Apple’s new OLED iPad Mini is the upgrade I’ve been waiting for – here’s why

ZDNET’s key takeaways

• The new iPad Mini sports an OLED screen for higher quality and contrast.
• An optional nano-texture display glass reduces glare and reflections.
• The new Mini starts at $799, $100 more than the current model.

It’s finally here. Apple has unveiled the latest generation of its iPad Mini a full two years after the tablet was last upgraded. The new 8th generation Mini model boasts an OLED screen, a larger display, a beefy A20 processor, a nano-texture display glass option, a landscape Center Stage camera, and Wi-Fi 7. And I’m picking one up.

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First, here are the details you need to know.

The new 8th generation iPad Mini starts at $699 with 128GB of storage. That’s a full $200 over the original price of the 2024 model and $100 over the current price. In June, Apple raised prices on its entire iPad and MacBook lineup, blaming the increases on the higher costs and lower availability of memory and storage chips.

What’s new in the latest iPad Mini

The new iPad Mini offers an OLED display for the first time in its career. All current iPhones come with OLED screens. But among Apple’s tablets, only the iPad Pro sports this type of display. An OLED screen is considered superior over the LED screens found on previous iPad Mini models as well as the standard iPad and iPad Air.

OLED displays tend to be slimmer. Black colors are truer. And power consumption is lower. Combine OLED with the new Mini’s Super Retina XDR display and XDR brightness, and the screen promises better overall quality and contrast.

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The display on the new Mini is also slightly larger, coming in at 8.5 inches versus the 8.3-inch screen on the 2024 model. Even more intriguing though, the new version offers a nano-texture display glass but only as a $100 option for the 256GB and 512GB versions. What does that mean?

A nano-texture display glass reduces glare and reflections that you’d typically see under bright sunlight or unfiltered indoor lighting. However, this type of glass can reduce the vibrancy and sharpness of the screen. Plus, it requires a special type of cleaning cloth, which Apple includes if you spend the extra $100 for this option. If you use your tablet in bright light and are bothered by glare, think about the nano-texture display glass. If not, you’d be better off sticking with standard glass.

Next, the 2026 iPad Mini is powered by an A20 Pro processor, a huge jump over the A17 chip found in the 2024 flavor. The A20 Pro delivers not just faster performance but also greater power efficiency.

The front-faced Center Stage camera on the new Mini now works in landscape mode. This means you can more easily use it for video calls and virtual meetings.

Why these upgrades matter to me

Sprinkle in a few more updates like Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 courtesy of Apple’s N1 wireless networking chip, an acoustic Display for better stereo sound, and faster charging, and this is an upgrade worth considering despite the higher price.

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As for me, I currently have an iPad Mini 6th generation introduced in 2021, so there are other reasons I’ll be jumping ship to the new model. My current iPad is stuck with an A15 Bionic chip, which means it doesn’t support Apple Intelligence or the new Siri AI. My current model also uses Wi-Fi 6 whereas I’ve since upgraded my home network to Wi-Fi 7. The only downside is that the iPad Mini 8 still saddles you with Touch ID. I wish Apple would switch the Mini to Face ID, but I guess that would increase the cost even more.

Though I’m tempted to preorder the new Mini on Wednesday, I’m anxious to see and try it in action at my local Apple Store when it hits the shelves on November 6. I’ve been waiting this long to replace my existing Mini, so I can wait a couple more weeks.

Lance Whitney is a technology journalist with an IT background. He's written for TechRepublic, PCMag, Macworld, and Time, among others, He also teaches classes in AI, cybersecurity, and social media. See full bio