Rumours are abound that the iPad Mini 8 is set to hit the shelves at the end of 2026, with one major upgrade it's worth getting excited about if you're a creative – an upgraded OLED display. We've long lauded the value of the iPad Mini if you're a creative on the go – it's surprisingly powerful for a little tablet – and if the rumours about the OLED screen are true, it's about to get even more useful especially as an iPad for drawing.
True, the screen real estate on the Mini you get isn't ideal for intense digital art or intricate content editing (it's 8.3 inches), but it's not always practical to haul around a big tablet with you, and the mini can sit in any size bag. This makes it perfect for on-the-go work, whether you're sketching, doodling, writing or simple edits.
With that in mind, let's dive into the news and why creatives should pay attention.
That OLED screen rumour
The Mini's display has always been the trade-off you accepted for the size – it's solid, but not a match for the Pro line when it comes to colour-critical work. An OLED screen would change that. Those deeper blacks and the higher contrast make a real difference when you're working in Procreate, Affinity Photo, or reviewing a colour grade, where accuracy on-screen actually affects the decisions you make. If the rumour is true, the Mini will have a display worth investing in.
An upgraded chip?
The rumoured jump from A17 Pro to A19 Pro is a bigger generational leap than this line usually gets, reportedly bringing more GPU cores and better efficiency. In practice, that's the difference between the Mini coping with sketching and note-taking, and handling layered Procreate files, LumaFusion exports, or light 3D work without stuttering. However, it is worth being realistic here as this is still phone-class silicon in a tablet body, not a Pro replacement.
No external design refresh
As has been common with the iPad line for a long time now, there doesn't appear to be any physical design changes coming up for the Mini – this is an upgrade purely based on internals.
Should you invest?
This isn't going to match the Pro in power, or the Air in size. But it will handle a surprising number of creative tasks, and if you like the idea of having a smaller tablet for those days when you can't lug around a bigger one (or hold a large one in hand all day long), the Mini will excel at many parts of your workflow and will be a nice addition – especially with the new OLED screen (if it transpires). Of course, you'd be able to move from tablet to tablet via Apple's ecosystem so you can pick up anything that needs a bigger screen elsewhere.
Some speculation says the Mini 8 will cost $100 more than usual, coming in at $599 – but others are sure it'll hold strong at $499. I'd be surprised if it stayed at the same price point given the other price rises happening in tech this year.
Don't want to wait? See our iPad Mini 7 review, and the deals below:
