Apple's smallest tablet could be getting one of its most significant overhauls yet. The company is reportedly preparing to launch the next-generation iPad Mini with an OLED display, a faster A19 Pro processor, and a redesigned chassis that aims to make the compact tablet more durable and premium than ever.
According to details leaked from Apple's internal documentation and corroborated by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the device-codenamed J510 and J511-will mark Apple's first use of OLED technology in its compact lineup. The upgrade would move the iPad Mini closer in display quality to the iPad Pro, offering deeper blacks, higher contrast, and more vibrant color accuracy.
Apple's A19 Pro chip, expected to power both the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air models, will also drive the iPad Mini 8. Built on an enhanced 3-nanometer N3P process, the chip features a 6-core CPU, a redesigned GPU with dynamic caching, and a 16-core Neural Engine for AI-driven performance. The company says the architecture delivers "three times the peak GPU compute power" of prior-generation chips.
Industry analysts expect the new model to include up to 8GB of RAM, positioning it for advanced multitasking and machine learning capabilities. However, reports suggest the A19 Pro chip in the iPad Mini may feature one fewer GPU core than its iPhone 17 Pro counterpart, continuing Apple's practice of slightly differentiating tablet and smartphone performance tiers.
The introduction of an OLED panel marks the most anticipated shift. Samsung Display has reportedly begun producing sample screens for the model, with mass production scheduled for the second half of 2025. The display could measure as large as 8.7 inches-up from 8.3 inches on the current iPad Mini-and may include support for a 120Hz ProMotion refresh rate. Unlike the iPad Pro's dual-stack LTPO OLED panel, however, the Mini is expected to use a single-stack LTPS panel, which is less bright but more power-efficient.
To complement the display upgrade, Apple is reportedly testing a new water-resistant chassis that eliminates traditional speaker holes in favor of a vibration-based acoustic system. Patents for a "mechanically actuated panel acoustic system" support this design, suggesting the company is adapting sound-generation methods used in its iPhones. If implemented, the change would represent the first iPad Mini to feature any degree of official water protection.
Beyond hardware, Apple may refresh the iPad Mini's accessory compatibility, potentially adding support for the Apple Pencil Pro and introducing faster connectivity with Wi-Fi 7. Camera updates remain unconfirmed, though the front-facing system could receive improved low-light performance to align with Apple's broader imaging upgrades.
The expected timeline for release remains uncertain, though consensus among analysts points to 2026. ET News and ZDNet Korea both reported that OLED production for the model will begin in late 2025, while Display Supply Chain Consultants estimates that an 8.5-inch OLED iPad Mini will debut the following year. Research firm Omdia has placed its forecast slightly later, targeting 2027.
