[DigitalToday reporter Jae-won Choi] Apple has unveiled a new iPad mini with an OLED display and an A20 Pro chip. It increases the screen size while reducing thickness and weight, and significantly strengthens AI performance.

On Oct. 26 (local time), Apple announced the eighth-generation iPad mini ahead of its "Pro and tell" event on Oct. 28. The new model has an 8.5-inch OLED display. It cuts bezels by 24 percent from the previous version, keeping the body size the same while expanding the screen from 8.3 inches to 8.5 inches.

The display supports up to 1,200 nits of peak brightness and a 2 million-to-1 contrast ratio. Minimum brightness is 1 nit for more comfortable use in dark environments. The refresh rate is 60 Hz and it does not support the 120 Hz ProMotion feature.

Thickness is 5.4 mm, 0.9 mm thinner than the previous model. Weight drops to 255 grams from 293 grams, and it adds IP67-rated water and dust resistance for the first time on an iPad mini.

The key change is the A20 Pro chip. Apple said AI processing performance is up to 4.5 times higher than the previous model, and graphics performance is up to 2.7 times higher. It supports running on-device AI models and can use new Siri AI features in iPadOS 27.

Its audio system applies an acoustic display that uses the display to boost bass and volume. The 12-megapixel front camera moves to the landscape edge to improve convenience for video calls. It includes Apple-designed N1 wireless chip to support Wi-Fi 7, and the cellular model uses the C2 modem.

It comes in two colors: Midnight and Starlight. Storage options are 128GB, 256GB and 512GB, and the top two models can choose a nano-texture display that reduces light reflection.

In the United States, prices start at $699 for the Wi-Fi model (1,149,000 won in South Korea) and $849 for the cellular model (1,399,000 won in South Korea). Preorders start on Oct. 28 and the device goes on sale on Nov. 6.