Apple eyes first water-resistant iPad launch this year: Here's what we know

Apple is potentially gearing up for the release of their first-ever water-resistant iPad, sparking excitement among users.

Last year, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported that the California-based firm is working on an updated casing that offers the same protection as iPhones, making the iPad mini safe for surroundings like pool areas.

No iPad currently carries an official water resistance rating, and Apple does not consider the existing models safe to get wet.

How is Apple making iPad mini water resistant?

To achieve water resistance in iPad, Apple has reportedly designed a vibration-based speaker system that removes the need for traditional speaker holes.

Because of the redesign, sound would instead be emitted from flat surfaces on the tablet’s chassis, effectively turning parts of the body into a speaker diaphragm and eliminating one of the main routes through which water and dust enter a device.

The approach differs from the method Apple uses on the iPhone, which relies on adhesives and gaskets to seal speaker openings and other ingress points.

What will be IP rating for iPad mini?

It is not yet known what IP rating the ‌iPad mini‌ will carry. The iPhone is rated IP68 and can withstand submersion in water up to six metres deep for 30 minutes.

Apple has been building toward the technology for some time, as a 2014 patent from the company describes a “mechanically actuated panel acoustic system” that vibrates flat panels to generate sound, negating the need for speaker grilles altogether.

When will the water-resistant iPad mini be launched?

Gurman recently said that Apple plans to release the new iPad mini by October 2026, with South Korean outlet ETNews reporting in June that Samsung Display had begun mass production of OLED panels for the device.

Major changes in iPad mini this year

Water resistance is one of at least four major changes expected this year.

Besides the water resistance, the switch to OLED will make the mini the second ‌iPad‌ line to adopt the technology after the iPad Pro, delivering higher contrast, true blacks, and better power efficiency than the LCD screen in the iPad mini 7.

A Korean source claimed earlier this month that the panel is an 8.4-inch LTPS design clocked at 60Hz, which would rule out ProMotion.

Notably, Apple last updated the ‌iPad mini‌ in October 2024 with the A17 Pro chip and Apple Intelligence support.