Midnight and Starlight finishes. The Wi-Fi model starts at RM2,999, while the Wi-Fi + Cellular model starts at RM3,699.
Pokdepinion: Now we wait for a response from Samsung.
