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    Apple’s OLED iPad mini delivers deeper blacks, faster performance, and new durability vs. previous model

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    Apple gives iPad mini its biggest update ever with a stunning OLED display in an even thinner and lighter design, a huge leap in performance, faster wireless connectivity, and water and dust resistance.

    Apple unveiled the new iPad mini via press release today, introducing the first OLED display to the compact lineup alongside a significant processor upgrade. This replaces the seventh-generation model (iPad mini with A17 Pro) from October 2024, which refined the earlier redesign with a faster chip and Apple Intelligence support while retaining the Liquid Retina LCD panel. The new model emphasizes screen quality, on-device AI capability, and everyday durability while preserving its signature portable form factor.

    One major upgrade is the display. The previous model featured an 8.3-inch fully laminated Liquid Retina IPS LCD with 2266 × 1488 resolution (326 ppi), P3 wide color, True Tone, anti-reflective coating, and up to 500 nits of brightness at a fixed 60 Hz refresh rate. The new iPad mini switches to an OLED panel—a single-stack LTPS hybrid design rather than the dual-stack tandem LTPO used in the iPad Pro. This delivers richer colors, higher contrast, true blacks, and improved HDR performance. The screen size increases slightly to 8.5 inches thanks to slimmer bezels, while retaining a 60 Hz refresh rate rather than adopting ProMotion (up to 120 Hz).

    Performance receives a major boost, though actual gains depend on the storage tier. The 2024 model used the 3 nm A17 Pro with a 6-core CPU (2 performance + 4 efficiency cores), 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine, and 8 GB of RAM. The new model is powered by the A20 Pro (2 nm process) paired with 12 GB of unified memory. Unbinned models deliver roughly 1.5× CPU performance and up to 2.5× GPU performance over the A17 Pro, alongside a significantly more capable Neural Engine. However, lower storage tiers (128 GB and 256 GB) feature a binned chip configuration with a 5-core CPU and 7-core GPU, with the full unbinned core count reserved for the 512 GB tier. The additional RAM enables expanded local execution of advanced Apple Intelligence features, including enhanced Siri voice customization and dictation.

    Additional changes improve daily usability. The front camera moves from the short top edge to the landscape edge for more natural video calls when held sideways or docked. The new design adds official IP67 water and dust resistance — a first for any iPad — achieved through a revised casing and a redesigned, more integrated speaker assembly that reduces liquid ingress. Connectivity advances from Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 to Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 via Apple’s custom N1 chip, with cellular models utilizing an updated custom modem.

    Shared features maintain continuity across generations. Both generations support Apple Pencil Pro (as well as the USB-C Apple Pencil), Touch ID built into the top power button, USB-C connectivity (up to 10 Gbps), and comparable core camera hardware (12 MP rear Wide with Smart HDR and 12 MP front Ultra Wide with Center Stage). Battery life remains targeted at all-day use, with efficiency gains from the OLED panel and 2 nm node balancing the increased compute power. Storage options continue in 128 GB, 256 GB, and 512 GB configurations.

    Pricing reflects the upgrades without jumping as high as early rumors suggested. While the 2024 A17 Pro model launched at $599, the new OLED iPad mini starts at $699 for the base 128 GB Wi-Fi model ($100 higher than its predecessor). Pre-orders open October 28, with full availability beginning November 6.
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    It’s a big, big update for Apple’s smallest iPad! More info about the new iPad mini here.

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    Source link: https://macdailynews.com/2026/10/26/apples-oled-ipad-mini-delivers-deeper-blacks-faster-performance-and-new-durability-vs-previous-model/

  • Apple to unveil first touch-screen MacBook Pro on Wednesday after decades of resistance

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    Apple to unveil first touch-screen MacBook Pro on Wednesday after decades of resistance

    Apple is set to introduce its first touch-screen MacBook Pro models on Wednesday, October 28th, marking one of the company’s most significant product reversals in years, according to Bloomberg News’ Mark Gurman.

    The new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros will feature touch-enabled OLED displays—a first for any Mac—while looking largely similar to the current generation but weighing less and replacing the notch with a Dynamic Island-style cutout. They will be powered by the existing M5 Pro and M5 Max chips introduced earlier this year rather than a newer silicon generation. Due to the higher cost of OLED panels, the models are expected to carry starting prices as much as $500 above the current lineup, which begins at $2,499 for the 14-inch and $2,999 for the 16-inch.

    The announcement is tied to Apple’s “Pro and tell” event in Los Angeles. Invitees will likely receive hands-on time with the machines after an initial press release, with pre-orders expected to open shortly after a video presentation. macOS Golden Gate has been updated with a “dynamic interface” that adapts controls based on whether the user is touching the screen or using the trackpad; tapping a button can summon a menu around the finger, and both the Dock and Menu Bar have been optimized for touch. Apple will frame touch as a supplementary input method alongside the keyboard and trackpad rather than a shift toward an iPad-style experience.

    The move ends more than 16 years of public resistance. Steve Jobs famously described touchscreen laptops as “ergonomically terrible” in 2010, and subsequent leaders including Tim Cook, Phil Schiller, Craig Federighi, and John Ternus had rejected the idea. Development accelerated in recent years amid strong Mac and iPad sales during the pandemic work-from-home period, with Cook and Ternus ultimately concluding that customers expected the capability. Gurman has noted that the ergonomic limitations Jobs described remain real — reaching up to a vertical display quickly becomes uncomfortable — so touch is positioned as optional rather than primary. Existing mini-LED MacBook Pros will remain available for now, but are expected to be phased out over time as Apple consolidates the high-end lineup.

    Wednesday’s announcements are also expected to include an entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M6 chip (in the current design) and a refreshed iMac.

    The touch-screen MacBook Pros represent the culmination of Apple’s 2026 product roadmap and the latest example of the company eventually adopting features it once publicly dismissed.

    Will we want to do what we’ve avoided forever: smear our fingers all over our MacBook Pro displays or will we ignore the feature? We can’t wait to find out!

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    Source link: https://macdailynews.com/2026/10/26/apple-to-unveil-first-touch-screen-macbook-pro-on-wednesday-after-decades-of-resistance/