Apple just surprised everyone with the news of the iPad mini 8, announced two days ahead of the company's Pro and Tell event.
The iPad mini 8 marks the biggest redesign in years, although some key specs stay the same. One thing has changed: The price, and not for the better.
What's new compared to the iPad mini 7, and is now the right time to upgrade? We'll dig into the specs and compare the iPad mini 8 to our own review of the previous generation.
Apple's iPad mini 8 was announced on October 26, 2026, with pre-orders opening on October 28 at 10:10 a.m. PT. The tablet ships starting on Friday, November 6.
Pricing for the iPad mini 8 starts at $699 for the 128GB Wi-Fi model, or $849 for the Wi-Fi + cellular model. Students and educators can score a discount, bringing the price down to $649 and up.
Swapping to nano-texture glass adds an extra $100, but the option is only available on the 256GB and 512GB models. Those higher-capacity iPads start at $799 and $999, respectively, and that's without the nano-texture glass.
This is a big price hike compared with the iPad mini 7's launch price: $499. Apple recently raised the price to $599 in June, along with the rest of its lineup. This new model adds another $100 on top in its cheapest configuration.
With this gen-to-gen price increase, the mini is just $50 below the 11-inch iPad Air.
The new iPad mini looks familiar at a glance, but it should be noticeably slimmer.
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