As usual, Apple’s small tablet, the iPad mini, is due for its biennial update soon, but this time the bar for upgrading to the iPad mini 8 is likely to be raised considerably. Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, on October 11, inThe Power On column revealsThe upcoming OLED iPad mini will be “considerably more expensive” than the current $599 model (about NT$19,500), and his personal guess is that it will be priced around $799 (about NT$26,000). That is $200 more than the current price (about NT$6,500). Compared with the 2024 iPad mini 7’s launch price of $499 (about NT$16,200), it is a $300 jump in two years.
Where did the price increase rumors come from: Gurman’s $799 speculation
Gurman wrote in the latest issue of Power On that the OLED iPad mini “will cost considerably more than today’s $599 model”; his sources point to a price increase, and his own estimate is “closer to $799.” He also named three upgrades: the A20 Pro chip, a reconfigured FaceTime camera, and a revamped speaker system. It’s worth noting that $799 is Gurman’s guess rather than an official figure, but the direction of the price increase itself is backed by his sources.
The launch timing has also been pointed out. Gurman previously reported that Apple is expected to unveil this device at an event around Tuesday, October 27, alongside new MacBook Pro models with OLED touchscreens. Wccftech added that the $799 version does not include cellular connectivity, and adding a cellular model would only make the price higher.
Hardware upgrades: What else is there beyond OLED?
This batch of spec news is a notch more credible than the usual rumors, since some of it comes from Apple’s own code. On September 25,MacRumors Contributor Aaron Perris discovered official images and code for the new iPad mini in Apple files, confirming the A20 Pro chip, the front camera moved to the long edge, and a new speaker system. Here is a roundup of the currently known upgrade list:
- OLED panelGurman has long named the iPad mini as Apple’s next device to switch to OLED, and supply chain sources indicate that Apple has evaluated OLED panels made by Samsung. The screen size may increase from 8.3 inches to 8.7 inches. OLED can control light emission pixel by pixel, producing purer blacks, and its contrast, response speed, and viewing angles are superior to LCD. Apple first used this panel technology in the iPad Pro in May 2024.
- The update rate is still a question mark.The iPad mini 7’s LCD is only 60Hz, and whether the new model supports 120Hz ProMotion remains undecided; since the entry-level iPhone 17 already uses a 120Hz panel, many believe it is reasonable to expect it to follow suit. Other analyses speculate that the panel may use a single-layer LTPS specification, with brightness lower than the iPad Pro’s dual-layer LTPO panel.
- A20 Pro chip: Same as the iPhone 18 Pro series, using TSMC’s 2nm process. It is estimated to come with 12GB LPDDR5X memory, 50% more than the 8GB in the iPad mini 7, but this is the outlet’s assessment rather than existing information.
- Waterproof design and new speakersGurman pointed out that the new chassis will improve water resistance by using a vibration-based speaker system and eliminating traditional speaker openings, reducing the paths for water and dust to enter, and it could become the first iPad mini with a water-resistance rating certification.
- Camera position adjustmentThe front-facing FaceTime camera has been moved to the long edge, making framing more sensible during landscape video calls.
The Driving Force Behind Price Hikes: The Memory Cost Storm
The root of the price pressure is still memory. The iPad mini 7 launched in October 2024 at $499, and at the end of June 2026 Apple raised the price to $599, an increase of $100 at once, and the situation will not ease in the short term. According to reports, Apple has accepted Samsung’s memory quote for the first quarter of 2027: LPDDR5X rose from $1.50 per GB to $2, an increase of about 33%, while NAND flash rose from $0.26 per GB to $0.33, an increase of about 27%.
The underlying supply-demand structure will be difficult to reverse in the short term: AI data center investments have increased memory demand by 36.2%, while supply grew only 19.3%, and the supply-demand gap is projected to widen to negative 13.6% by 2027. At the same time, major Chinese smartphone makers OPPO and vivo are reportedly rejecting Samsung’s price increase proposal, while Apple has chosen to absorb it. Cost pressure is also showing up in other product lines: Wccftech recently cited another report noting that because memory costs are rising, Apple has reportedly asked its supply chain to cut production of the iPhone 18 Pro series by up to 20%. Analysts widely believe this wave of price increases will spread across consumer electronics product lines.
Is It Worth the Switch: The Market’s Calm Voice
Starting at $799, and that’s not even for the cellular version, it will likely be hard to boost demand for this small tablet, no matter how big the internal spec upgrades are. Moreover, the 11-inch M5 iPad Pro is frequently discounted at retailers such as Amazon. If Apple insists on passing memory and storage costs on to consumers, the iPad mini 8 may first hurt other options in its own tablet lineup. The only reasonable time to buy will probably be during a sale, and based on historical experience, waiting is always the better deal.
From a product-positioning standpoint, the iPad mini has always been the choice that is “a little more expensive than the entry-level iPad,” and in the past it won a group of loyal users with its compact body and sufficient performance. As its starting price has climbed from $499 to a possible $799, its price band is beginning to overlap with that of the iPad Air and even the discounted iPad Pro. Whether the uniqueness of its small size can still justify a $200 premium will be answered after the October 27 event.
Source: KOCPC Chinese