Apple announced the iPad mini with A20 Pro on October 26, 2026, with an 8.5-inch OLED display and U.S. prices starting at $699. Apple scheduled deliveries and store availability to begin November 6. Apple calls it the iPad mini with A20 Pro; “iPad mini 8” is press shorthand, not the official product name.
The OLED display and its limits
The 8.5-inch Super Retina XDR OLED screen has a resolution of 2,316 × 1,512 pixels and a pixel density of 326 ppi. Apple lists 600 nits of full-screen brightness, up to 1,200 nits peak brightness for HDR content, and a 1-nit minimum. The 1,200-nit figure is an HDR peak, not full-screen brightness. The contrast ratio is 2,000,000:1.
MacRumors and The Verge report that the built-in display runs at 60Hz and lacks ProMotion. Apple lists the panel’s other specifications separately. Its 4K resolution at 60Hz limit applies to a supported external display, not the iPad’s built-in screen.
An optional nano-texture glass finish is available for the 256GB and 512GB models in the U.S. for an additional $100.
A20 Pro cores depend on storage
The 128GB and 256GB models have a 5-core CPU, a 7-core GPU and a 16-core Neural Engine. The 512GB model has a 6-core CPU and a Dual 16-core Neural Engine; its GPU also has 7 cores. So the top storage tier is the one to choose if you want the more powerful CPU and Neural Engine configuration.
Apple says the A20 Pro delivers up to 60% faster multithreaded CPU performance, 2.7× the graphics performance and 4.5× the AI performance of the previous iPad mini generation. Those comparisons are based on Apple’s tests conducted in September 2026.
IP67, connectivity and charging
Apple’s IP67 rating reflects a controlled laboratory test of up to 1 meter of water for up to 30 minutes. Apple says resistance can decline with wear, and liquid damage is not covered by its warranty.
The N1 chip supports Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 and Thread. Cellular models use Apple’s C2 modem and support 5G sub-6GHz, Gigabit LTE and eSIM, with no physical SIM slot. Apple claims cellular data speeds up to 50% faster than the previous mini, depending on network and carrier conditions.
The tablet has 12MP front and rear cameras. The front camera sits on the landscape edge and supports Center Stage; the rear camera records 4K video at up to 60 frames per second. Apple also lists support for one external display at up to 4K and 60Hz. Expanded display mode requires iPadOS 27.2.
Apple’s stated fast-charge rate is up to 50% in about 30 minutes with a USB-C adapter rated at 35W or higher. The U.S. box includes a 20W adapter, so the faster rate requires a separately sold adapter with more power.
U.S. prices and planned availability
Apple lists these U.S. prices for the 128GB entry models:
| Configuration | Storage | U.S. price |
| Wi-Fi | 128GB | $699 |
| Wi-Fi + Cellular | 128GB | $849 |
The 512GB model, with the 6-core CPU and Dual 16-core Neural Engine, costs $999 for Wi-Fi or $1,149 for Wi-Fi + Cellular. That is $300 more than the corresponding 128GB configuration.
Apple announced the tablet on October 26 and scheduled preorders for October 28. Deliveries and retail availability are planned to begin November 6, 2026.
