Crazy if true, but not like we can do much about it at the point. Thoughts?

I bought my iPad Mini 6 in 2023 and boy am I glad I didn't hold out for an upgraded version. To have an iPad like this that is two generations behind but so very close in specs to the current model is hysterical to me.

My Mini doesn't get nearly the use my phone or iPad Pro does but it comes in clutch when traveling in tight economy airline seats or I need a quick e-reader.

Maybe by 2030 they'll release one with specs worth upgrading to.

On paper the iPad mini 8 is the overhaul we've been asking for: 8.5" OLED, A20 Pro, IP67, 5.4mm thin. Then you get to the price and the refresh rate.

The mini was $499 in 2024 and $599 after the June memory-cost hike. Now it's $699 for 128GB. Go 256GB with nano-texture and cellular and you're at $1,049, still on a fixed 60Hz LTPS panel with no ProMotion.

That's hard to justify in late 2026. The base iPhone 17 has had 120Hz ProMotion since last year, so this isn't about hitting a price point. OLED also makes 60Hz more noticeable for a lot of people: pixels switch almost instantly, so there's no LCD smear masking the frame steps, and scrolling looks juddery. Meanwhile the A20 Pro has GPU headroom the panel can't show.

Now look at what launched last Friday. The iPhone Duo opens to 7.6", runs the same A20 Pro, has 120Hz on both screens, and gets Pencil support later this year. At $1,999 it needs a reason to exist.

Then there's the other flank. The 11-inch iPad Pro is $1,199 after the June hike, and for a lot of buyers the reason to step up to it is the 120Hz OLED. The Pro still has the M5, tandem OLED, Face ID, and Thunderbolt, but plenty of people buy it for the screen.

A $599 mini with ProMotion would undercut both. A regular iPhone plus a great mini covers most of what the Duo does for way less money, and it hands you the Pro's best feature for a lot less too, in a smaller body that's IP67. At $699 and 60Hz, the mini is a weak Duo alternative and no threat to the Pro.

Who's left to buy it?

- Casual readers balk at $699 and grab a discounted mini 7 ($559 right now) or a base iPad.
- Enthusiasts who wanted OLED and A20 Pro won't pay $700 to $1,049 for 60Hz. The ones willing to spend more just buy the Pro.
- Enterprise buyers (pilots, field techs, clinical staff) need IP67 and 1,200-nit peak brightness and aren't paying out of pocket.

We've seen a version of this. The 12 mini and 13 mini had noticeably worse battery life for only $100 less than the standard model, sold poorly, and were replaced by the 14 Plus in 2022 (which the Air later replaced). Apple never had to explain anything; the sales numbers did it.

My guess is we're watching the first step of the mini's exit.

I’m upset as much as you guys, I was waiting with cash on hand for the mini 8 for months, ended up just buying a iPad mini 6 256gb cellular on Amazon refurbished for 360. Cant justify $700 for a device that I'm just going to use to cheat on my Kindle. At $499 I’d buy it in a heartbeat, maybe when the AI bubble pops prices will come back to earth, let’s hope.

What a kick in the nuts.

I’m just as upset about the lack of 120hz as everyone else, but I don’t think this was Apple being greedy.

The iPad Mini’s LTPS panel cannot do variable refresh rate down below 60hz like the iPad Pro’s LTPO panel can. That means running the display at a fixed 120hz all the time, even when showing a static image. That hurts battery life and thermals.

Apple seems to care more about battery life than about a 120hz experience. Product segmentation may have played a factor in the 60hz choice, but I believe the main reason why 60hz was chosen was due to the LTPS panel. Every Apple device with an LTPS panel prior has been locked to 60hz (base oled iPhones).

It's 2026, how can 128 GB for anything that doesn't offer expandable storage even exist? That's really hoping there would be some more improvements with the iPad mini this year but I guess I'll have to wait for the next refresh.

Using the Duo these past couple days, I realized that it makes everything (outside of unfolded portrait mode) FEEL SO CRAMPED. I really really wanted to try to love it (looking past and trying to make the cameras work but NOPE). But it made me realize that editing things in Canva, or looking at an excel sheet of my small business, is actually so much nicer with just a little bit more screen, an I actually carry a bag with me all the time, so snatching up a Mini is actually really exciting for me!

WITH that said… I do already have a 13” IPad Pro 5th gen, but it pretty much stays at my business.

So should I bite the bullet and get the new Mini 8 gen, or would the 6 or 7 gen work for me?

Anyone else with an 11” M1 iPad Pro tempted by the new Mini?

Like many of you, I’ve been waiting for the mini 8 to finally be announced. To preface things I’m a freelance digital artist in university who primarily used an M1 iPad Pro 12.9 (2021) for digital notes, but with my recent purchase of a MacBook Air M4 (2025) I have found lugging around two large screens to be overkill for both campus and at-home setups.

Flash forward to now, I’m eyeing both the mini 7 and 8 with the intentions of drawing, taking digital notes, gaming, and consuming media in mind, and for all other demanding tasks to be for my MacBook Air. My question to everyone is whether the mini 8, price and added features alike, really justifies purchasing it over the mini 7?

So I need some advice. I am planning to purchase a iPad mini, but I’m not sure on which. I’ve waited the year and sadly they don’t have 120hz. which I’m not exactly sure what difference it makes, but I want to know if I should get the mini 8 or just get the mini 7. a little disappointed about only two colors I would usually use it for watching and just using it as a daily, as well as like using it outside, but I’m not sure about the cellular part context I don’t have any mini iPad

With the new price hike, does it make sense to get the mini A20 instead of the M4 Air? It’s only $50 difference at this point. I love the form factor of the mini but I’m not sure the price is justified. Coming from an iPad Pro 11” 2nd generation (2020). I’m looking for this device to be a productivity device. My current 2015 MacBook Pro is only used to watch YouTube videos and edit pdfs and occasional browsing. So whichever iPad I get will be hooked up to a Studio Display as my MacBook Pro is dying.

Let me know your thoughts.

60hz and 128gb base storage at $700 aside, this is an interesting technology. Apple is rumoured to feature this on their 20th anniversary iphone and it’s using ipad mini as a experiment device to test and make improvements for the iphone

Like most people, I am very disappointed in the announcement of the iPad Mini 8 with 60hz screen. I wanted to buy an iPad Mini for a year now, but halted because I was hopping it will get 120hz. My partner has the Mini 7 and it woild be the perfect device for my needs (occasional games when traveling, media consumption, social media).

As it stands, I am strongly considering just buying the mini 7 and I hope for some discounts soon. The new chip and OLED are surely nice, but not really a priority for me and the 0.2 inch screen increase and the thickness decrease seem kinda laughable as the Mini is very slim already. I don’t really care about Siri AI as I am in the EU and I don’t need the screen extension feature.

Is there any reason, even for the extra cost, I should still consider going with the Mini 8?

Maybe a silly question, but are we absolutely positive it’s a 60Hz screen on the new iPad mini?
I mean I understand it’s not advertised as ProMotion, but could it not be 90Hz, or maybe something else just doesn’t have VRR?

Took a chance getting "refurbished good" rather than "refurbished excellent" from Best Buy. It arrived and was in perfect shape cosmetically.And it either has a new battery or was rarely used (100% health, only 7 cycles.) I paid 50% of what an 8 would have been. It meets my needs very well.

My iPad mini is my favorite household tool. I write in my journal w my Apple Pencil, organize my client files in Notes, watch YouTube, search for everything, run Chat & Claude. All of the new features are not compelling to me. How about facial recognition so it’s easier to open? 120 Hz? Thinner bezels? Thanks for nothing, Apple. Welcome, CEO Ternus.

Starting at 699 (which I guessed it would be).

Available November 6.

60Hz screen.

With all the hype surrounding the announcement of the iPad mini 8, I’m looking to buy a used iPad mini.

Do you think it’s worth investing an extra $150 usd in a mini 7 ($400), compared to a mini 6 ($250)?

My usage is basic: video streaming, reading comics, and casual gaming—nothing too demanding.

Quality is subpar but I’m a fan of orange.
Someone convince me I don’t need two iPad Minis 🫣

Found this hidden in the comparison section. Seems misleading to have different versions of the A20 chip. Imagine buying a 256gb for $800 just for it to be 16% slower.

My iPad mini 7 won’t charge anymore I stays at 1% and will turn off. My Apple Store has an appointment until Friday or Best Buy near me has one tomorrow. I use it daily for work, will Best Buy replace my iPad at the store?