iPad Air, iPad mini To Receive OLED Upgrades From 2026, Claims New Report, Two Years After The iPad Pro

After mini-LED technology, Apple has been reported a boatload of times to bring OLED upgrades to its iPad Pro lineup starting from next year. Unsurprisingly, the company will eventually bring these panels to the more affordable tablet range, with a report claiming that the iPad Air and iPad mini will be the next recipients of this display, but not this early.

To make OLED upgrades possible on the iPad Air and iPad mini, Apple will have to add more suppliers to supplement LG’s and Samsung’s shipments

For 2024, Apple’s iPad Pro lineup is said to remain unchanged in terms of display size, with the 11-inch and 12.9-inch models said to receive the OLED upgrade. Omdia reports that at this time, only LG and Samsung will be supplying these panels for next year’s models, but also mentions that the California-based giant needs to diversify its supply chain when bringing this technology to the iPad Air and iPad mini.

Unfortunately, consumers who do not wish to spend a premium amount getting the iPad Pro for that crisp OLED panel will have to be patient, as the less expensive options will only be treated to this upgrade until 2026, and that too if Apple does not run into any roadblocks.

“Furthermore, Apple is continuously discussing the possibility of widely adopting OLED technology for the iPad mini and iPad Air lineup as the next phase of its strategy from 2026 onward. Apple may review the market feedback and sales results of the OLED iPad Pro to adjust its OLED iPad mini and iPad Air launch schedule. It also seeks more display supply chain partners to join its OLED iPad panel supplier list.”

Apple could add BOE to its supply chain to provide cheaper OLED screens for the iPad Air and iPad mini. Samsung and LG will likely mass produce the higher-end LTPO panels that also support ProMotion technology, along with touting slimmer bezels and being able to project a higher peak brightness level.

Looking at the price of these parts, Apple cannot bring it to the iPad Air and iPad mini while continuing to sell both at the same price as the current models. To bring costs down, we should see some features missing from the non-Pro tablets, but that is not such a bad compromise, especially when you are getting the inherent benefits of OLED but in a more affordable package.

Written by Omar Sohail