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Macworld
The iPad mini isn’t on the same update cadence as Apple’s other tablets. Where the iPad and iPad Air generally get annual refreshes, and the iPad Pro gets a new model every 18 months, the iPad mini can often go years without an update. As such, the current iPad mini, which was released in October 2024, isn’t expected to get an update until later this year. But it could be worth the wait.
The next time Apple will update the iPad mini will be in 2026, according to reports. However, there is a situation that has arisen with the chip that is supposed to replace the one in the current iPad. It seems possible that the iPad mini will be affected. Read more about it in the “Performance and specs” section below.
Also, it’s unclear if the current supplier situation with RAM and other components will affect the iPad mini. Other companies have had issues, resulting in higher prices. Apple seems to be unaffected so far, but that could change later this year.
As for when the new iPad mini could be released, there’s a possibility that it could happen at the same time as the iPhone release in the fall.
2026 iPad mini: At a glance
- A18 Pro, N1, C1X
- Possible OLED display
- Same design and cameras
- Same price
2026 iPad mini: Performance and specs
- A18 Pro chip
- 8GB RAM
- C1X modem
- N1 chip for Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6
Since it hasn’t been updated in over a year, the 2026 iPad mini will likely get several chip upgrades. With the current iPad mini sporting an A17 Pro with 8GB of RAM and Apple Intelligence support, the 2026 iPad mini is expected to jump to at least the A18 Pro, according to reports.
The A18 Pro has the same number of CPU cores as the A17 Pro (10), but the chip optimizations make the A18 Pro a faster CPU performer. The A18 Pro is available with a 6-core GPU, which is one more GPU core than the A17 Pro. So it’ll benchmark a little better than the existing model but won’t bring a huge speed bump.
The A18 Pro chip will be the main new feature in the upcoming iPad mini
Apple
An unforeseen event could affect the iPad mini: the popularity of the MacBook Neo may cause Apple to change its plans. The MacBook Neo uses an A18 Pro chip, and reports said that the Neo is selling so well that Apple may run out of chips, which could affect the iPad mini.
With the iPhone 17 lineup, Apple released a new N1 chip for wireless connectivity (Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread). Apple is expected to gradually roll out the new chip to the iPad line throughout 2026 and 2027, including the iPad mini. In March Apple updated the new M4 iPad Air with the N1. We also expect the cellular version of the iPad mini to get Apple’s C1X modem.
2026 iPad mini: Design and display
- OLED display upgrade
- Similar design
The new iPad mini has had the same design since its 2021 overhaul, and the 2026 model is expected to keep the same overall look. There’s a strong possibility of new colors, however. Apple currently offers blue, purple, starlight, and space gray, following the previous model’s pink, purple, starlight, and space gray.
However, the display might get a major upgrade. The current iPad mini has the same Liquid Retina Display as the iPad and iPad Air, an LED backlit panel with rounded corners, wide color, and True Tone. Following the iPad Pro’s OLED upgrade in 2024, reports have claimed that the iPad mini will be the next in line to get a Super Retina display. While it’s not likely to have features like ProMotion and tandem technology found in the iPad Pro, an OLED display would give the iPad mini superior color accuracy, richer blacks, and better brightness.
The M4 iPad Pro’s OLED Display could make its way to the iPad mini next.
Mahmoud Itani / Foundry
2026 iPad mini: Cameras
- 12MP rear camera
- 12MP Center Stage front camera
Apple’s iPads all have the same 12MP front camera with Center Stage and 12MP wide-angle rear camera. It’s likely that Apple sticks with the same setup for the new iPad mini, although the front camera could relocate to the landscape edge like the other models. At some point, the iPad lineup will get the same 18MP front camera as the iPhone, but that’s not expected with this update.
Apple is not expected to upgrade the cameras in the next iPad mini.
Foundry
2026 iPad mini: Price
The iPad mini has had the same $499 price tag since its 2021 redesign, and we expect the starting price to remain the same. However, during Apple’s first quarter 2026 financial results announcement, CEO Tim Cook said that Apple is now “in a supply chase mode” due to industry-wide constraints. Thus, tariffs, the rising cost of RAM, and other increases in supply-chain costs could impact pricing for some higher-end storage options.
Read More
Title: 2026 iPad mini: All the rumors in one place
Sourced From: www.macworld.com/article/3060022/2026-ipad-mini-design-display-features-specs-release-date.html
Published Date: Thu, 16 Apr 2026 19:36:02 +0000
