Back in October of last year, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported that Apple is working on a new water-resistant iPad mini with an official Ingess Protection (IP) rating. Fast-forward to today, and rumors of the miniature tablet’s refresh have hit a fever pitch. While nothing concrete has been made official quite yet, rumors heavily point towards the eighth generation mini shipping not only with water resistance, but also an OLED display panel for the very first time.

It’s unclear which IP rating the iPad mini might theoretically be certified with, but my hope is that it’ll match the iPhone’s IP68 water and dust resistance threshold. This would allow the mini to be submerged in static fresh water at a depth of 19.96 feet (six meters) for up to 30 minutes, while also offering basic resistance against dust and other small particulates.

In all likelihood, resistance to the elements will be made possible by a mixture of rubber gaskets, sealed components, adhesive materials, and a new casing design. Gurman says Apple has crafted a new speaker system that uses vibration tech to create sound, which could result in the removal of speaker holes altogether (thus making ingress protection easier to achieve on the next-generation mini).

If this all pans out as expected, the next iPad mini could end up being the ultimate poolside tablet computer. While not immune to the elements, IP certification provides peace of mind, as well as resilience against basic splashes and brief, accidental submersions into bodies of fresh water. This is a compelling proposition, especially with how ideal the iPad mini is as a makeshift e-reader, as a miniature television set, and as a mobile gaming platform.

Brand

Apple

Storage

128GB, 256GB, 512GB

CPU

A17 Pro

Operating System

iPadOS 18

Battery

Up to 10 hours

Ports

USB-C (10Gbps)

Apple’s 7th generation miniature-sized iPad, complete with an A17 Pro chip for full-fledged Apple Intelligence support.

The iPad Pro deserves the IP rating treatment, too

Every iPad model should come with built-in resilience to the elements

The iPad mini is a logical first step when it comes to weatherproofing the iPad product line as a whole. Over time, I’d love to see official IP certification extended to every iPad model, most notably the iPad Pro. With all the high-tech components found within the Pro (and with its high-end price tag in mind), having added insurance against spills and splashes makes a ton of intuitive sense.

As it currently stands, the iPad Pro is already relatively sealed in that no internal components are user accessible, whether it be the battery pack or otherwise. Considering that the Pro is so tightly packed with non-accessible components, it’d make sense to at least have water and dust resistance as a consolation of sorts. Of course, the Pro does feature a more advanced quad speaker array, which would require some intense engineering to make water-resistant without sacrificing audio quality.

I’d also love to see the iPad Pro’s Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil Pro get the same IP treatment. If both accessories — as well as the tablet itself — were to be water-resistant, it’d make for a perfect poolside computing setup — and one that most consumer-grade laptops and 2-in-1 tablets simply wouldn’t be able to compete with. There’s nothing technologically stopping Apple from achieving this sort of IP rating ubiquity across the entire iPad accessory lineup, either, which makes me yearn for it all the more.

Were the iPad Pro and its accessories to receive a bespoke IP water and dust resistance rating, I could see myself venturing out and using the device far more frequently when out and about, no matter the context. Even if caught in a rainstorm, I’d be able to clack away on my Magic Keyboard, doodle with the Pencil Pro, or simply use the iPad as, well, a tablet. The iPad mini is a great place to start when it comes to water-resistance, but please, Apple: don’t forget about your other tablet computer offerings.