The next-generation iPad mini will be upgraded with a gorgeous OLED display, according to a generally reliable source of Apple insider info. It’s apparently part of a drive that will eventually see an OLED screen coming to the iPad Air, too. But there’s bad news about the budget iPad.
The move comes as the oft-predicted OLED MacBook Pro moves closer to release.
An OLED iPad mini is now on Apple’s agenda
Apple is a big fan of OLED technology (short for organic light-emitting diode), in which each screen pixel glows on its own. The result is a bright, even image with strong contrast. This type of screen looks so fantastic, it’s already used for iPhone and Apple Watch, and even the M4 and the M5 iPad Pro.
The next device making the jump is the iPad mini, according to an unconfirmed report from Bloomberg on Tuesday, with “an OLED-equipped model arriving as early as next year.” It’ll apparently be part of a redesign that might result in the device becoming waterproof.
This isn’t the first time we’ve heard the prediction. An OLED iPad mini in 2026 has been rumored several times going back to May 2024. Still, Tuesday’s report indicates that Apple’s plan hasn’t changed over the intervening months.
OLED screens here, there and (almost) everywhere
As for the rest of Apple’s tablets, the next iPad Air coming in spring 2026 will stick with a traditional LCD, but a follow-up model will use OLED, according to Bloomberg. Apple has apparently settled into a pattern of updating the iPad Air every spring.
And the budget model is getting an OLED … probably never.
“Apple doesn’t have active plans to move its entry-level iPad to OLED,” said Bloomberg.
OLED screens cost more to manufacture than traditional LCDs, making the component too pricey for a tablet that’s frequently available for less than $300. When the iPad Pro got an OLED screen in 2024, Apple increased the cost of the high-end tablet by $200. The Bloomberg report indicates upgrading the screen in the iPad mini could add $100 to its cost, which is already comparatively high at $500. A similar price jump is possible for the OLED iPad Air.
OLED MacBook Pro in 2026
Bloomberg’s report on Tuesday repeats an earlier leak that a MacBook Pro with an OLED display is on Apple’s docket for late 2026. And that’ll be only one of the major changes. This will supposedly be the first touchscreen MacBook. And the notebook is getting a slimmer chassis, too.
If this report pans out, the day isn’t too far away when the only Apple computer without an OLED screen will be the budget iPad. Even the relatively low-cost iPhone 16e already uses the more advanced display tech.
