Apple’s new iPad mini packs 1,200-nit OLED brightness into its compact form factor

Apple has given the iPad mini a major hardware overhaul, bringing OLED technology, a faster processor, and water resistance to its smallest tablet. The redesigned model measures just 5.4 millimeters thick while fitting a larger screen into the same footprint as its predecessor. It also gains a landscape-oriented front camera and improved audio hardware. The new iPad mini arrives with Apple’s A20 Pro chip, which promises substantial gains in graphics performance and on-device AI processing. Preorders open October 28, with availability starting November 6. Apple has yet to disclose pricing in the announcement. OLED comes to mini The new 8.5-inch Super Retina XDR display marks one of the biggest changes to the iPad mini. Apple has trimmed the bezels by 24%, creating more screen space without making the tablet larger. OLED technology also gives the display better control over individual pixels, producing deeper blacks and a 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio. Brightness gets a substantial boost, too. The screen reaches 1,200 nits at peak brightness, more than twice the previous generation’s maximum. Full-screen brightness reaches 600 nits for SDR and HDR content, while the display can dim to just one nit for comfortable reading in dark rooms. Apple is also offering an optional nano-texture finish to reduce glare in bright environments. That could make the tablet more practical for photographers, designers, and technicians who regularly work outdoors. Support for the P3 wide color gamut should also help deliver more accurate colors. A20 Pro delivers more power Apple built the A20 Pro using a 2-nanometer manufacturing process and a chip package inspired by its M-series processors. Its seven-core GPU includes Neural Accelerators in every graphics core, giving the tablet additional hardware for demanding AI workloads. According to Apple, the new iPad mini delivers up to 4.5 times the AI performance of its predecessor. Graphics performance can reach 2.7 times the previous model’s level, while multithreaded CPU performance improves by up to 60%. The GPU also supports dynamic caching, hardware-accelerated mesh shading, and ray tracing. These features could benefit graphically demanding games and applications that handle complex 3D scenes. Apple reserves a Dual 16-core Neural Engine for the 512GB configuration. The 32-core setup doubles the previous generation’s neural processing capacity, according to the company. Increased unified memory bandwidth should also help with demanding applications that run models directly on the device. Slimmer tablet gains protection The new iPad mini measures 5.4 millimeters thick and comes in midnight and starlight finishes. Apple has also added an IP67 rating, which protects against dust and water exposure under specified laboratory conditions. The rating does not make the tablet waterproof. A 12-megapixel Center Stage camera now sits along the landscape edge, making video calls more natural when holding the tablet horizontally. Apple has also introduced an Acoustic Display designed to improve the audio experience, alongside faster wireless and cellular connectivity. The tablet runs iPadOS 27, bringing Apple’s next-generation Intelligence features and Siri capabilities. Apple says these tools can draw on personal context, answer questions, and understand information displayed on the screen. The hardware upgrades give the iPad mini more screen space and processing headroom without sacrificing its compact size. Independent testing will reveal how much those improvements translate into everyday performance and battery life.Get the latest in engineering, tech, space & science - delivered daily to your inbox.Aamir is a seasoned tech journalist with experience at Exhibit Magazine, Republic World, and PR Newswire. With a deep love for all things tech and science, he has spent years decoding the latest innovations and exploring how they shape industries, lifestyles, and the future of humanity.