Apple’s new iPad mini has an OLED screen and the A20 Pro chip, and costs from £699 in the UK. Apple announced it on 26 October. We have not tested it, so this article sets out what Apple says and what the prices are.
What Apple says has changed
According to Apple UK’s page, the iPad mini now has:
| Item | What Apple says |
|---|---|
| Screen | 8.5-inch OLED Super Retina XDR, 1,200 nits peak. Nano-texture glass is an option on the 256 GB and 512 GB models |
| Chip | A20 Pro. Apple says the GPU is up to 2.7 times and the CPU up to 1.6 times faster than the iPad mini with A17 Pro |
| Body | 14% thinner and 13% lighter than the previous model, and IP67 water and dust resistance |
| Cameras | 12MP rear camera with 4K video, and a 12MP front camera with Center Stage on the landscape edge |
| Pencil | Apple Pencil Pro and Apple Pencil (USB-C) |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, Thread, and 5G on the Cellular models with Apple’s C2 modem |
| Charging | About 50% in around 30 minutes |
| Software | Ships with iPadOS 27 |
The speed figures are Apple’s, and we have not measured them.
UK prices
| Storage | Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi with nano-texture | Wi-Fi + Cellular | Cellular with nano-texture |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 128 GB | £699 | Not offered | £849 | Not offered |
| 256 GB | £799 | £899 | £949 | £1,049 |
| 512 GB | £999 | £1,099 | £1,149 | £1,249 |
Nano-texture glass costs £100 extra. Engadget gives the US price as $699, $150 more than the previous model.
When you can buy it
Apple’s press release says pre-orders open on Wednesday 28 October (17:10 on Apple UK’s page), with arrivals and shop availability from Friday 6 November. The finishes are midnight and starlight.
What we cannot tell you
We have not tested the screen, battery or speed, and we found no independent review. The M6 iMac and the 14-inch MacBook Pro with M6 appear on Apple UK’s site, but without prices when we read it, so we leave them out. If you are choosing between tablets, see what to expect from Apple’s event on 28 October and the Samsung Galaxy Tab S12+ and Ultra and their UK prices.
What this means
Our reading: the changes Apple stresses are the OLED screen, the new chip and a thinner body, and the price is higher in the US by $150. Whether the screen and speed are worth the extra money is something only reviews can answer, and we have not seen any yet.
What we could not confirm
We have not tested the iPad mini and found no independent review. The speed claims are Apple’s. Prices and availability can change.
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