- Apple could launch an iPad mini with an OLED display in 2026, a report claims
- OLED might also come to the iPad Air and the MacBook Air
- The new screen might result in higher prices, though
Apple’s iPad mini has proved to be one of the best tablets around in recent years, with its combination of compact size and impressive performance making it an ideal choice for many people. And if the rumors are to be believed, it could soon get a significant upgrade that might give it a sizable edge on the competition.
In a post on the Bloomberg website, journalist Mark Gurman has claimed that Apple plans to bring an OLED display to the iPad mini as soon as next year. That follows a similar rumor from earlier this year and would usher in a marked improvement over the device’s current LCD screen, bringing better contrast and richer colors to content viewed on the device.
If that happens, it could help make the iPad mini a surprise hit in 2026. The pint-sized tablet already has a loyal following of users who are put off by the size of the iPad Air and the price of the iPad Pro, but the iPad mini has often missed out on features found in its more expensive siblings. With the introduction of an OLED screen, however, Apple’s smallest tablet would get a major visual upgrade to help it compete against rival products.
Adding to that is the idea that Apple wants to make the future iPad mini fully waterproof by redesigning its casing and adding “a new speaker system that uses vibration-related technology” instead of traditional speaker holes, Gurman says. The reporter points out that this is a different approach to the waterproofing used in all the best iPhones, but it could add another positive to the iPad mini’s list of features.
OLED arriving elsewhere
It’s not all good news, though, as Gurman’s report suggests that Apple might raise its prices in light of the iPad mini’s improved display. An increase of $100 would not be out of the question, Gurman asserts, potentially resulting in a starting price of $599 (around £450 / AU$900).
The iPad mini is not the only Apple device in line for an OLED upgrade, Gurman believes – Apple is also apparently planning to bring this display tech to the iPad Air and the MacBook Air.
The MacBook Air is unlikely to get the upgrade before 2028, Gurman says, with the iPad Air making the leap at some undetermined future date (but after in the generation after its expected spring 2026 refresh). In theory, that’s when we could also see the new iPad mini.
OLED displays have already proven to be a hit in the iPad Pro and the iPhone and have been a fixture in the Apple Watch ever since it first launched. If the iPad mini joins these popular devices in adding OLED goodness next year, Apple could make a lot of iPad customers very happy indeed.
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