Small tablets are weird. Most companies gave up on them years ago, leaving us with giant slabs that feel like holding a cafeteria tray. Then there is the iPad mini. It’s the only high-end "small" tablet left that actually matters. When Apple updated the line late in 2024, they did something subtle but huge: they killed the 64GB base model.
Now, the iPad mini 128GB is the entry point. Honestly? It’s about time.
For years, buying the base model iPad mini felt like a trap. You’d download three high-fidelity games, sync a few 4K videos from your iPhone, and—boom—storage full. You were constantly playing "digital Tetris" with your apps. By bumping the starting capacity to 128GB, Apple finally made the most affordable version of this device actually usable for normal people. If you’re looking at this specific model in 2026, you're likely wondering if it’s "enough" or if you're going to regret not spending the extra hundred bucks on the 256GB version.
The A17 Pro Reality Check
Under the hood of the current iPad mini lives the A17 Pro chip. This is the same silicon that powered the iPhone 15 Pro. It is fast. Like, "running AAA console games" fast. I’ve seen this thing handle Death Stranding and Resident Evil Village with surprisingly low lag.
But here is the catch. Those games are massive.
Resident Evil Village alone can eat up 20GB to 30GB of space. If you're a hardcore gamer, that 128GB of storage starts to look a little small. However, if you're like most of us—using it for Kindle books, Note-taking with the Apple Pencil Pro, and some light Lightroom editing—you’ll have plenty of breathing room. The 8GB of RAM that comes with this chip is also a big deal. It’s what allows the device to run Apple Intelligence features, which, let's be real, are the main reason most people are upgrading from the older A15 models.
Why 128GB Hits Different in 2026
We live in a cloud-first world, but local storage still dictates your daily frustration levels. With 128GB, you can comfortably store:
💡 You might also like: Forget Your PIN? How to Unlock the Phone Without Password Safely
- Roughly 30,000 high-res photos.
- About 20 to 30 "heavy" apps like Procreate, LumaFusion, or Microsoft 365.
- A handful of offline Netflix seasons for a long flight.
- Thousands of PDF documents for school or work.
If you’re a student using this as a digital notebook, 128GB is basically infinite. You will never fill that up with handwritten notes in GoodNotes or Notability. Even with the new Smart Script features in iPadOS 18 and beyond, those files are tiny.
The struggle only begins if you’re a "hoarder." If you want your entire 4K video library available offline without a Wi-Fi signal, you'll hit a wall. But for the person who streams their music on Spotify and keeps their main photo library in iCloud, the 128GB tier is the smartest financial move. It keeps the price at that $499 sweet spot (or lower if you find a sale at Best Buy or Amazon).
That 8.3-inch Screen and "Jelly Scrolling"
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room: the display. It’s still a 60Hz Liquid Retina panel. No, it doesn't have the 120Hz ProMotion of the iPad Pro. In the past, people complained about "jelly scrolling"—a weird visual lag where one side of the screen moved faster than the other.
👉 See also: iPad Pro 11-inch M4: Is That Massive Power Actually Worth Your Cash?
With the latest iPad mini 128GB hardware, Apple seemingly tweaked the display controller. While it's still 60Hz, the effect is much less noticeable than it was on the previous generation. It’s a 500-nit screen, which is bright enough for a coffee shop but might struggle in direct July sunlight. It’s perfect for what it is: a portable window into your digital life that fits in a jacket pocket.
Who Should Actually Buy the iPad Mini 128GB?
It’s not for everyone. If you’re trying to replace a laptop, get an iPad Air or a Pro. The screen is just too small for serious multitasking with Stage Manager.
This is a "companion" device. It's for the pilot who needs an EFB (Electronic Flight Bag). It's for the doctor who needs to carry patient charts in a lab coat. It's for the gamer who wants a device that doesn't cramp their hands after twenty minutes.
Most importantly, it's for the person who realizes that 256GB is often overkill for a secondary device. Why pay for storage you won't use? Especially when the USB-C port on this thing is now 10Gbps. If you ever really need to move huge files, you can just plug in a tiny external SSD and it works natively in the Files app.
Breaking Down the Value
When you look at the landscape of tablets right now, the iPad mini 128GB sits in a weirdly lonely spot. You can get a base iPad 10th Gen for cheaper, but it’s bulkier and has a much weaker screen and processor. You could jump up to the iPad Air, but then you lose that one-handed portability.
The 128GB model represents the first time the "cheap" mini isn't a compromise. You get the A17 Pro. You get support for the Apple Pencil Pro with its haptic feedback and barrel roll. You get the improved Wi-Fi 6E.
✨ Don't miss: Free Video Chat With Strangers: Why Most Platforms Are Actually Getting Weirder
Practical Steps for Buyers:
- Check your current phone storage: If you're only using 60GB on your iPhone, you definitely don't need more than 128GB on your iPad.
- Consider the Pencil: If you're buying this for work, budget for the Apple Pencil Pro. The "squeeze" gesture for switching tools is a total game-changer for productivity on a small screen.
- Skip the Cellular: Unless you're literally using this for GPS in a car or a plane, save the $150 and just tether to your phone.
- Use the USB-C Port: Remember that the 128GB limit isn't a hard ceiling anymore. For $60, you can get a 1TB thumb drive that plugs right into the bottom for those rare times you need to carry a movie library.
Stick with the 128GB model if you want the best "bang for your buck" in the Apple ecosystem today. It’s the most balanced version of the best small tablet ever made.