Is the new iPad mini worth $699? A price breakdown

Apple announced a new iPad mini on Monday, Oct. 26, 2026, with an 8.5-inch OLED display, an A20 Pro chip and a starting price of $699. That’s $200 above the 2024 model’s $499 launch price, and $100 above the $599 Apple moved it to in June, according to PCMag.

Pre-orders open Wednesday, Oct. 28. The tablet arrives Friday, Nov. 6. Whether it’s worth the money depends mostly on what’s in your bag right now.

What does the new iPad mini cost?

The base model, 128GB with Wi-Fi, costs $699. Cellular models start at $849, which is $150 more. PCMag says the 512GB model costs $999. Storage options are 128GB, 256GB and 512GB, and the 256GB price hasn’t been reported in the coverage so far.

There’s one more line item. Nano-texture glass, the glare-reducing finish already offered on the iPad Pro, is a $100 option on the 256GB and 512GB models only, so the cheapest mini can’t get it. Cellular pricing for the 512GB tier isn’t in the reports.

From $499 to $699: the price history

The previous iPad mini launched in 2024 at $499. PCMag says Apple raised it to $599 in June 2026, and the outlet ties that move to the ongoing memory shortage. That explanation is PCMag’s framing. Apple hasn’t been quoted giving a reason.

The new price is another step up, and base storage hasn’t changed from 128GB. Count it from the launch price and the increase is $200. Neowin’s headline calls it exactly that, a $200 hike. Count it from June and it’s $100. Both are fair, and which one stings depends on whether you were ever going to pay $499.

One practical point: anyone who looked at a mini before June saw a number $200 lower than today’s. That’s the comparison most shoppers will make in their heads.

What the extra money buys

Mostly a better screen, a thinner body and a much newer chip. The display grows from 8.3 to 8.5 inches without making the tablet bigger, because Apple says the bezels are 24% thinner. Everything below comes from Apple’s announcement as reported, not independent testing.

• Display: OLED, marketed as Super Retina XDR, with 1,200 nits peak brightness, 600 nits full-screen for SDR and HDR, and a 2 million:1 contrast ratio. Coverage describes peak brightness as roughly double the last model’s.
• Body: 5.4 mm thick versus 6.3 mm, and 255 g versus 297 g. Outlets differ on the weight savings (13% or about 14%), but the grams are the same.
• Durability: IP67 dust and water resistance, meaning immersion up to 1 meter for at least 30 minutes. TechSpot says the new Acoustic Display design, which hides tweeters between the glass and the aluminum and drops the speaker cutouts, contributes to that rating.
• Chip: The A20 Pro replaces the A17. Apple claims gains over the old chip of up to 60% in multithreaded speed, 4.5x on AI work and 2.7x in graphics. Neowin reports a 2nm process, and PCMag says the chip debuted in the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo models.
• Connectivity: Wireless runs through Apple’s N1 chip, with support for Thread, Bluetooth 6 and Wi-Fi 7. Cellular versions add Apple’s C2 modem.
• Cameras: a 12MP Center Stage front camera now on the long edge, which Apple says suits video calls, and a 12MP rear camera that shoots 4K at up to 60 fps.

The tablet ships with iPadOS 27 alongside the latest Apple Intelligence and Siri AI, and it’s compatible with both Apple Pencil Pro and the USB-C Apple Pencil. If you plan to draw or take handwritten notes, check which Pencil you’d use, because accessory pricing isn’t in the launch coverage.

What’s missing matters too. 9to5Mac says Apple’s press release and spec page don’t mention 120Hz or ProMotion, and infers a 60Hz panel. That’s an inference, not an Apple statement.

Should you upgrade from an older mini?

If you have the 2024 mini and it still does what you need, I’d hold off. The OLED screen and IP67 rating are real changes, but you’d be paying $699 to replace a tablet that sold for $499 at launch. The AI speed claim is the headline number, and it only helps if you actually use Siri AI and Apple Intelligence on a small screen.

If the screen is why you’re looking, the math is different. Doubled peak brightness and OLED contrast are hard to get any other way in this size. Apple’s comparisons are all against the 2024 model, so someone on an older mini faces a bigger jump than the one described here.

You don’t need to rush. Pre-orders open Wednesday, the same day Apple holds its hands-on event for reporters and creators, and delivery starts Nov. 6. Reviews and early impressions can land before you commit. Stock levels haven’t been reported. If you like to time purchases, the same logic applies as in our look at whether to buy an OLED TV now or wait for Black Friday, and if you’re also weighing a phone, our guide to the best iPhone to buy in fall 2026 covers the unlocked versus carrier question.

Cellular is a $150 decision. Pay it only if you’ll regularly use the tablet away from Wi-Fi.

What we can’t price-match yet

The launch coverage has no prices or specs for rival small tablets, and nothing on how the mini stacks up against Apple’s other iPads, so a fair side-by-side isn’t possible yet. Several details about the mini itself are also unsettled.

• Refresh rate: 60Hz is 9to5Mac’s inference. Apple’s materials don’t say.
• Colors: 9to5Mac and PCMag say midnight and starlight, TechSpot says black or silver, and TechCrunch doesn’t name them. Check Apple’s spec page before you order.
• CPU cores: 9to5Mac reports a 5-core CPU on the 128GB and 256GB models and 6 cores on the 512GB. TechCrunch lists a 6-core CPU with no tier split.
• Battery, RAM and fast-charge specs: not in the coverage.
• Why the price rose: PCMag points to the memory shortage. How much is memory and how much is the OLED hardware is unknown.
• Real-world performance: Apple’s 60%, 4.5x and 2.7x figures haven’t been independently tested.

Minutes after the announcement, Apple marketing chief Greg Joswiak hinted at a big week ahead, according to MacRumors. The site expects an iMac and a 14-inch MacBook Pro with M6 chips, plus MacBook Pro versions with touchscreen OLED panels. None of that is confirmed, and ship dates aren’t known.

Frequently asked questions

How much is the new iPad mini with OLED?

It starts at $699 for 128GB with Wi-Fi. Cellular models start at $849, and PCMag says the 512GB model costs $999. Nano-texture glass adds $100 on the 256GB and 512GB models.

When can I pre-order the new iPad mini?

Pre-orders open Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026. The tablet is available Friday, Nov. 6, when the first orders arrive.

What chip does the new iPad mini have?

It has the A20 Pro, replacing the A17 in the previous model. Apple claims gains over the old chip of up to 60% in multithreaded work, 4.5x in AI and 2.7x in graphics. Those are Apple's figures, not independent tests.

Is the new iPad mini waterproof?

It's IP67 rated for dust and water resistance, which means immersion up to 1 meter for at least 30 minutes. That's resistance, not a waterproof guarantee.

Why did Apple raise the iPad mini price?

Apple hasn't explained it in the coverage. PCMag links the June increase from $499 to $599, and this further rise, to the ongoing memory shortage.

Sources

This article was compiled from reporting by the following outlets. Links go to the original reports.

1. MacRumors: Apple Teases 'Exciting Week' Ahead After Announcing New iPad Mini
2. 9to5Mac: Apple unveils all-new iPad mini: OLED, thinner design, more
3. TechSpot: Apple's new iPad mini gets an OLED display, A20 Pro chip, and IP67 rating
4. Neowin: Apple unveils its biggest iPad mini upgrade ever with OLED, A20 Pro, and a $200 price hike
5. PCMag: New iPad Mini Gets OLED Upgrade, Thinner Design, and Sizable Price Hike
6. TechCrunch: Apple unveils new iPad mini with OLED display and faster A20 Pro chip