New iPad mini hands-on: Refreshed design, OLED display, more

Apple's latest iPad mini has undergone a significant refresh, featuring a thinner and lighter design, an OLED display, water resistance, and the A20 Pro chip. The new model is even closer to the ultra-thin iPad Pro and unfolded iPhone Duo in terms of size and weight. Holding the new iPad mini feels more premium and less dense than its predecessor, thanks to the 24% thinner bezels and reduced thickness, which make it feel more like the iPad Pro.

One of the most notable upgrades is the switch to an OLED display, marking the first non-Pro iPad to offer this technology. This upgrade results in better colors, improved contrast, higher brightness, and a more vibrant display compared to the previous LCD panel. The new iPad mini offers SDR brightness up to 600 nits and supports HDR content with up to 1200 nits peak brightness.

However, it lacks Apple's ProMotion technology, which disappoints some users who were hoping for a 120Hz refresh rate for smoother scrolling and reduced motion blur.

The new iPad mini also features a nano-texture display, which helps reduce reflections and glare in various lighting conditions. This is particularly useful for its ultra-portable design, as users often carry it around and use it in different environments. The display also houses Apple's "Acoustic Display" technology, which uses the screen to produce sound through specialized woofers and tweeters hidden within the device.

This integrated audio system delivers louder audio, punchier bass, and clearer highs, despite the iPad mini's compact size.

In addition to these display and audio improvements, the iPad mini now boasts official water resistance (IP67 rating), making it more feasible to use the device in various environments. The combination of the thinner and lighter design, nano-texture glass, and water resistance makes the new iPad mini an excellent choice for e-reading.