Apple has refreshed the iPad mini with an OLED display, the A20 Pro chip, a thinner and lighter body and an IP67 dust and water resistance rating. Reviews are out from Macworld, Six Colors, Engadget, WIRED and CNET, and most see a much more modern small tablet.
What the reviewers say
Macworld
Macworld sees a long-overdue overhaul, with the OLED screen, smaller body, IP67 rating and much faster A20 Pro making the mini feel modern and worth the price, though it regrets the lack of ProMotion.
“With this release, Apple finally does more with the iPad mini, giving it an overhaul that makes the device feel modern and worth its price.”
Six Colors (Jason Snell)
Six Colors treats the mini as a flexible, complete iPad rather than a cut-down one, praising the OLED screen, lighter body, IP67 rating, A20 Pro power and nano-texture option. It warns that the price is high and that the cheaper models use a five-core A20 Pro.
“This iPad mini is a full-featured product at a full-featured price.”
Engadget (Nathan Ingraham)
Engadget calls it a major update, with a brighter OLED screen, a thinner and lighter design, IP67 protection, better speakers and strong A20 Pro performance. It is less sure about value, given the $699 starting price and costly nano-texture option, and it dings the 60Hz refresh rate.
“All told, it’s a major update to a device that doesn’t always get a lot of love.”
WIRED (Luke Larsen)
WIRED loves the little tablet, praising the sharp OLED display, nano-texture glass, light body, IP67 rating and A20 Pro performance with 12GB of memory. It still questions who the mini is for at the higher price, notes the 60Hz screen and points out that only the 512GB model gets the full six-core chip.
“I’ll come straight out with it: I love this little tablet.”
CNET (Scott Stein)
CNET sees the mini as an appealing travel tablet and a more sensible alternative to the iPhone Duo, liking the OLED screen, IP67 rating, louder speakers, landscape camera and A20 Pro speed. It still prefers the iPad Air, misses a keyboard case, and flags the lack of ProMotion and the steep price of higher configurations.
“I still think the Air is the better iPad, even if this Mini really feels fun.”
Where reviewers agree
Macworld, Six Colors, Engadget, WIRED and CNET all treat the OLED screen as the main upgrade, and all note the thinner, lighter body, the A20 Pro performance and the first IP67 rating on an iPad. They also broadly welcome the Acoustic Display speakers and the move of the front camera to the landscape edge. Even the mildest verdicts describe a much more modern iPad mini.
Where they disagree
The split is over value and the 60Hz screen. Macworld and Six Colors are more forgiving on price, with Macworld the most convinced by the value; Engadget, WIRED and CNET are more cautious about the $699 start and the expensive nano-texture and cellular options. CNET would still choose the iPad Air, while WIRED and Six Colors lean into the mini’s flexibility. Reviewers also differ on nano-texture glass: WIRED and Engadget like the anti-glare effect, while Six Colors and CNET note a slight loss of OLED black or sharpness.
Price and availability
Apple announced the new iPad mini on 26 October at $699 in the US, £699 in the UK and €749 in Germany (€769 in Ireland), with pre-orders from 28 October and shipping from 6 November. Reviewers flag that the 128GB and 256GB models use a five-core A20 Pro, and that only the 512GB model gets the full six-core chip. Our earlier report covers the announcement and specifications.