Apple Introduces Redesigned Sixth-Generation iPad Mini With Touch ID, USB-C Port, 5G, and More

Apple today announced the sixth-generation iPad mini, featuring a massive redesign with a larger display, an embedded Touch ID sensor in the Power Button, improved performance, a USB-C port, and 5G.

f1631639679
The new ‌iPad mini‌ features a completely new design, dismissing the Home Button in favor of a full-screen design with an 8.3-inch display. The display features wide color, an antireflective coating, 500 nits of brightness, and True Tone. Featuring an A15 Bionic chip, the new ‌iPad mini‌ is up to 40% faster in CPU performance compared to the previous generation, with an even bigger 80% increase in GPU power.

iPad mini gets a huge performance boost from the new A15 Bionic chip, with its incredibly efficient design that delivers all-day battery life.1 The 6-core CPU delivers a 40 percent jump in performance, and the 5-core GPU delivers an 80 percent leap in graphics performance compared to the previous generation of iPad mini. A15 Bionic on iPad mini handles even the most demanding tasks — from graphically rich games to pro apps used by designers, pilots, doctors, and more. With its powerful performance and compact design, iPad mini is the ultimate tool users can take anywhere.

For the first time for ‌iPad mini‌, the new iPad features 5G technology, offering customers even faster performance, with download speeds of up to 3.5Gbps. Even with 5G, Apple says the new ‌iPad mini‌ still features "all-day battery life."

The new ‌iPad mini‌ also features a USB-C port rather than Lightning. Borrowed from the iPad Air, announced last year, the new ‌iPad mini‌ features a ‌Touch ID‌ sensor embedded into the Power Button.

On the front, the new ‌iPad mini‌ features a new Ultra Wide front camera with a 12MP sensor, allowing for Center Stage from the iPad Pro. With Center Stage, the ‌iPad mini‌ will automatically keep users in the frame as they move around. The back camera also features a 12MP sensor with Focus Pixels and a larger aperture.

Compatible with the second-generation Apple Pencil, the new sixth-generation ‌iPad mini‌ starts at $499 and will be available for pre-orders starting today and will be available on Friday, September 24.

Related Roundup: iPad mini
Buyer's Guide: iPad Mini (Caution)
Related Forum: iPad

Popular Stories

apple intelligence black

Report: Apple's AI Strategy Could Finally Pay Off in 2026

Tuesday December 30, 2025 9:01 am PST by
Apple's restrained artificial intelligence strategy may pay off in 2026 amid the arrival of a revamped Siri and concerns around the AI market "bubble" bursting, The Information argues. The speculative report notes that Apple has taken a restrained approach with AI innovations compared with peers such as OpenAI, Google, and Meta, which are investing hundreds of billions of dollars in data...
apple fitness 2026 1

Apple Teases 'Something Big' Coming Soon to Apple Fitness+

Tuesday December 30, 2025 2:11 pm PST by
The Apple Fitness+ Instagram account today teased that the service has "big plans" for 2026. In a video, several Apple Fitness+ trainers are shown holding up newspapers with headlines related to Apple Fitness+. What's Apple Fitness+ Planning for the New Year? Something Big is Coming to Apple Fitness+ The Countdown Begins. Apple Fitness+ 2026 is Almost Here 2026 Plans Still Under ...
maxresdefault

Hands-On With a Rough iPhone Fold Mockup

Monday December 29, 2025 10:55 am PST by
Apple is rumored to be introducing a foldable iPhone in September 2026, and since it will bring the biggest form factor change since the iPhone was introduced in 2007, curiosity about the design is high. A 3D designer created an iPhone Fold design based on rumors, and we printed it out to see how it compares to Apple's current iPhones. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more ...
maxresdefault

Where's the New Apple TV?

Monday December 22, 2025 11:30 am PST by
Apple hasn't updated the Apple TV 4K since 2022, and 2025 was supposed to be the year that we got a refresh. There were rumors suggesting Apple would release the new Apple TV before the end of 2025, but it looks like that's not going to happen now. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said several times across 2024 and 2025 that Apple would...
iphone 17 pro dark blue 1

iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max Users Report Static Speaker Noise While Charging

Tuesday December 30, 2025 10:39 am PST by
iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max owners are having trouble with the speakers of their devices, and have complained about a static or hissing noise that occurs when the iPhone is charging. There are multiple discussions about the issue on Reddit, the MacRumors forums, and Apple's Support Community, where affected users say there is a noticeable static noise "like an old radio." Some people report...
iPhone Top Left Hole Punch Face ID Feature Purple

iPhone 18 Pro Launching Next Year With These 12 New Features

Tuesday December 23, 2025 8:36 am PST by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are not expected to launch for another nine months, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we have recapped 12 features rumored for the iPhone 18 Pro models. The same overall design is expected, with 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display sizes, and a "plateau" housing three rear cameras Under-screen Face ID Front camera in...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Adds These 8 New Features to Your iPhone

Monday December 22, 2025 8:47 am PST by
Earlier this month, Apple released iOS 26.2, following more than a month of beta testing. It is a big update, with many new features and changes for iPhones. iOS 26.2 adds a Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics in Apple Music, and more. Below, we have highlighted a total of eight new features. Liquid Glass Slider on Lock Screen A new slider in the Lock...
samsung glitter blue

Samsung's Year End Sale Introduces Major Discounts on Popular Monitors and TVs

Monday December 29, 2025 6:29 am PST by
Samsung kicked off a new end-of-the-year sale this week, introducing great deals on monitors, TVs, Galaxy smartphones, and home appliances. Many of these deals are the exact same all-time low prices we tracked during Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Samsung. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep ...

Top Rated Comments

_Spinn_ Avatar
56 months ago
The mini is better than the iPad they just announced.
Score: 34 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Ladon08 Avatar
56 months ago

Eh, pass. Just another ipad mini.
Haha what was it supposed to be?? That is literally what it is called.
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DataChris Avatar
56 months ago
5G! So basically the new iPhone MEGA!?!?!
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Truefan31 Avatar
56 months ago
It’s kind of ridiculous now if Touch ID isn’t in the power button of the iPhone at least........
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mcbumbersnazzle Avatar
56 months ago
$500 lmao. what a joke. Remember when apple just do product improvement at the same price instead of charging significantly more for each improvement they made?
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Saturn1217 Avatar
56 months ago
I LOVE how usb-c was touted as a huge improvement for iPad mini but it's somehow not good enough for the iPhone...

Loving the iPad mini upgrade.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)