Apple’s iPad mini 8 brings a substantial update to the company’s smallest tablet, according to a review by Tom’s Guide. It has a slimmer, lighter design and an 8.5-inch tandem OLED display, while its A20 Pro chip delivers fast performance. The tablet starts at $699 for a 128GB model with a glossy screen.
The display is larger than the previous model’s 8.3-inch screen and has a resolution of 2316 x 1512. Tom’s Guide praised its contrast and vivid colours, and measured brightness of 600 nits in SDR and just over 1,000 nits in HDR. A nano-texture option is also available to reduce glare; the publication tested a 512GB version with that display, priced at $1,249.
In battery testing, the iPad mini 8 ran for 14 hours and 24 minutes during continuous web browsing over Wi-Fi with the screen set to 150 nits. That was longer than the iPad mini 7’s 10 hours and 36 minutes, although Tom’s Guide said it had completed only one run of its test at the time of publication.
The review also found that the tablet handled multitasking and gaming smoothly. Its results in several performance benchmarks were substantially higher than those of the iPad mini 7, and its 3DMark score surpassed the iPad Air M4 in the test cited. The tablet also features a landscape-positioned 12MP front camera and an audio system built into the display, which the reviewer said produced clear, lively sound.
The main drawbacks are the lack of Face ID and a display refresh rate capped at 60Hz. Touch ID remains available, and the review described the screen as responsive, but noted that scrolling and other movement may look less smooth to people accustomed to a 120Hz iPad Pro. Tom’s Guide concluded that the iPad mini 8 is a strong option for reading, watching videos and lighter work, despite its higher starting price.
Sources: Tom's Guide.