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OLED iPad Mini Expected to Arrive No Earlier Than Q3 2026

uacd said:
Isn’t iPhone 17 Pro Max an Oled iPad already?

This iPad lost relevance about when Apple started making phablet phones. Considering they never put actual flagship processors inside, I don’t quite understand what’s the point of it
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I guess for people like me who don’t want to carry a massive/heavy phone around but have use on the sofa for a bigger screen.
 
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psac said:
Serious question -- do you live in a warm-ish area? I live in the northeast US, and once the cold weather comes (like now), my fingers get all chapped and the touch ID is useless. I usually have to re-teach the touch ID about 4-5 times per year as the weather goes through various changes!
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Interesting— I live in MN (it can get pretty cold and dry out, plenty of snow today) and I’ve never had to re-teach touch ID on any device. The touch ID on my iPad mini 6 works better for me than the one on my older iPhones. It is honestly so flawless for me that I much prefer it over FaceID and have my fingers crossed that it stays on the mini 8.
 
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I would like OLED - but what I really want - a mini that can more than just mirror to an external display. Taking advantage of a docked mini that is just as good as a iPad Pro connected to an external monitor - would be a big win.

Feel free to call it a iPad Pro Mini - I'd get one.
 
Was expecting it to be updated in April 2026. Looks like it will be released only in October 2026. Apple might be having plans to update both iPad and MacBook Air in April.
 
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ProbablyDylan said:
It's frustrating how Apple insists on skimping on RAM for every device for exactly this reason. iOS 26 is downright horrible on the Mini 6.
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Well said!

Apple has perfected the art of smoke and mirrors marketing. Bleeding buyers for every last dollar while skimping on ram and holding back on offering many advanced features already being incorporated in other brands.

They’ve mesmerized the Apple Faithful who have become tolerant and passive. They may occasionally speak up, but continue to pay premium prices for incredibly modest “upgrades”.

Some Apple apologists go so far as to advocate here posting defensive arguments in favor of Apple instead of advocating for themselves. It’s quite the spectacle.
 
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macbookj0e said:
I guess for people like me who don’t want to carry a massive/heavy phone around but have use on the sofa for a bigger screen.
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But why not the new 13’? It is so gigantic one would not even need a TV😃 As well as more powerful thanks to M chip. Doesn’t costs much more than Mini (Air).

I myself was a fan of 9’7 for ages but when new 13 inch full screen one came out, I became interested in getting one. It is a bit to awkward to lie and watch in bed but screen real estate is humongous, so I might pull the trigger after all.

Tbh I love iPads for having better display and IPS, it is sad all of them will move to PWM OLED one day
 
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The good on this timeframe: I have a dedicated savings account for my next iPad that currently only has £400 in it.

The bad: My mini 6 battery looks to be starting to fall off a cliff.
 
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uacd said:
Isn’t iPhone 17 Pro Max an Oled iPad already?

This iPad lost relevance about when Apple started making phablet phones. Considering they never put actual flagship processors inside, I don’t quite understand what’s the point of it

UPD: yeah dumb rhetorical question. To each their own!

In my opinion, iPads should stay IPS and do not need PWM and OLED flicker. Also Mini is unjustly underpowered comparing to the whole range and I believe it must have M chip to be competitive, at least M1 or M2
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Maybe for you iPad in general and mini in particular is not relevant, but not everyone needs or wants to carry huge and heavy phones everywhere, but still wants to use a device bigger than Pro Max for sofa surfing.

As for “flagship processors”, none of the iPads take advantage of these M chips, so really no need for them, special for the Mini. Instead, standard A chip with increased RAM will be more useful.
 
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geta said:
As for “flagship processors”, none of the iPads take advantage of these M chips, so really no need for them, special for the Mini. Instead, standard A chip with increased RAM will be more useful.
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It could be more future-proof though!
 
uacd said:
But why not the new 13’? It is so gigantic one would not even need a TV😃 As well as more powerful thanks to M chip. Doesn’t costs much more than Mini (Air).

I myself was a fan of 9’7 for ages but when new 13 inch full screen one came out, I became interested in getting one. It is a bit to awkward to lie and watch in bed but screen real estate is humongous, so I might pull the trigger after all.

Tbh I love iPads for having better display and IPS, it is sad all of them will move to PWM OLED one day
Click to expand...

If your only use is for watching TV, movies, YouTube, etc., then surely a bigger iPad would be nicer. But for couch surfing and reading the Mini is perfect, and it’s also more comfortable to carry around.

As for the more powerful M chip, what are you using your iPad for that you need all the extra power it provides?
 
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uacd said:
It could be more future-proof though!
Click to expand...

Future-proof? in terms of power, even the base A chip is powerful enough for 95% of users, and even my "ancient" Mini 6 still works perfectly. The only real upgrade the Mini needs is more RAM, 16GB would be perfect.
 
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geta said:
If your only use is for watching TV, movies, YouTube, etc., then surely a bigger iPad would be nicer. But for couch surfing and reading the Mini is perfect, and it’s also more comfortable to carry around.

As for the more powerful M chip, what are you using your iPad for that you need all the extra power it provides?
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I am planning to get one just to be able to run all the music apps I’ve collected on my older iPad, it barely runs those. It is my hobby that I sometimes have time for. As I can see, more and more music apps are being made for new devices and require more processing power. Also photos and video editing is what I sometimes do, so want it to be as smooth as possible.

I was thinking about 11’ at first but then thought “why not go bigger?”. It could be especially fun to use with music making apps for live triggering or slider adjustment. Still thinking whether should I do that though.

As for the mini I would probably considered one for the old days when I worked as PR assistant and needed to take notes at the events, though the larger 9.7’ worked OK for this, or I would naturally reach to my iPhone. But I understand that everyone has their own needs so there is a Mini. Though it would have been more popular with more processing power (not even OLED needed)
 
uacd said:
I am planning to get one just to be able to run all the music apps I’ve collected on my older iPad, it barely runs those. It is my hobby that I sometimes have time for. As I can see, more and more music apps are being made for new devices and require more processing power. Also photos and video editing is what I sometimes do, so want it to be as smooth as possible.

I was thinking about 11’ at first but then thought “why not go bigger?”. It could be especially fun to use with music making apps for live triggering or slider adjustment. Still thinking whether should I do that though.

As for the mini I would probably considered one for the old days when I worked as PR assistant and needed to take notes at the events, though the larger 9.7’ worked OK for this, or I would naturally reach to my iPhone. But I understand that everyone has their own needs so there is a Mini. Though it would have been more popular with more processing power (not even OLED needed)
Click to expand...

People who use a specific apps that required the extra power know it, and will buy a device that supports their needs, including a larger screen than the Mini.

As for music production and other pro apps, iPad will never replace a desktop or laptop.
 
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macbookj0e said:
Likewise, I love my mini and I’m not entirely sure why I do so much!
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Love my mini’s too, just as I love my iPhone mini - mini’s rules 😤

I have 6 & 7 - and traded in my 5 after the 7 arrived.
I was quite overpaid for the 5, but as I always have cases on mine they don’t get bruised.
Seems like my plan to trade in my 6 + the credit-receipt will make a good price for next mini 8.
 
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uacd said:
But why not the new 13’? It is so gigantic one would not even need a TV😃 As well as more powerful thanks to M chip. Doesn’t costs much more than Mini (Air).

I myself was a fan of 9’7 for ages but when new 13 inch full screen one came out, I became interested in getting one. It is a bit to awkward to lie and watch in bed but screen real estate is humongous, so I might pull the trigger after all.

Tbh I love iPads for having better display and IPS, it is sad all of them will move to PWM OLED one day
Click to expand...

Yeah true, everyone has different preferences.

In my case I had a 13” pro iPad and loved the screen but found it too heavy to be comfortable for longer periods. I went down to an 11” pro which I preferred overall but then tried an iPad mini and haven’t looked back.

It’s so light and easy to use I find myself using it more than any other iPad I’ve had. I’ll grab it and take it with me at times I never would have the 13”. Plus I can hold it with one hand!
 
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Lioness~ said:
Love my mini’s too, just as I love my iPhone mini - mini’s rules 😤

I have 6 & 7 - and traded in my 5 after the 7 arrived.
I was quite overpaid for the 5, but as I always have cases on mine they don’t get bruised.
Seems like my plan to trade in my 6 + the credit-receipt will make a good price for next mini 8.
Click to expand...

Agreed! I still use my 13 mini for work 😊
 
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geta said:
As for music production and other pro apps, iPad will never replace a desktop or laptop.
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In my experience, iPad serves as a unique “sound module” and idea sketching canvas. Since I use Logic I sometimes did 90% finished tracks on my iPad and mostly used Logic for final master and edits.

What is so great about iPad is that it feels more handy and “hardware” than MacBook thanks to touch screen. I’ve tried making beats with Koala and it is such an amazing experience that is hard to match on Mac, though Quick Sampler in Logic is wonderful, and it is so great Logic is now on all new iPads too
 
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I will have had my Mini 7 two years by then so I'll be ready to consider an upgrade. Good timing for me, at least.
 
I would love to replace my older iPad Mini, but my main "nitpick" is that the screen doesn't get bright enough (it's 500 nits) and for the last two (three?) models that didn't increase at all. Would an OLED screen be brighter by nature? Or maybe get more nits? If so, sign me up.
 
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