Most people use an iPad mini the same way: reading on the train, in bed or in a queue, scrolling with one thumb. It's the iPad you hold, more like a book than a computer. The new one finally has a great OLED screen. But as far as Apple's own specs show, it still refreshes at 60 times a second, and on a screen this good, you may notice.
What's new
Apple calls this the biggest iPad mini update ever, and that's fair. The screen is now an 8.5-inch OLED. Apple says it gets up to 1,200 nits bright and can go as dim as 1 nit for reading in the dark. It has the A20 Pro chip, it's 5.4 millimetres thin, and it's rated IP67, so water and dust are less of a worry. The front camera is now on the long side, so you're centred on video calls. It also has Wi-Fi 7 and works with the Apple Pencil Pro.
It starts at $699, or $849 with cellular, comes in midnight and starlight, and arrives in stores on 6 November. I haven't used it yet.
What I like
The screen. OLED on a small tablet is lovely. Black margins disappear, text looks printed, and photos look deep. For reading, which is why most people buy a mini, this is the best upgrade it has ever had.
It's tougher. IP67 means a spilled drink or a walk in the rain is no longer a disaster.
The camera is finally in the right place. On older minis, the front camera sat on the short edge, so on calls you looked off to the side. Now you look at the person you're talking to.
What I don't like
Apple doesn't mention ProMotion or 120Hz anywhere, not in the announcement and not on the spec sheet. Apple always mentions ProMotion when a device has it, so this almost certainly means the mini still refreshes at 60Hz, like before.
Here's why that matters more on this screen. OLED pixels change almost instantly. On older screens, each frame blurs a little into the next, which hides the jumps between frames. On OLED, every frame is sharp, so when you scroll slowly through an article, the text can look like it's moving in small steps instead of sliding smoothly. You won't see it in a photo. You might see it with your thumb, every day, doing exactly what the mini is made for.
The better the screen, the easier it is to see what's missing.
Who should buy it
If you read books, watch videos and take notes with a Pencil, buy it. Turning pages doesn't involve scrolling, video plays at its own speed, and the OLED screen matters much more to you than 120Hz would.
If you mostly read websites, scroll social media and long documents, and your phone already has a smooth 120Hz screen, try it in a store first. Scroll a long page slowly, at reading speed. If you can't see the difference, buy it and forget about it. If you can, you'll notice it every day.
My verdict
A really nice upgrade with one weak spot. For reading, watching and writing, buy it. For lots of scrolling, try it first. I think Apple kept the refresh rate low to protect the price or the battery, and I hope the next mini doesn't.
Specs and prices are from Apple's announcement of 26 October 2026 and its iPad mini spec sheet, which doesn't list ProMotion or 120Hz. The opinions are ours. We haven't used the new iPad mini yet; it's in stores from 6 November. Photos: Apple.