Updated October 26, 2026. All prices are in Canadian dollars before tax. The 2026 iPad mini launches November 6.
Apple’s new 2026 iPad mini is a substantial upgrade over the 2024 model, bringing an OLED display, A20 Pro chip, thinner design and water resistance. But Canadians will also pay more for it.
The new iPad mini starts at $949 CAD, compared with the outgoing A17 Pro model’s most recent regular price of $849. That’s a $100 increase, although the older mini originally launched at $679 in October 2024.
Should you buy the latest iPad mini, look for a discount on the older version or keep the tablet you already have?
Here’s how the two generations compare, including Canadian pricing, important features and which model offers better value.
The best choice for most new buyers. You get OLED, a faster chip, water resistance, a thinner design and improved connectivity.
Best for: Reading, travel, gaming, streaming and everyday use.
Still a capable compact tablet with Apple Intelligence and Apple Pencil Pro support. Most attractive when discounted.
Best for: Budget-conscious buyers and people who don’t need OLED.
$849 was the last regular Canadian price, not a verified current sale price.
Buying tip: At their regular prices, we’d spend the extra $100 for the new model. If you can find an A17 Pro iPad mini for around $600 to $650 CAD or less, the older model becomes more interesting.
Apple announced the 2026 iPad mini on October 26, nearly two years after the A17 Pro model arrived in October 2024.
The newer model improves several important hardware features, although both generations support Apple Intelligence and Apple Pencil Pro.
| Feature | 2026 iPad mini | 2024 iPad mini |
|---|---|---|
| Chip | A20 Pro | A17 Pro |
| Display | 8.5-inch OLED | 8.3-inch LCD |
| Display technology | Super Retina XDR | Liquid Retina |
| Brightness | 600 nits full-screen; 1,200 nits peak | 500 nits typical |
| Thickness | 5.4 mm | 6.3 mm |
| Water resistance | IP67 | No IP rating |
| Front camera | 12MP Center Stage, landscape | 12MP Center Stage, portrait edge |
| Wireless | Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 | Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3 |
| Cellular modem | Apple C2 | Previous-generation modem |
| Storage | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB |
| Apple Intelligence | Yes | Yes |
| Apple Pencil Pro | Yes | Yes |
| Nano-texture glass | Optional on 256GB and 512GB | No |
| Colours | Midnight, starlight | Space grey, blue, purple, starlight |
| Starting price (CAD) | $949 | $849 (last regular price) |
The biggest differences are the OLED display, faster A20 Pro chip, thinner body and IP67 water resistance. The newer model also improves wireless connectivity and places the front camera on the landscape edge.
For most buyers, the display and lighter design will matter more than the additional processing power.
The 2026 iPad mini starts at $949 CAD for 128GB Wi-Fi and $1,149 for Wi-Fi + Cellular.
Apple also offers 256GB and 512GB storage options, along with optional nano-texture glass on higher-capacity models.
| Configuration | Wi-Fi (CAD) | Wi-Fi + Cellular (CAD) |
|---|---|---|
| 128GB (Best value) | $949 | $1,149 |
| 256GB | $1,099 | $1,299 |
| 512GB | $1,379 | $1,579 |
| 256GB nano-texture | $1,249 | $1,449 |
| 512GB nano-texture | $1,529 | $1,729 |
All prices are in CAD before tax. Nano-texture glass adds $150 on eligible models.
Education pricing starts at $879 for eligible students and educators. Apple Pencil Pro costs $169 CAD, while Apple Pencil (USB-C) costs $109. The new TechWoven Smart Folio is priced at $99.
Pre-orders begin October 28, with availability starting November 6.
Read our 2026 iPad mini launch coverage for more details on the Canadian release.
The 2024 iPad mini launched at $679 CAD for the base 128GB Wi-Fi model. Apple later increased its regular Canadian price to $849 before replacing it with the A20 Pro model.
That means the new iPad mini costs $100 more than the outgoing model’s last regular price, but $270 more than what the older model originally cost at launch.
The A17 Pro model is still capable, but its value depends heavily on discounts.
We’d look for the older 128GB iPad mini around $600 to $650 CAD or less if buying new. That’s a suggested buying target rather than a confirmed current retailer price.
At $800 or more, we’d generally choose the new A20 Pro model instead. The price difference is too small to ignore the OLED display, lighter design and other improvements.
The biggest improvement in the 2026 iPad mini is its 8.5-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display.
The previous generation uses an 8.3-inch Liquid Retina LCD. It’s still a good display for everyday use, but OLED offers much better contrast because individual pixels produce their own light.
Black areas can appear truly black instead of dark grey, making a noticeable difference when watching movies, playing games or looking at photos.
Apple says the new display reaches up to 1,200 nits of peak brightness, more than twice the peak brightness of the previous generation.
The new OLED screen also supports 600 nits of full-screen brightness and can dim to just 1 nit, making it useful for reading in dark environments.
Apple reduced the bezels by 24 per cent, allowing the display to grow slightly while maintaining a compact overall footprint.
For people who use their iPad mini mainly for reading, watching videos or travelling, OLED may be the most noticeable improvement.
Apple offers optional nano-texture glass on the 256GB and 512GB models.
It helps reduce reflections in bright environments, which may be useful for people who regularly work outdoors or under strong lighting.
However, it adds $150 to an already expensive tablet. Most buyers should choose the standard OLED glass instead.
The 2026 iPad mini uses Apple’s A20 Pro chip, built on a 2-nanometre process.
Apple claims the new processor delivers up to 60 per cent faster multithreaded CPU performance, up to 2.7 times faster graphics and up to 4.5 times faster AI processing compared with the previous generation.
These are Apple’s performance claims rather than independent benchmark results. Actual improvements will depend on the apps and tasks being used.
There is also a difference between the new storage configurations.
That means the 512GB version includes additional processing hardware, not just more storage.
For demanding gaming, creative apps and AI workloads, the extra performance could be useful.
However, the older A17 Pro is already powerful enough for browsing, streaming, note-taking, photo editing and many games. Both generations support Apple Intelligence.
If you mainly watch YouTube, read books and browse the web, the processor alone probably isn’t a good enough reason to upgrade.
The new iPad mini is noticeably thinner and lighter than its predecessor.
Apple reduced its thickness to 5.4 mm, compared with 6.3 mm on the 2024 model.
That matters for a tablet designed to be held for long periods, especially when reading in bed, travelling or using it with one hand.
The new model also introduces IP67 water and dust resistance, a first for the iPad mini.
Apple says the rating covers controlled testing in fresh water at depths of up to one metre for 30 minutes.
That doesn’t make the tablet waterproof or suitable for swimming, and water resistance can decrease over time. However, it adds protection against accidental exposure.
The 2026 iPad mini comes in midnight and starlight, while the older model was available in space grey, blue, purple and starlight.
The 2026 iPad mini moves its 12MP Center Stage front camera to the landscape edge, making video calls more natural when the tablet is positioned horizontally.
The older model also has Center Stage, but its camera is located along the portrait edge.
Apple has also introduced its Acoustic Display audio system, added Adaptive True Tone flash to the rear camera and improved fast-charging support.
Wireless connectivity gets an upgrade to Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 through Apple’s N1 chip.
Cellular models use the new C2 modem, which Apple says delivers up to 50 per cent faster cellular performance than the previous generation.
These are useful improvements, although most buyers will probably notice the OLED display and lighter design more often.
The 2026 iPad mini comes in three storage capacities. Here’s which one makes the most sense.
Enough for browsing, streaming, reading, email, note-taking and moderate gaming. The most affordable way to get OLED and A20 Pro.
Better for people downloading large games, movies, shows or keeping more photos and files locally.
Includes the 6-core CPU and Dual 16-core Neural Engine. Best for users with specific storage or intensive AI requirements.
Helps reduce reflections in bright environments. Most buyers won’t need to spend the extra $150.
Our recommendation is the 128GB Wi-Fi model for most buyers. Choose 256GB if you regularly download games, videos or other large files.
We wouldn’t recommend paying for 512GB solely to get the additional CPU and AI hardware unless you have a specific use for that performance.
Adding Cellular costs $200 CAD across the new iPad mini lineup.
For most Canadians, the Wi-Fi model is enough. You can use your iPhone’s Personal Hotspot when you occasionally need internet access away from Wi-Fi.
Cellular makes more sense if you regularly travel, use an iPad for field work or want a separate data connection without relying on your phone.
Remember that mobile data may also come with an ongoing plan cost. See our best cellphone plans in Canada guide for more information.
If you already own an A17 Pro iPad mini, we’d generally recommend keeping it.
The older tablet supports Apple Intelligence and Apple Pencil Pro, and its performance remains more than adequate for everyday tasks.
The new model becomes more appealing if you specifically want the OLED screen, lighter design, improved video calls or water resistance.
Someone upgrading from an older iPad mini with an A15 chip or earlier will likely notice a much bigger improvement.
Bottom line: The 2026 iPad mini is a worthwhile purchase for new buyers, but existing A17 Pro owners don’t need to replace a perfectly functional tablet simply because Apple released another one.
There’s another important comparison for Canadian buyers.
The new iPad mini starts at $949 CAD, while the 11-inch iPad Air with the M4 chip starts at $999.
That means the Air costs just $50 more.
| Feature | iPad mini (A20 Pro) | 11-inch iPad Air (M4) |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $949 | $999 |
| Display size | 8.5 inches | 11 inches |
| Display | OLED | Liquid Retina LCD |
| Chip | A20 Pro | M4 |
| Apple Intelligence | Yes | Yes |
| Apple Pencil Pro | Yes | Yes |
| Apple Magic Keyboard | No dedicated Magic Keyboard | Supported |
| Best for | Reading, travel, handheld use | Productivity, drawing, multitasking |
The iPad Air offers a larger display and better keyboard options, making it more useful for work, multitasking and productivity.
The mini offers a smaller body, OLED screen and water resistance.
If portability is your priority, choose the mini. If you regularly work with documents or want a tablet that can handle more laptop-style tasks, the Air is probably the better purchase.
See our Best iPad to Buy in Canada (2026 Guide) for a comparison of Apple’s full tablet lineup.
Here are our recommendations based on the Canadian prices and specifications available at launch.
| Buyer | Our recommendation | Price (CAD) |
|---|---|---|
| Most people buying new | 2026 iPad mini 128GB Wi-Fi | $949 |
| Gamers and frequent travellers | 2026 iPad mini 256GB Wi-Fi | $1,099 |
| Demanding AI or storage users | 2026 iPad mini 512GB Wi-Fi | $1,379 |
| Budget-conscious buyers | Discounted 2024 A17 Pro | Target $600-$650 or less |
| Existing A17 Pro owners | Keep your current iPad mini | No purchase needed |
| Productivity-focused buyers | Consider 11-inch iPad Air | From $999 |
The 2026 iPad mini is the better device overall, with meaningful improvements to its display, processing power, design and connectivity.
For Canadians comparing both generations at their regular prices, the new model is worth the extra $100.
However, the 2024 A17 Pro model remains a good purchase at a substantial discount, particularly if you don’t care about OLED or water resistance.
Our final pick: The 2026 iPad mini with 128GB of storage and Wi-Fi. At $949 CAD, it’s expensive for a compact tablet, but it’s the most sensible configuration for buyers who specifically want Apple’s smallest iPad.
Affiliate disclosure: We may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through our links.
The 2026 version adds an A20 Pro chip, 8.5-inch OLED display, thinner design, IP67 water resistance, landscape Center Stage camera and faster wireless connectivity. The 2024 version uses an A17 Pro chip and an 8.3-inch LCD.
The new iPad mini starts at $949 CAD for 128GB Wi-Fi and $1,149 for Wi-Fi + Cellular. The 256GB Wi-Fi model costs $1,099, while 512GB starts at $1,379 before tax.
Yes, especially at a substantial discount. The A17 Pro model supports Apple Intelligence and Apple Pencil Pro and remains powerful enough for everyday use. We’d look for a new 128GB model around $600 to $650 CAD or less.
Yes. The new model has an 8.5-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display, replacing the 8.3-inch LCD on the 2024 model.
Yes. Both the A20 Pro and A17 Pro generations support Apple Intelligence. The new model offers significantly more AI processing performance.
No. The new model has an IP67 water and dust resistance rating, providing protection under specific testing conditions. It isn’t designed for swimming or prolonged underwater use.
Pre-orders begin October 28, 2026, with availability starting November 6. Prices start at $949 CAD before tax.
Most owners can keep their existing tablet. The OLED screen, lighter design and water resistance are worthwhile improvements, but the A17 Pro remains capable for ordinary tasks.
For most people, yes. It offers enough storage for browsing, streaming, ebooks, email, everyday apps and moderate gaming. Consider 256GB if you regularly download large games, videos or other files.
Our recommendations compare Apple’s 2026 and 2024 iPad mini models using Canadian pricing, display technology, processor performance, storage, accessory compatibility and everyday usability.
We consider the price difference between models and whether the upgrades justify paying more. We also distinguish historical Apple retail prices from actual retailer discounts.
Prices may change. We recommend confirming current offers and availability before purchasing.
Last updated October 26, 2026. Canadian prices are before applicable taxes. Retailer prices and availability may change. This article contains affiliate links.
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