Apple unveiled the new iPad mini with an 8.5-inch OLED display, an A20 Pro chip built on a 2-nanometer process, and IP67 water and dust resistance. The updated tablet also features a thinner 5.4mm design, Wi-Fi 7 connectivity, a 12MP Center Stage front camera, and support for Apple Pencil Pro. In the Philippines, prices start at Php 49,990 for the Wi-Fi model and Php 59,990 for the Wi-Fi + Cellular variant.
The new iPad mini retains its compact form factor but now features thinner bezels that allow Apple to fit a larger display into the same footprint as the previous generation. Its 8.5-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display supports the P3 wide color gamut, a 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio, and peak brightness of up to 1,200 nits. Apple also offers an optional nano-texture finish to reduce glare in bright environments.
The A20 Pro chip brings improvements to CPU, graphics, and AI performance. Apple claims up to 60 percent faster multithreaded CPU performance, up to 2.7 times faster graphics performance, and up to 4.5 times faster AI performance compared with the previous-generation iPad mini. The chip also supports hardware-accelerated ray tracing and mesh shading for graphics-intensive workloads.
Apple has also updated the tablet's audio system with an Acoustic Display that integrates specially designed woofers and tweeters into the device. For photography and video calls, the new iPad mini has a 12MP Center Stage front camera positioned along the landscape edge and a 12MP rear camera with Smart HDR 4, Adaptive True Tone flash, and 4K video recording at up to 60 frames per second.
Connectivity upgrades include Apple's N1 wireless networking chip, which supports Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread. Cellular models feature the C2 modem, which Apple says can deliver up to 50 percent faster cellular data speeds than the previous generation. The tablet also supports eSIM for digital mobile plan activation and transfer.
The new iPad mini runs iPadOS 27, with support for updated Liquid Glass customization and extended display mode through iPadOS 27.2. Users can also pair the tablet with the Apple Pencil Pro or Apple Pencil (USB-C) for note-taking, drawing, and other creative tasks.
Apple will offer the new iPad mini in midnight and starlight finishes, with 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB storage options. The company says the tablet will be available soon through its Philippine online store and Apple Authorized Resellers.
In the Philippines, the Wi-Fi model starts at Php 49,990, while the Wi-Fi + Cellular version starts at Php 59,990. Eligible education customers can get the tablet starting at Php 45,990. The new TechWoven Smart Folio costs Php 5,690, while the Apple Pencil Pro retails for Php 8,690 and the Apple Pencil (USB-C) costs Php 4,990.
