Cupertino, United States, October 27, 2026: Apple has unveiled its new iPad mini, bringing a significant upgrade to its compact tablet with an 8.5-inch OLED display, the A20 Pro chip, faster wireless connectivity and IP67-rated water and dust resistance. The latest iPad mini also introduces enhanced AI capabilities, improved cameras and a redesigned audio system, while retaining the compact form factor that defines the series.

The new Apple iPad mini price in India starts at ₹82,900 for the Wi-Fi variant, while the Wi-Fi + Cellular model starts at ₹1,00,900. Pre-orders will open on October 28, 2026, with availability beginning November 6 through Apple’s online store, Apple Store locations and authorised resellers.

Apple iPad mini Gets 8.5-inch OLED Display

One of the biggest upgrades is the new 8.5-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display, which offers deeper blacks, improved contrast and more vivid colours. Despite the larger screen, the tablet retains the previous generation’s footprint, thanks to bezels that are 24 per cent thinner.

The display supports peak brightness of up to 1,200 nits, more than twice that of its predecessor, alongside a 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio. Apple is also offering a nano-texture display option designed to reduce glare in bright environments, making the tablet more suitable for outdoor work and creative applications.

The new iPad mini measures just 5.4mm in thickness and comes in midnight and starlight finishes. Its IP67 rating provides protection against water and dust, adding to its versatility for users who work or travel outdoors.

A20 Pro Chip Brings Major Performance Gains

Powering the new iPad mini is Apple’s A20 Pro chip, built using a 2-nanometre manufacturing process. The processor is designed to deliver substantial improvements in graphics performance, everyday computing and artificial intelligence workloads.

Apple claims up to 4.5 times faster AI performance compared with the previous generation, while graphics performance improves by up to 2.7 times. The CPU also delivers up to 60 per cent faster multithreaded performance, benefiting activities such as photo editing, gaming and multitasking.

The chip features a seven-core GPU with Neural Accelerators in each GPU core, supporting more demanding on-device AI applications and local large language models. The 512GB configuration additionally features a Dual 16-core Neural Engine, offering twice the processing power of the previous generation’s Neural Engine, according to Apple.

iPad mini Adds Improved Cameras and Audio

The latest iPad mini features a 12MP Center Stage front camera positioned along the landscape edge, improving its suitability for video calls and virtual meetings. The rear camera is also a 12MP unit, supporting Smart HDR 4 photography and 4K video recording at up to 60 frames per second.

An Adaptive True Tone flash is designed to improve photography and document scanning. Meanwhile, Apple’s new Acoustic Display system combines specially designed woofers and custom tweeters to deliver fuller bass, greater volume and clearer high frequencies.

Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 and Faster Cellular Connectivity

Connectivity upgrades include Apple’s N1 wireless networking chip, which brings Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 and Thread support. Apple says the chip improves performance on 5GHz Wi-Fi networks and enhances the reliability of features such as AirDrop and AirPlay.

Cellular variants feature the C2 modem system, which supports up to 50 per cent faster cellular data speeds than the previous-generation iPad mini. eSIM support also allows users to add or transfer cellular plans digitally.

iPadOS 27 Introduces New Apple Intelligence Features

The new iPad mini runs iPadOS 27 and supports the next generation of Apple Intelligence and Siri AI. The updated Siri is designed to offer more personalised assistance, understand on-screen content and draw on relevant personal context to help users find information across supported apps and services.

Apple Intelligence also brings upgraded photo-editing tools, including Clean Up, Spatial Reframing and Extend. The new Image Playground app offers photorealistic imagery, while Safari’s Notify Me feature can alert users to changes on web pages, including product restocks and price drops.

Apple says its AI features use on-device processing and Private Cloud Compute to help protect user privacy.

The tablet supports both Apple Pencil Pro and Apple Pencil (USB-C), expanding its capabilities for note-taking, drawing and creative work. The new Smart Folio accessory features a lightweight, two-panel design and is available in navy blue and taupe.

Apple iPad mini Price in India and Availability

The new iPad mini will be available in 128GB, 256GB and 512GB storage configurations, with midnight and starlight finish options.

• iPad mini Wi-Fi: Starting at ₹82,900
• iPad mini Wi-Fi + Cellular: Starting at ₹1,00,900
• Education pricing: Starting at ₹76,900
• Smart Folio: ₹8,500
• Apple Pencil Pro: ₹11,900
• Apple Pencil (USB-C): ₹7,900

Pre-orders open on October 28, 2026, and the new iPad mini will begin reaching customers and retail stores on November 6.

With its OLED display, upgraded processor, enhanced AI features and water and dust resistance, the new iPad mini represents a substantial update to Apple’s compact tablet range, targeting users who want high-end performance in a portable device.