The new Apple iPad mini, announced alongside the folding iPhone Duo and iPhone 18, features a super-slim design and a stunning OLED display, according to technology critic David Phelan, who tested the device for around a week before its release on Friday 6 November.
The tablet is thinner, lighter and more diminutive than other iPads in the mini series, yet it now houses Apple's biggest display in the device. The screen uses OLED technology, which is superior to the LCD on the iPad and iPad Air, but all the upgrades come with a price increase.
Design and display
The iPad mini's design is very different from the first iteration released 14 years ago, when the display measured 7.9 inches. In 2021, Apple switched to a flatter, thinner design with an all-screen look, moving the Touch ID fingerprint sensor from the front of the device to the power button. That is where it remains, though a thinner sensor has been developed to fit into the noticeably skinnier new model.
Although it is a little less than 1mm thinner than the previous iPad mini released in 2024, the difference in how it feels in the hand is enormous, helped by it being significantly lighter, knocking 38g off an already light gadget. This is the first iPad mini with an 8.5-inch display, up from 8.3 inches last time, made possible by visibly narrower bezels. The new tablet is no taller than before and smaller in other dimensions.
The front-facing camera is now on the long side of the screen, bringing the iPad mini into line with other tablets in Apple's range. The speakers have had a striking upgrade thanks to Apple's 'Acoustic Display', which means the woofers and tweeters release their sound through the display itself, with no distortion to either the screen or the audio.
The iPad mini is also the first Apple tablet with advanced water- and dust-resistance, carrying an IP67 rating, meaning it is dust-tight and can survive being submerged in water up to 1 metre deep for 30 minutes.
OLED technology and performance
The new screen tech is outstanding. OLED displays have no backlighting as every pixel generates its own light, so black colours are deep and immersive and contrast levels are exceptional: Apple says the contrast level is 2,000,000:1. The colours look great and are deeply realistic, while the screen is richly detailed and inviting. One reason for this detail is the screen resolution: where other iPads have a pixel density of 264 pixels per inch, the iPad mini has 326 pixels per inch.
The chief downside to OLED is that it can be less bright than LCD, but this display is brighter than the last iPad mini and more than twice as bright when it comes to peak brightness for HDR content, up to 1,200 nits. It can also work in low-light environments, dimming down to just 1 nit for reading in bed. There's an anti-reflective coating on the screen, and for those who want to eradicate reflections even more, the iPad mini now comes with a nano-texture option for the first time, which costs an extra £100 and is only available for the 256GB and 512GB storage options.
The iPad mini uses the Apple A20 Pro processor found in the latest flagship phones, iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max and the foldable iPhone Duo. This power is partly deployed to enable AI workloads to be handled on device without slowing down the tablet, and it means everything is done with ease, even creating animations with advanced apps like Procreate Dreams or editing photos and video in Lightroom. Graphics-heavy games look wonderful and play without stuttering. Battery life is solid, routinely hitting 10 hours between charges.
Is it worth it?
The upgrades to the new tablet are considerable. The most eye-catching development is the gorgeous OLED screen, but just as important are the new thinner, and especially lighter, design and the speedy performance, which makes using it a dream. The arrival of a nano-texture option for the display adds to the effect, but it still looks great without it. Smaller details, like the better placement of the front-facing camera and the addition of water- and dust-resistance, add to the overall package.
Mostly, Phelan has always been a fan of the larger-screen tablets, but this new iPad mini has blown him away.
