Apple's new iPad mini starts at $699, $200 more than the 2021 model it replaces. The extra money buys an OLED screen, a two-nanometer chip and water resistance.
The eighth-generation model has an 8.5-inch display, up from 8.3 inches, with borders 24% thinner. Peak HDR brightness reaches 1,200 nits (a unit of screen brightness), against a 500-nit maximum on the old LCD. The Wi-Fi model is 14% thinner and 13% lighter, at 255 grams versus 293. Memory jumps from 4GB to 12GB, and the A20 Pro replaces the A15 Bionic. Apple claims up to 2.2 times the CPU speed and four times the GPU speed of the 2021 model.
The cellular version costs $849, up from $649, and is eSIM only, meaning it uses a built-in digital SIM instead of a physical card. Base storage doubles from 64GB to 128GB, which softens the price increase a little.
Part of this upgrade is catch-up. Apple Intelligence, Apple Pencil Pro support and USB-C transfers at 10Gb/s, double the old 5Gb/s, all arrived on the 2024 model. A 2021 owner gets those along with the new hardware. The day-to-day gains are the OLED panel and the lighter body. Both screens still run at 60Hz, so there is no ProMotion smoothness here.
The case for upgrading is strongest for people who have used the 2021 model since launch. Its battery is five years old, and 64GB fills up fast with games and downloaded video. If battery life is the only complaint, a battery service may be enough.
The 2024 model is the cheaper way out. Apple lists the 128GB Wi-Fi version at $509 through its Certified Refurbished store when stock is available, with a new battery and a one-year warranty. That is $190 below the new price, and it keeps Apple Intelligence and Pencil Pro support. What it lacks is the OLED screen, the water resistance and the A20 Pro, and the question is how many buyers will pay $190 for those.