Apple’s first iPad mini with an OLED display is expected to launch between late October and sometime in November, according to Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman, so anyone thinking about buying the current model might want to sit tight for a few more weeks.
Writing in his Power On newsletter today, Gurman called the new tablet “a substantial but straightforward upgrade.” He says the refresh centres on three changes: an OLED screen, a faster chip, and a FaceTime camera moved to the landscape edge so it matches the rest of Apple’s iPad lineup.
The screen is the biggest deal here. OLED panels light each pixel on their own, which means blacks actually look black instead of a dim grey, and contrast gets a big boost, so movies, games and photos look richer on the smaller display. Apple already made this jump on the iPad Pro back in May 2024, and the iPad mini is now next in line.
The current iPad mini launched in October 2024 with the A17 Pro chip and support for Apple Intelligence, starting at $679 CAD in Canada ($499 USD). It still uses an LCD panel, though, and its front camera sits on the short edge, which makes video calls awkward when the tablet is turned sideways with a keyboard or stand. Moving the camera fixes that annoyance, while a newer chip should keep the mini relevant for a few more years.
Pricing is the big unknown right now. OLED panels cost more to produce, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if Apple priced the new mini above the current model, but nothing has been confirmed yet.
Given the timing Gurman describes, Apple could announce the new iPad mini through a press release rather than a full event, which is how it handled the last model. We’ll update you once Apple makes it official.
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