iPad mini OLED: A20 Pro chip, arrives Nov 6

The new iPad mini OLED model pairs an 8.5-inch OLED display with Apple's A20 Pro chip and arrives November 6, 2026.

Apple announced it on October 26, 2026, opened pre-orders on October 28 in 36 countries and regions, and says it ships starting Friday, November 6. Everything below comes from Apple pages: the newsroom release, the iPad mini product page and specifications, the Apple Support specifications for the previous iPad mini (A17 Pro), and the iPad Pro specifications. We found no independent reviews as of 2026-11-02.

What Apple says the new iPad mini is

Apple describes an 8.5-inch OLED screen (Super Retina XDR) in the same footprint as the previous mini, made possible by 24 percent thinner bezels. The specification page lists 2316-by-1512 resolution at 326 ppi.

Spec	What Apple publishes	Source
Display	8.5-inch OLED, 2316 x 1512 px, 326 ppi	Apple specs
Brightness	Up to 1200 nits peak; 600 nits full-screen SDR and HDR; 2,000,000:1 contrast	Apple newsroom
Chip	A20 Pro, 2-nanometer process; 5-core CPU, 7-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine on 128GB and 256GB; 6-core CPU and Dual 16-core Neural Engine on 512GB	Apple specs, newsroom
Thickness	5.4 mm	Apple newsroom
Weight (Wi-Fi)	255 g (0.56 lb)	Apple specs
Durability	IP67 rating for water and dust	Apple newsroom
Cameras	12MP Center Stage front camera on the landscape edge; 12MP Wide rear	Apple newsroom
Wireless	N1 chip: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, Thread; cellular models use the Apple C2 modem	Apple newsroom, specs
Pencil	Apple Pencil Pro and Apple Pencil (USB-C)	Apple newsroom
Storage and finishes	128GB, 256GB, 512GB; midnight and starlight	Apple newsroom
Nano-texture glass	Option on 256GB and 512GB models	Apple specs

Price and availability

Apple publishes "starts at" U.S. prices for the Wi-Fi model and the Wi-Fi + Cellular model, plus monthly-payment options and a lower education starting price. Prices change, so this page does not repeat the figures; read them in the Apple newsroom release. Pre-orders opened Wednesday, October 28 at apple.com and in the Apple Store app in 36 countries and regions, including the U.S.; availability starts Friday, November 6.

How we chose what to compare

We compared only what Apple publishes on its own pages for each device. What weighed: display, brightness, chip and thickness, because they drive the buying decision between small and large tablets. What did not weigh: price deltas and performance claims we cannot trace to an Apple page. What we did not measure: speed, battery or display behavior; we have no unit.

New mini vs previous mini vs iPad Pro M5

Spec	iPad mini (A20 Pro)	iPad mini (A17 Pro)	iPad Pro M5
Panel	OLED, 8.5 in	Liquid Retina LED-backlit IPS, 8.3 in	Tandem OLED
Brightness	600 nits full screen SDR/HDR; 1200 nits peak	500 nits	1000 nits full screen; 1600 nits peak (HDR content only)
Chip	A20 Pro	A17 Pro (6-core CPU, 5-core GPU)	Apple M5
Thickness	5.4 mm	6.3 mm	5.3 mm (11-inch); 5.1 mm (13-inch)
Refresh rate	not stated on the Apple pages we read	not stated on the Apple Support page we read	10-120 Hz (ProMotion)

Sources: new mini specs and newsroom; previous mini; iPad Pro specs. The A17 Pro mini was introduced in 2024. Apple's iPad Pro specifications list the same Tandem OLED display and 10-120 Hz ProMotion for both the 11-inch and 13-inch models, so the display and refresh-rate cells of the iPad Pro M5 column apply to both sizes; thickness differs by size. Apple says the new mini's peak brightness is more than 2x the previous generation's.

What changed from the previous mini

According to Apple, the A20 Pro raises graphics performance by up to 2.7x and gives up to 60 percent faster multithreaded performance with its up-to-6-core CPU. Apple's product page compares against the previous model, and its footnote says the testing was done by Apple in September 2026 on preproduction iPad mini (A20 Pro) and production iPad mini (A17 Pro) units; the CPU figure is based on the A20 Pro with 6-core CPU, tested with Affinity Photo 2 v2.6.4 using its built-in benchmark version 25000. The footnote text we captured does not name the benchmark behind the 2.7x graphics figure. Treat both as vendor claims, not measurements of ours. The screen grows from 8.3 to 8.5 inches, the body from 6.3 mm to 5.4 mm thick, and the previous mini is rated 500 nits (Apple does not say whether that is full-screen or peak).

Who it is for, and who it is not for

Our reading of Apple's specifications, not a test result:

For people who want a small OLED tablet. The 8.5-inch screen sits in the previous mini's footprint, and Apple lists IP67, Wi-Fi 7 and Pencil Pro support. Trade-off: the full-screen brightness Apple lists (600 nits) is below the iPad Pro's (1000 nits).
If you need 120 Hz, wait until Apple states the mini's refresh rate; the iPad Pro M5 lists 10-120 Hz ProMotion and the mini's page does not say.
Weighing it against a Pro. We do not compare prices: the configurations differ.

iPad mini vs iPad Pro: which should you buy?

Our reading, using only the table above. Size: the mini's screen is 8.5 inches; the Pro comes in 11-inch and 13-inch sizes. Chip: A20 Pro in the mini, M5 in the Pro. Motion: ProMotion is confirmed for the Pro, while the mini's refresh rate is not disclosed. Brightness: 600 nits full screen on the mini against 1000 nits on the Pro. If a small OLED tablet matters most, the mini fits; if you need confirmed 120 Hz, the highest full-screen brightness here or a larger screen, the Pro is the one whose published specs cover those.

Catalogue entries that may help while the mini has no page of its own: iPad Pro M5, iPad Pro M4, iPad Air. More launches are on the Radar; see how we handle vendor claims in our methodology.

What Apple hasn't said yet

Refresh rate. Neither the newsroom release nor the product and specification pages we read state it for the new mini.
Price by storage tier. The pages we read give only starting prices; for 256GB, 512GB and the nano-texture option, check Apple's store configurator.
The benchmark behind the 2.7x graphics figure. The footnote text we captured names only the CPU test.
The previous mini's launch price. We did not capture it from an Apple page, so we make no price comparison.

FAQ

Does the new iPad mini have an OLED display?

Yes. Apple describes an 8.5-inch OLED display with up to 1200 nits peak brightness and 600 nits full screen.

What is the new iPad mini price?

Apple publishes separate "starts at" prices for the Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + Cellular models, and a lower one with education savings. We do not repeat the figures here; they are in Apple's newsroom release.

What is the iPad mini release date in 2026?

Apple says it is available "starting Friday, November 6" (2026). Pre-orders opened October 28 in 36 countries and regions, including the U.S.

Is the iPad mini IP67 rated?

Yes. Apple lists an IP67 rating for water and dust protection in its newsroom release.

What is the A20 Pro chip in the new iPad mini?

The chip is Apple's A20 Pro, built on a 2-nanometer process, with a 6-core CPU on the 512GB model and a 5-core CPU on 128GB and 256GB.

Does the iPad Pro M5 OLED display have ProMotion?

Yes. Apple lists a Tandem OLED display with ProMotion from 10 Hz to 120 Hz for the iPad Pro M5.

iPad mini vs iPad Pro: which should I buy?

See our reading above: the mini is smaller, with an 8.5-inch OLED; the Pro lists confirmed 120 Hz and 1000 nits full screen. Apple has not stated the mini's refresh rate.

Sources

Last reviewed: 2026-11-03. Update trigger: on 2026-11-06, rewrite the title and opening, because "arrives" goes stale; also Apple publishing a refresh rate or per-tier prices, independent reviews, or a change to Apple's pages.