It is the first major redesign of the iPad Mini, and resembles the fourth-generation iPad Air in design and with Touch ID on the power button (removing the home button), with a larger 8.3-inch display, USB-C port (replacing the Lightning port), and support for the second-generation Apple Pencil.

It has an 8.3-inch 2266x1488 Liquid Retina display, taller and slightly narrower than previous models while maintaining the pixel density of 326 PPI, which is the same on all iPhones with Retina LCDs since the iPhone 4, excluding the Plus models.

The display is laminated and has an anti-reflective coating, as well as wide color and True Tone.

The volume control buttons have been moved to the top edge of the device to accommodate the second-generation Apple Pencil.

This model received a very positive reception, noting a new design was long overdue and felt 5G was a nice surprise, with Jason Perlow from ZDNET calling it "Apple's most exciting new product in years".