Apple announced the iPad mini (A20 Pro) on October 26, 2026, with U.S. retail availability scheduled for November 6. For handheld reading and notes, its 8.5-inch format is the compact choice; the 11-inch iPad Pro M4 offers a larger built-in work surface.
Compact tablet or larger workspace?
Apple lists the mini at 255 g for the Wi-Fi model and 263 g for Wi-Fi + Cellular. Its 8.5-inch screen is smaller than the 11-inch display on the Pro model discussed by Milenio. That makes the mini the more compact option to carry and hold; the Pro gives you more screen area for work that benefits from a larger canvas.
NeoTeo previously covered the OLED iPad mini as a rumor. Apple later announced the OLED model with the A20 Pro in its October 2026 announcement.
Milenio reports that the 11-inch iPad Pro M4 has a Tandem OLED display, Face ID, and Thunderbolt/USB 4 with transfer speeds up to 40 Gb/s. The table compares those reported Pro details with Apple’s published mini specifications.
| Specification | iPad mini (A20 Pro) | iPad Pro M4, 11-inch |
| Display | 8.5-inch Super Retina XDR OLED | 11-inch Tandem OLED, as reported by Milenio |
| Peak HDR brightness | Up to 1,200 nits | Up to 1,600 nits, as reported by Milenio |
| Wired connection | USB 3, up to 10 Gb/s | Thunderbolt/USB 4, up to 40 Gb/s, as reported by Milenio |
| Biometric unlock | Touch ID | Face ID, as reported by Milenio |
The reported Pro figures include ProMotion up to 120 Hz. That is a useful point of comparison for the Pro’s display, while the mini’s listed screen details focus on resolution, brightness and color support.
The mini’s processor configuration changes with storage
The A20 Pro mini does not have the same CPU and Neural Engine configuration at every storage capacity. Apple lists these configurations:
| Storage | CPU | Neural Engine | GPU |
| 128 GB | 5-core | 16-core | 7-core |
| 256 GB | 5-core | 16-core | 7-core |
| 512 GB | 6-core | Dual 16-core | 7-core |
Apple’s performance claims compare the A20 Pro mini with the previous-generation iPad mini. In tests Apple says it conducted in September 2026, the new mini delivered up to 4.5× the AI performance, up to 2.7× the graphics performance and up to 60% faster multithreaded performance. Those are generation-to-generation figures, not a chip ranking between the mini and the M4 Pro.
External-display mode requires iPadOS 27.2
Apple says the mini supports extended display mode with an external monitor when running iPadOS 27.2. It supports one external display at up to 4K resolution and 60 Hz. That gives the mini a documented route to a larger workspace at a desk, while its built-in screen remains the smaller option for handheld use.
The mini also has an IP67 rating under IEC 60529 testing, to a maximum depth of 1 meter for up to 30 minutes. Apple says resistance can diminish with wear and that liquid damage is not covered by warranty.
U.S. starting prices and schedule
Apple’s October 26 U.S. launch announcement listed starting prices of $699 for Wi-Fi and $849 for Wi-Fi + Cellular. Apple scheduled preorders to begin October 28 and retail availability for November 6, 2026.
