OLED iPad Mini Starts at $699 After Second Price Hike This Year

Apple unveiled a refreshed version of the iPad mini boasting an OLED display, marking a noticeable price increase for the device. The latest model starts at $699, a $100 (or 17%) hike from the previous generation's $599 starting price. This marks the second price increase for the iPad mini this year, following an initial jump to $599 earlier in the year due to shortages in memory and chips.

Despite the higher starting price, the new iPad mini maintains the same 128GB storage capacity as its predecessor, eliminating the price discrepancy that arose from a storage bump in the earlier model. However, the OLED display is a significant upgrade from the previous LCD screen.

The Wi-Fi + Cellular versions of the mini see a matching $100 increase, with the price rising from $749 to $849. Education pricing begins at $649, offering a more affordable entry point for students and educators. Apple emphasizes that the price hike is modest compared to earlier speculations, which suggested the OLED iPad mini would be $200 more expensive than the current model.

Underneath the sleek exterior, the new iPad mini packs several enhancements. It features an 8.5-inch OLED display, the powerful A20 Pro chip, IP67 water and dust resistance, a redesigned Acoustic Display speaker system, Apple's N1 wireless chip, and the C2 modem on cellular models. The color options have been narrowed from four to two: Midnight and Starlight.

Apple also introduces a new TechWoven Smart Folio accessory for the new iPad mini, priced at $79, up from $59 for the previous Smart Folio. Pre-orders for the new iPad mini open on October 28, with availability beginning on November 6.