Apple prepares to launch redesigned iPad mini with OLED display this week

Apple is readying an updated iPad mini for launch this week — the first major redesign of the product since 2021 and its first processor refresh since 2024.

The date of Apple’s event is not settled. One report points to an Oct. 28 announcement called Pro and tell, at which the new iPad mini would arrive alongside new Macs. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman on X said Apple would hold an Oct. 27 event introducing a touch-screen MacBook alongside an OLED iPad mini, plus an M6 MacBook Pro and iMac; he also wrote that Apple would “launch the first touch-screen MacBooks, OLED iPad mini and M6 14-inch MacBook Pro & iMac.”

The centerpiece of the redesign is an OLED screen, in which pixels emit their own light, replacing the LCD panel in the current model. It would be the first OLED iPad mini, though not the Tandem OLED technology used in the iPad Pro. The screen should offer brighter output, deeper blacks, improved contrast and more vibrant colors. Whether the device will get a 120Hz ProMotion display – ProMotion, Apple’s adaptive refresh-rate technology – or continue at 60Hz remains unclear.

The redesign could bring thinner bezels, a redesigned chassis and a relocated FaceTime camera. Apple is developing water resistance with a new casing and redesigned speakers meant to push water ingress out of the device, potentially making this the first water-resistant iPad, a durability change that would be a category first. The upgraded speakers are also said to improve audio for media viewing, calls and creative projects, an audio improvement tied to the redesign.

Inside, the new model is expected to run on Apple’s A20 Pro chip paired with 12GB of memory, compared with the current model’s 3nm A17 Pro chip and 8GB of memory. Some reports point to 12GB of memory along with significantly faster CPU and graphics performance, backing up the memory bump and the performance leap. The A20 Pro is reportedly the chip slated for the iPhone 18 Pro, linking the iPad silicon to the upcoming iPhone.

Apple intends the processor to support its most advanced AI models on the device, running locally, which should improve Siri voice dictation while tying the tablet to its on-device AI strategy. The faster silicon should also improve support for Apple Intelligence and other demanding tasks, which is the performance rationale for Apple’s AI platform.

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has suggested that the starting price in the United States would be near $799, compared with the current $599 entry price, though it remains unclear whether the $799 model would start with 128GB of base storage. The reporting puts the increase at $200 and says it would change the product’s position in the market.

Apple sees professionals, students and tech enthusiasts as the target buyers for this compact yet powerful tablet, the intended audience for the premium compact device. The 11-inch iPad Air offers a larger display for $599, creating a lower-priced large-screen alternative and a direct competitor within Apple’s lineup at the current mini price. If the new model costs more, budget-conscious buyers may prefer the iPad Air or the standard iPad, a market risk one report identifies.

Apple’s October hardware calendar is already full: the company scheduled a Welcome Home event on Oct. 13 for the first smart home hub, an updated HomePod mini and Apple TV 4K. It revamped the Mac mini and Mac Studio in August, earlier hardware updates this year. September brought the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, the Apple Watch Series 12, the Apple Watch Ultra 4 and AirPods 5. The iPhone Duo, announced last month, is launching soon.

Apple has confirmed nothing, and the details remain rumors until the company announces. Apple’s next dated step is the event later this week.