Apple’s new iPad mini (8th generation, or iPad mini 8) introduces its most ambitious overhaul in years—OLED display, slimmer body, water resistance—but critics are calling out a major omission: no support for 120Hz ProMotion.
Impressive hardware, but two-speed refresh
The new mini’s 8.5-inch Super Retina XDR OLED screen replaces the previous LCD panel, bringing richer colors, deeper blacks, and wider contrast. The display now reaches up to 600 nits of SDR brightness—a bump from 500 nits—and peaks at 1,200 nits for HDR content, exceeding what the mini 7 delivered.
Externally, the device gets thinner and lighter with tighter bezels, yet retains its rough footprint. It slips down to 5.4 mm thick (from iPad mini 7’s 6.3 mm) and weighs 255 grams for the Wi-Fi model—making it Apple’s most portable tablet to date.
ProMotion left behind
Despite all the upgrades, the iPad mini 8 remains capped at a 60Hz refresh rate. Apple declined to include its ProMotion display tech—the adaptive 120Hz screen seen on higher-end iPads like the Pro. To justify this, Apple points to OLED’s improved pixel response times, asserting that motion blur is reduced even without higher refresh.
Reviewers aren’t entirely convinced. One critic noted that while the lack of 120Hz isn’t a total dealbreaker, the difference is felt in everyday interactions like scrolling and drawing with an Apple Pencil. On a 120Hz screen, reading moving text feels clearer; at 60Hz, it becomes slightly blurry. Basic gestures and animation lag behind what ProMotion offers.
All the other upgrades
Under the hood, the mini 8 houses the A20 Pro chip, built on a 2-nm process. It delivers a noticeable uplift in performance, especially for graphic-intensive tasks and multitasking.
Other enhancements include IP67 water and dust resistance, a landscape-oriented front camera with Center Stage support for better video calls, and new speaker technology dubbed “Acoustic Display”—which puts tweeters behind the glass with woofers paired through it. Storage tiers remain 128GB minimum, and higher capacity models (256GB/512GB) have an option for nano-texture glass to reduce glare.
At $699 for the base 128GB Wi-Fi model, the price is $100 higher than the preceding mini generation, but includes many of the long-mooted upgrades users have been asking for.
Final verdict
The iPad mini 8 is the most potent version of Apple’s smallest iPad yet. It delivers on the display quality, build, and performance fronts. While the absence of a 120Hz refresh rate will disappoint those used to smoother scrolling, higher-fps gaming, or pro-level creative work, for many users this won’t be a dealbreaker.
Still, at this price point and with so much of what defines Apple’s premium tablets present, ProMotion could have been the cherry on top—not a paid-feature reserved for the Pro line. For those eyeing the mini for creative work, gaming, or simply smoother UI, this omission is worth weighing when deciding whether to upgrade now or wait for the next iteration.
