3 minute read
Little Tablet, Big Price Tag
Apple kicked off its big launch week on October 26 with a brand new iPad mini. OLED screen and a fancy new chip. Very nice. Also very $699. That’s the starting price for the base 128GB Wi-Fi model. The little tablet that used to be the “affordable” iPad is quietly moving into a nicer neighborhood, and it’s taking your wallet with it.
The Price Ladder Nobody Asked For
Quick math. The last iPad mini launched in 2024 at $499. In June, Apple bumped it to $599. Now the new one starts at $699. That’s two price hikes in one year, and per MacRumors you’re still getting the same 128GB of storage. Want cellular? That’s $849. Even the Smart Folio case went from $59 to $79. Twenty bucks more for a flap.
Blame the Robots (Sort Of)
Back in June, Apple raised prices across Macs and iPads and pointed straight at AI. Apple told CNBC, “The rapid expansion of AI data centers has created an extraordinary surge in demand for memory and storage.” The MacBook Air jumped from $1,099 to $1,299. The MacBook Pro went from $1,699 to $1,999. To be fair, Apple hasn’t given a reason for this latest bump, and the new mini is a bigger upgrade. But it all lands in the same RAMageddon bucket. AI data centers are eating the memory, and you’re paying the tab.
What You Actually Get for $699
OK, it is a nice little tablet. It has an 8.5-inch OLED display, up from 8.3 inches. There’s an A20 Pro chip built on a 2nm process that Apple says is up to 60% faster on the CPU and up to 4.5 times faster for AI. It’s 5.4mm thin and IP67 rated, a first for an iPad mini, so it can survive the bathtub. The speakers now fire through the display, with no speaker holes. Apple didn’t mention ProMotion, so it looks like you’re still stuck at 60Hz. On a $699 tablet in 2026. Cool cool cool.
The iPad Air Problem
Now look at the iPad Air. After the June hike, it costs $749. So the mini is now just $50 cheaper than the Air. At this point every iPad is the premium iPad.
And next up..
This is the warm-up act. Apple’s “Pro and Tell” event is Wednesday in Los Angeles, and Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman expects an M6 iMac, M6 MacBook Pro updates, and possibly Apple’s first touchscreen MacBook Pro with an OLED display. Given how this year has gone, maybe brace yourself before you look at those price tags.
Should You Bite?
If your current mini still works, hang onto it. Pre-orders open October 28 and it ships November 6, so it’ll be there whenever you cave. Just know every gadget keeps creeping up in price, and the AI boom keeps pushing it.
Sources: MacRumors, TechCrunch, PhoneArena, T3