Apple announced the latest iPad mini on 26 October 2026, introducing an OLED screen and an A20 Pro processor, together with an IP67 rating for water and dust protection.

The entry‑level Wi‑Fi model with 128 GB storage is priced at US$699, roughly KES 91,000, compared with the current A17 Pro mini that launched at US$499 in October 2024.

Pre‑orders open on 28 October, and the first units are scheduled to reach buyers on 6 November, following the launch event on 28 October.

The OLED panel expands to 8.5 inches, up from 8.3 inches, thanks to 24 % thinner bezels, delivering 600 nits typical brightness and up to 1,200 nits for HDR video.

Apple cites a 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio for the OLED screen, a marked improvement over the LCD panel that relied on backlighting and produced grey blacks in low light.

The new iPad mini is 5.4 mm thick and weighs 255 g, lighter than the previous 6.3 mm, 293 g model, and it is the first iPad to carry an IP rating.

IP67 means the device is dust‑tight and can survive immersion in up to 1 metre of water for 30 minutes, though Apple’s warranty excludes liquid‑damage claims.

All models feature Wi‑Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 via Apple’s N1 chip, while the cellular variant starts at US$849 (≈ KES 110,000) and uses an eSIM‑only C2 modem.

The A20 Pro chip includes a 7‑core GPU, delivering up to 2.7 × faster graphics and up to 4.5 × faster AI performance than the previous mini, though CPU core counts vary by storage tier.

Only the 512 GB model, priced at US$999 (≈ KES 130,000), receives six CPU cores and the full 60 % CPU speed boost claimed by Apple; lower‑capacity models retain five cores.

A nano‑texture glass option, adding US$100 (≈ KES 13,000), is available for the 256 GB and 512 GB configurations to reduce glare in bright environments.

Battery capacity drops slightly to 18.9 Wh, but Apple still advertises up to 10 hours of usage, matching the previous generation.