The iPad mini with A20 Pro replaces the iPad mini with A17 Pro with an 8.5-inch OLED display, a thinner body, IP67 water resistance and Wi-Fi 7. It also starts at $699 for the Wi-Fi model, which is $200 above what the A17 Pro model cost at launch.
Apple announced the new iPad mini on Monday, while the A17 Pro model launched in October 2024 at $499 for Wi-Fi and $649 for Wi-Fi + Cellular. The new model costs $699 and $849, and pre-orders open on Wednesday, October 28.
The A20 Pro iPad Mini Costs $200 More Than the A17 Pro Model Did at Launch
Both generations start at 128GB, so the extra $200 buys the new display, chip and design rather than more storage. The Wi-Fi + Cellular model rises by the same amount, from $649 to $849.
Education pricing for the new model starts at $649. Apple Pencil Pro and Apple Pencil (USB-C) work with both generations, so accessory costs stay the same.
The OLED Display, Thinner Body and IP67 Rating Are the Biggest Changes
The A17 Pro model has an 8.3-inch Liquid Retina LCD at 2266 by 1488 pixels and 500 nits. The new model has an 8.5-inch Super Retina XDR OLED at 2316 by 1512 pixels, with 600 nits across the full screen and a 1200-nit peak on HDR content. Both screens are 326 ppi.
The body drops from 6.3 mm to 5.4 mm, and from 0.65 pound to 0.56 pound for the Wi-Fi model. The new model also adds an IP67 rating and the Acoustic Display speaker system, which replaces the landscape stereo speakers.
| Spec | iPad mini with A20 Pro | iPad mini with A17 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| US starting price | $699 Wi-Fi, $849 Wi-Fi + Cellular | $499 Wi-Fi, $649 Wi-Fi + Cellular at launch |
| Display | 8.5-inch Super Retina XDR OLED | 8.3-inch Liquid Retina LCD |
| Brightness | 600 nits full screen, 1200 nits HDR peak | 500 nits |
| CPU | 5-core, or 6-core on the 512GB model | 6-core |
| GPU | 7-core | 5-core |
| Neural Engine | 16-core, or Dual 16-core on the 512GB model | 16-core |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 7 | Wi-Fi 6E |
| Thickness and weight (Wi-Fi) | 5.4 mm and 0.56 pound | 6.3 mm and 0.65 pound |
| Speakers | Acoustic Display | Landscape stereo speakers |
| Finishes | Midnight and starlight | Blue, purple, starlight and Space Gray |
| Storage | 128GB, 256GB and 512GB | 128GB, 256GB and 512GB |
The A20 Pro Is Faster, but the Base Models Have One Fewer CPU Core
Apple claims up to 2.7x faster GPU performance and up to 1.6x faster CPU performance than the A17 Pro model, plus up to 4.5x faster AI work through the Neural Accelerators. The CPU figure is based on the 6-core chip in the 512GB model.
The 128GB and 256GB models have a 5-core CPU, one core fewer than the A17 Pro model’s 6-core CPU. Both generations have a 16-core Neural Engine, and only the 512GB model adds a second one.
Wi-Fi moves from Wi-Fi 6E to Wi-Fi 7, and the cellular models get the C2 modem for up to 50 percent faster data. Both generations run iPadOS 27, and the A17 Pro model is one of the iPads that support Apple Intelligence.
Both models have a 12MP Wide rear camera, Touch ID in the top button and a USB-C port with DisplayPort and USB 3 speeds up to 10Gb/s. The OLED iPad mini with A20 Pro ships on Friday, November 6.
