Apple (Pinterest)
New Delhi: Apple on Monday launched the new iPad mini (2026) in markets around the world, including India. This time, the company has made several significant changes to the tablet. For the first time, it features an 8.5-inch OLED screen. Additionally, the tablet comes with a new A20 Pro chipset, an improved camera, and artificial intelligence (AI) features. It will also support Apple Intelligence and Siri AI. The company has also added a new sound system and water resistance.
The Apple iPad mini (2026) starts at ₹82,900 for the Wi-Fi model with 128GB of storage. The Wi-Fi + Cellular model starts at ₹100,900. With an education discount, it can be purchased at a starting price of ₹76,900. The tablet will be available in 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB storage options. It is offered in Midnight and Starlight colors. Pre-bookings will begin on October 28th on the company's website and the Apple Store app. Sales will begin on November 6th at Apple Stores and authorized retail stores.
Apple has also introduced a new Smart Folio cover. It's priced at ₹8,500 and available in Navy Blue and Taupe. The tablet also supports the Apple Pencil Pro and Apple Pencil (USB-C). They are priced at ₹11,900 and ₹7,900, respectively.
The new iPad mini features an 8.5-inch Super Retina XDR OLED screen with a resolution of 2316 x 1512 pixels. The screen offers P3 wide color support and a peak brightness of up to 1,200 nits. The company has also included a nano-textured display option to reduce glare in bright light. This tablet features Apple's new A20 Pro chipset, built using 2nm technology. According to the company, it boasts up to 4.5 times faster AI performance, up to 2.7 times better graphics performance, and up to 60 percent faster CPU performance for multitasking compared to the previous model. However, these are the company's own claims.
The 128GB and 256GB models feature a 5-core CPU, while the 512GB model features a 6-core CPU. Its GPU has 7 cores, each equipped with Neural Accelerators for AI-related tasks.
Apple has incorporated an Acoustic Display system into the tablet this time. It uses special woofers and tweeters, embedded between the screen's glass and aluminum body, allowing sound to be generated through the screen. For photography and video calling, it features a 12-megapixel front camera. This camera works best for video calling when the tablet is held in landscape position. It also offers a Center Stage feature, which helps keep the user in frame during video calls. The tablet has a 12-megapixel wide-angle camera on the back. It supports Smart HDR 4 and can record 4K video at 60 frames per second.
For connectivity, the iPad mini (2026) features Apple's N1 wireless chip, Wi-Fi 7, and Bluetooth 6.0. Its cellular model includes a C2 modem. The company claims this can deliver up to 50 percent faster mobile data speeds compared to the previous model. It also supports eSIM. The tablet runs on iPadOS 27 and features new Apple Intelligence features and supports Siri AI. The tablet weighs 255 grams for the Wi-Fi model and 263 grams for the cellular model. It is 5.4mm thick.
Another major change is its IP67-rated water resistance. According to Apple, this is the first tablet in the company's iPad series to offer water resistance. However, this doesn't mean it should be intentionally submerged in water. Battery-wise, it packs an 18.9Wh lithium-polymer battery. The company claims it can play video for up to 10 hours on a single charge. It also supports 35W wired fast charging.
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