Apple iPad mini 8 upgrades described ahead of time but key disappointment of older models said to remain

New details about Apple's long-rumoured iPad mini 8 have emerged online. For context, the new information arrives around a month after Bloomberg discussed the prospect of Apple's plans for an iPad mini 7 replacement (curr. $399 on Amazon). In short, the website suggested that Apple would finally be bringing OLED display upgrades to not just the iPad mini but also the large iPad Air.

According to Weibo leaker Instant Digital, Apple will release the iPad mini OLED first, which Naver blogger yeux1122 suggests will occur during Q3 2026. Conversely, Instant Digital asserts that there is 'no movement yet' on the iPad Air. Thus, it seems unlikely that the pair will debut simultaneously for the time being.

Meanwhile, yeux1122 adds that Apple will equip the iPad mini 8 with an A19 Pro chipset that debuted earlier this year inside the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. On top of that, the mini's display size is said to have grown from 8.3-inches to 8.5-inches between seventh and eighth generation models.

Unfortunately, a 60 Hz refresh rate is expected to remain despite Apple adopting an LTPS OLED display. As a result, the iPad mini 8 will sport something of a downgraded display experience compared with even the regular iPhone 17. Moreover, it is unclear whether Apple has settled on native portrait or landscape panels for its next iPad mini, too.