After much hype and anticipation, Apple formally unveiled its next-generation iPad mini on October 26. When compared to its direct predecessor, the compact tablet is noteworthy for three overarching reasons: it features an OLED display panel (as opposed to an IPS LCD one), it’s powered by the A20 Pro chipset (as opposed to the A17 Pro), and it offers up IP67 water and dust resistance (as opposed to having no ingress protection rating).
Interestingly, upon closer inspection, it appears that Apple has made several smaller-scale tweaks to the iPad formula this time around, too. Here are five easy-to-miss changes to the OLED iPad mini that make it stand out from the previous-generation model. Each of these hardware adjustments are small on their own, but they come together to make for a generationally unique iPad experience when combined.
- Brand
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Apple
- Storage
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128GB, 256GB, 512GB
- CPU
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A20 Pro
- Operating System
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iPadOS 27
- Ports
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USB-C
- Display type
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8.5-inch Super Retina XDR display (OLED)
Apple’s latest-generation iPad mini model, with an OLED display panel, the A20 Pro chipset, IP67 water and dust resistance, and more.
It has an acoustic display
As opposed to landscape stereo speakers
If you place the newest iPad mini side-by-side with its predecessor, you’ll notice that the former lacks dedicated speaker grille holes on the side of its chassis. The reason for this is that Apple has opted for a new ‘acoustic display’ setup on the OLED iPad mini, with audio pumping out from small iPhone-earpiece-like slits at the top and bottom of the display panel. It’s possible that this change was made to ensure the new mini’s water and dust resistance capabilities, but it also provides a sleeker external appearance overall. I’ll be curious to see how these new speakers ultimately stack up to the previous generation model from an acoustic quality perspective.
It has a landscape front-facing camera
Rather than a portrait-oriented one
Following in the footsteps of its larger-screened siblings, the latest OLED iPad mini features a landscape-oriented front-facing Center Stage camera as opposed to a portrait-oriented one. This should result in more natural FaceTime calls, without the awkwardness of staring off-center as was previously the case. Specifications are otherwise similar across the two, with both featuring a 12-megapixel resolution, but the OLED model features an aperture of f/2.0 rather than f/2.4, which should allow for more light data to enter into the picture.
It has a nano-texture display glass option
An option that didn’t exist before
For the first time on an iPad mini, Apple is offering a nano-texture display glass option on its new OLED-clad generation. This special display coating is matte-like, dispersing light and reducing glare and reflectivity by a noticeable degree. The rougher, etched properties of a nano-texture display are also conducive to a paper-esque feel when using a digital stylus like the Apple Pencil Pro, which is a nice bonus for fans of sketching and doodling. On the other hand, nano-texturing comes at the cost of OLED vibrancy and saturation, which slightly dulls the shine of having an OLED screen to begin with.
It has an adaptive True Tone flash
An upgrade over standard True Tone
If you take a close look at the new OLED iPad mini, you’ll find that it’s LED module is a fair bit larger than the one found in the outgoing mini model. The reason for this is that the new OLED mini has an upgraded and more adaptive True Tone flash sytem on board, which should hopefully result in more natural-looking flash photography. It’s unclear whether this new flash module is brighter than the previous one, but it’s something I’ll certainly be looking to test out when I have my hands on the new mini.
It has an upgraded Smart Folio case
With a two-panel architecture and TechWoven fabric
Uniquely, the new iPad mini ditches the years-old Smart Folio and Smart Cover formula of triple panels in favor of a new two-panel design. Additionally, the new peripheral is made of Apple’s TechWoven material (as opposed to the rubberized material used in the previous rendition of the accessory line). Available in navy blue and taupe, the new Smart Folio looks rather compelling in my opinion, with an adjustable design that features new viewing angles and a greater range of motion, according to Apple. I’ve been a fan of TechWoven on iPhone cases for some time, and so I’ll be curious to see how it translates over to the iPad mini now that it’s made the jump over.
