Apple is expected to apply an OLED display and a new chip to the next iPad mini and strengthen water resistance.

The new iPad mini is expected to change display technology for the first time since 2021 and replace its chip for the first time since 2024, IT outlet 9to5Mac reported on Oct. 25.

The biggest change is the addition of an OLED display. It is not expected to use the tandem OLED method used in the iPad Pro, but it is seen offering richer color expression, improved contrast and a brighter screen than before. It is unclear whether the refresh rate will support 120 hertz ProMotion. It may keep 60 hertz as it does now.

Performance is also expected to improve sharply. The current iPad mini uses a 3-nanometer A17 Pro chip and 8GB of memory. Observers expect the next model to use an A20 Pro chip and 12GB of memory. That would allow Apple’s high-performance on-device artificial intelligence models to run directly on the device, and is expected to improve Siri’s voice recognition and dictation features.

The gains are also expected to be substantial. The A20 Pro is seen delivering about 60 percent better multi-core central processing unit performance than the A17 Pro, while graphics processing unit performance is expected to improve by about 166 percent. These are estimates, and the actual performance will have to be confirmed after launch.

Water resistance is also being cited as a new feature. Apple is reportedly changing the exterior structure and redesigning the speakers while developing a method to drain water that enters the device. If applied, the iPad mini could become the first iPad with water resistance.

The price may rise. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman expects the next iPad mini, with an OLED display and A20 Pro chip, could start at $799, or about 1,058,300 won. That is $200, or about 260,000 won, higher than the current model’s starting price of $599, or about 800,000 won.

It is not yet known whether the base storage will remain at 128GB. If the base capacity increases to 256GB, it could partly reduce the burden from a price increase, but that is also not confirmed.

The next iPad mini is expected to improve the display, performance and water resistance. Its competitiveness is expected to depend not only on whether it adopts OLED but also on whether it supports 120 hertz, what base storage it offers and how the starting price is set.