Hands-On: The OLED iPad Mini is Almost an iPad Pro Mini

Key Points:

• The new OLED iPad mini 8 launches this Friday, featuring the biggest update in 14 years with a thinner (5.4mm), lighter design at 255 grams, making it Apple's lightest iPad to date.
• It is the second iPad with an OLED display, offering deep blacks, high contrast, and increased brightness, but it lacks the ProMotion 120Hz refresh rate, limiting it to 60Hz.
• The iPad mini 8 includes an IP67 water and dust resistance rating, a redesigned acoustic system with an "Acoustic Display," and upgraded microphones for clearer audio during calls and recordings.
• Powered by the A20 Pro chip (same as iPhone 18 Pro), the device comes with 12GB RAM and offers fast charging, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and cellular models with 5G support; storage options range from 128GB to 512GB.
• Starting at $699, the iPad mini 8 has a new landscape-oriented 12MP Center Stage front camera, supports 4K video recording, USB-C connectivity, and compatibility with Apple Pencil and Apple Pencil Pro, making it a significant upgrade for users of older iPad mini models.