I reviewed the new iPad mini: It’s the best Apple tablet, with a price to match
At a glance:
Key specs: 8.5-inch OLED display, A20 Pro chip, and just 5.4mm thin
What we loved: Incredible, lightweight design, strong performance, and a beautiful display
What we didn't love: The $699 starting price
The new iPad Mini is here — I'm looking right at its super-bright OLED display as I type this review — and it's beautiful. The lightest Apple tablet ever made, the iPad Mini has the same powerhouse A20 Pro chip as the iPhone 18 Pro Max, and even though it may not be the ideal device for intensive work, it can still support local AI workloads, not to mention the new Siri AI.
But why oh why does everything have to be so damn expensive in 2026? That's not a serious question — we know exactly who's hogging all the RAM, and putting Apple under pressure from memory makers. But for folks like me who have to count every dollar, the starting $699 price does hurt.
So, as much as I loved using the new iPad Mini (it really is a lot of fun), I'm not quite sure who to recommend this device to, unless you're in the top income tax bracket.
iPad Mini review: Who is it for?
Let's cut to the chase: The iPad Mini is now my favorite tablet in the Apple lineup. It has an incredible display, excellent design, and strong performance. However, I'm not quite sure who should buy it.
I'm not the only reviewer who's a little confused by Apple's product lineup in 2026. At first, I thought the iPad Mini was the MacBook Neo of the iPad family. It's the smaller, less powerful model for everyday use. That makes intuitive sense, but it's also wrong.
The iPad Mini offers better performance in many respects than the iPad Air and a far superior display. And while the MacBook Neo is a budget laptop, the iPad Mini is definitely not a budget device. Its starting price is only $50 less than the iPad Air.
A slightly cheaper iPad Mini priced around $499 or $599 would make a lot more sense to me, and be much easier to recommend.
After testing the device, I can heartily recommend the iPad Mini to one-percenters looking for the best iPad for everyday use. But you can also get Amazon's new Alexa Pro tablets, and plenty of other good tablets, for well under $500, and most people will be perfectly fine without an OLED display or a chip that supports local AI models.
Given all that, I'm just not sure I'd pay $699 for the iPad Mini. Plus, the model I tested, which came with 512GB, the Nano-texture display, and the C2 cellular chip, would have set me back $1,249, almost twice as much — and that's definitely not in my budget.
Now, most people can skip the cellular and stick with WiFi only. The Nano-texture finish is also non-essential. And if you rely on iCloud, you can make do with 128GB of storage, bringing the price back down to $699. But that's still a big ask.
iPad Mini (A20 Pro) review: A near-perfect design
I praised the M4 iPad Air for its excellent design, but the new iPad Mini is somehow even thinner. I also found its more compact size to be pretty much perfect for streaming, browsing, gaming, and scrolling. It fits just right in your hands.
Apple made some other design changes as well. The new iPad Mini no longer has speaker holes at the bottom of the device, which will inevitably get filled up with gunk and lint. Instead, sound emanates from the device as part of a new Acoustic Display technology. And because the device is fully enclosed, it achieves IP67 water and dust resistance for extra durability. I haven't dunked my iPad Mini in the bathtub (yet), but it should withstand brief immersion in water.
I'm used to the larger iPad Air, and I instantly preferred the smaller, lighter design of the iPad Mini. I can see why the device has such devoted fans in the Apple community.
One design note: Apple moved the microphone and 12MP Center Stage camera to the side bezel of the device. Because I'm not used to it, I kept thinking it was a bit of schmutz on the screen and kept trying to wipe it off with my thumb. I got used to it, and so will you.
My only complaint about the design? It has Touch ID instead of Face ID.
iPad Mini review: The OLED Super Retina XDR display is awesome
Apple upgraded the iPad Mini with an OLED display, and it's fantastic. The clarity is so precise, and the brightness, color clarity, and deep blacks are instantly noticeable, especially when watching HDR content (the iPad Mini has a peak brightness of 1,200 nits
At a glance:
Key specs: 8.5-inch OLED display, A20 Pro chip, and just 5.4mm thin
What we loved: Incredible, lightweight design, strong performance, and a beautiful display
What we didn't love: The $699 starting price
The new iPad Mini is here — I'm looking right at its super-bright OLED display as I type this review — and it's beautiful. The lightest Apple tablet ever made, the iPad Mini has the same powerhouse A20 Pro chip as the iPhone 18 Pro Max, and even though it may not be the ideal device for intensive work, it can still support local AI workloads, not to mention the new Siri AI.
But why oh why does everything have to be so damn expensive in 2026? That's not a serious question — we know exactly who's hogging all the RAM, and putting Apple under pressure from memory makers. But for folks like me who have to count every dollar, the starting $699 price does hurt.
So, as much as I loved using the new iPad Mini (it really is a lot of fun), I'm not quite sure who to recommend this device to, unless you're in the top income tax bracket.
iPad Mini review: Who is it for?
Let's cut to the chase: The iPad Mini is now my favorite tablet in the Apple lineup. It has an incredible display, excellent design, and strong performance. However, I'm not quite sure who should buy it.
I'm not the only reviewer who's a little confused by Apple's product lineup in 2026. At first, I thought the iPad Mini was the MacBook Neo of the iPad family. It's the smaller, less powerful model for everyday use. That makes intuitive sense, but it's also wrong.
The iPad Mini offers better performance in many respects than the iPad Air and a far superior display. And while the MacBook Neo is a budget laptop, the iPad Mini is definitely not a budget device. Its starting price is only $50 less than the iPad Air.
A slightly cheaper iPad Mini priced around $499 or $599 would make a lot more sense to me, and be much easier to recommend.
After testing the device, I can heartily recommend the iPad Mini to one-percenters looking for the best iPad for everyday use. But you can also get Amazon's new Alexa Pro tablets, and plenty of other good tablets, for well under $500, and most people will be perfectly fine without an OLED display or a chip that supports local AI models.
Given all that, I'm just not sure I'd pay $699 for the iPad Mini. Plus, the model I tested, which came with 512GB, the Nano-texture display, and the C2 cellular chip, would have set me back $1,249, almost twice as much — and that's definitely not in my budget.
Now, most people can skip the cellular and stick with WiFi only. The Nano-texture finish is also non-essential. And if you rely on iCloud, you can make do with 128GB of storage, bringing the price back down to $699. But that's still a big ask.
iPad Mini (A20 Pro) review: A near-perfect design
I praised the M4 iPad Air for its excellent design, but the new iPad Mini is somehow even thinner. I also found its more compact size to be pretty much perfect for streaming, browsing, gaming, and scrolling. It fits just right in your hands.
Apple made some other design changes as well. The new iPad Mini no longer has speaker holes at the bottom of the device, which will inevitably get filled up with gunk and lint. Instead, sound emanates from the device as part of a new Acoustic Display technology. And because the device is fully enclosed, it achieves IP67 water and dust resistance for extra durability. I haven't dunked my iPad Mini in the bathtub (yet), but it should withstand brief immersion in water.
I'm used to the larger iPad Air, and I instantly preferred the smaller, lighter design of the iPad Mini. I can see why the device has such devoted fans in the Apple community.
One design note: Apple moved the microphone and 12MP Center Stage camera to the side bezel of the device. Because I'm not used to it, I kept thinking it was a bit of schmutz on the screen and kept trying to wipe it off with my thumb. I got used to it, and so will you.
My only complaint about the design? It has Touch ID instead of Face ID.
iPad Mini review: The OLED Super Retina XDR display is awesome
Apple upgraded the iPad Mini with an OLED display, and it's fantastic. The clarity is so precise, and the brightness, color clarity, and deep blacks are instantly noticeable, especially when watching HDR content (the iPad Mini has a peak brightness of 1,200 nits