Summary created by Smart Answers AI
In summary:
- Macworld reports that the iPad mini 2026 should feature an A18 Pro chip with 8GB of RAM and advanced N1 connectivity supporting Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.
- The device can retain its current design with potentially new colors when upgrading to an OLED display for superior color accuracy and brightness.
- Camera specs are likely to remain unchanged with 12MP rear and front-facing cameras, though the front-facing camera may move to the edge for landscape.
The iPad mini is not on the same update cadence as other Apple tablets. Where the iPad and iPad Air are generally refreshed every year and the iPad Pro gets a new model every 18 months, the iPad mini often goes years without an update. The current iPad mini, which was released in October 2024, is not expected to be updated until later this year. But it might be worth the wait.
2026 iPad mini: At first glance
- A18 Pro, N1, C1X
- Possible OLED display
- Same design and cameras
- Same price
2026 iPad mini: Performance and specs
- A18 Pro chip
- 8GB of 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 is likely to get a few chip upgrades. With the current iPad mini featuring the A17 Pro with 8GB of RAM and Apple Intelligence support, the 2026 iPad mini is reportedly expected to jump to the A18 Pro.
The A18 Pro has the same number of processor cores as the A17 Pro (10), but chip optimizations make the A18 Pro a faster processor. The A18 Pro comes with a 6-core GPU, which is one more GPU core than the A17 Pro. So it will be slightly better than the current model, but it won’t bring any major slowdown.
With the iPhone 17 series, Apple released the new N1 chip for wireless connectivity (Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 and Thread). Apple is expected to gradually introduce the new chip to the iPad lineup throughout 2026 and 2027, including the iPad mini. We also expect the mobile version of the iPad mini to get the Apple C1X modem.
The A18 Pro chip will be the main innovation in the upcoming iPad mini
Apple
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 retain the same overall look. However, there is a large possibility of new colors. Apple currently offers blue, purple, star and space gray, followed by the pink, purple, star and space gray of the previous model.
However, the display can get major improvements. The current iPad mini has the same Liquid Retina Display as the iPad and iPad Air, an LED-backlit panel with rounded corners, wide colors and True Tone. After the iPad Pro’s OLED upgrade in 2024, reports claimed that the iPad mini would be the next in line to get a Super Retina display. While it likely won’t have features like ProMotion and the tandem technology found in the iPad Pro, an OLED display would give the iPad mini excellent color accuracy, richer blacks, and better brightness.
The M4 iPad Pro’s OLED display could make its way to the iPad mini next.
IDG
2026 iPad mini: Cameras
- 12MP rear camera
- Front 12MP central camera
All of Apple’s iPads have the same 12MP front-facing center camera and 12MP wide-angle rear camera. It’s likely that Apple will stick with the same setup for the new iPad mini, although the front-facing camera could move to the edge of the landscape like other models. At some point, the iPad range will get the same 18MP front-facing 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 the announcement of Apple’s financial results for the first quarter of 2026, CEO Tim Cook said that Apple is now in “supply-chasing mode” due to industry-wide restrictions. Thus, tariffs, the rising price of RAM, and other cost increases in the supply chain could affect the prices of some higher-end storage options.