Apple Reportedly Developing OLED iPad Mini for 2026

[MacRumors]

Apple has requested OLED display panels designed for future iPad mini models from its suppliers, ZDNET Korea reports.

Samsung Display reportedly started developing sample 8-inch OLED panels for a future iPad mini last month, with plans to initiate mass production at its facility in Cheonan in the second half of 2025. The move is also apparently visible in Samsung's own supply chain in Korea. Samsung already supplies Apple with OLED panels for the new iPad Pro, which features a tandem design for improved brightness and power efficiency. The report adds that Apple will bring an OLED panel to the iPad Air alongside the iPad mini in 2026.

Apple's plans to move the iPad mini and iPad Air to OLED displays is now widely rumored. Research firm Omdia believes that the iPad Air will gain an OLED display in 2026, with the iPad mini following in 2027, but Korea's ET News agrees with ZDNET that both models will be refreshed with OLED simultaneously in 2026, and there is a chance that Apple will delay bringing OLED to the 13-inch iPad Air until 2027. While the OLED ‌iPad Air‌ will retain an 11-inch display, the ‌iPad mini‌'s screen may grow from 8.3- to 8.7-inches in size.

Unlike Apple's latest iPad Pro models, which feature two-stack low-temperature polycrystalline oxide (LTPO) OLED panels‌, the iPad mini and iPad Air may have single-stack low-temperature polycrystalline silicon (LTPS) panels, meaning that they may be dimmer and continue to lack ProMotion.



Article Link: Apple Reportedly Developing OLED iPad Mini for 2026

 

[Carrotstick]

Now, this is going to be a very nice iPad.

10/10, buy confirmed.

 

[profets]

 

[Nik]

Not offering Pro Motion in the iPad mini in 2026 is ridiculous.

 

[antiprotest]

Face ID?

 

[one more]

“…meaning that they may be dimmer and continue to lack ProMotion.”

Dimmer is totally fine by me, as I already have to reduce the brightness on my Air 5. However, releasing anything in 2026 without ProMotion is not on.

 

[tuckerjj]

I know it’ll never happen as Apple would consider it too compromised, and I’m sure many would agree, but I’d love a dinky little Magic Keyboard Mini to go with it.

 

[profets]

OLED would be awesome, but heck these devices without Promotion or Face ID are already starting to feel so outdated.

 

[tweaknmod]

I know it’ll never happen as Apple would consider it too compromised, and I’m sure many would agree, but I’d love a dinky little Magic Keyboard Mini to go with it.

Only if it made random little cute noises with each button press.

ding-meow-pop-zoom-woosh-fizzle!

 

[jo-1]

just about right in time for me

In case it's anywhere near to the quality of the recent iPP 2024 I'll get one in 2026

I've received my iPad Pro two weeks ago and it is fantastic - the display quality is gorgeous and it's the 11" iPad I had always wanted.

Looking at videos from Marques Brownlee makes me wonder what they are expecting?

I did not see any reason to update my iPP from 2018 since it delivered outside of the 2 TB almost everything the M2 version offers. Very usable and even the battery life was still very good.

For the iPad mini it's basically the very same story but this time Apple is not offering intermediate steps but the real thing at once. Fine with me.

The mini fills a different niche compared to the 11" for me. The 11" is the workhorse while traveling and the mini is the spare time companion for ultra lean traveling. Together with the Apple Watch enough I need for a long weekend. Easily good enough for accessing things I need on the go.

Good news and just about right in time for me.

 

[Apple_Robert]

If this came to fruition, I would purchase.

 

[jdclifford]

Why will it take another 2 years before an OLED iPad mini? Isn’t that a lot of lead time? Is Apple just starting to develop are we to expect nothing between now and then? “Innovation my ass”. Wake up Tim.

 

[Alex Cai]

Make a high frequency PWM for Oled first! Eye strain on iPhone is very disturbing and I would not like to see it on the mainstream iPads

 

[EugW]

ProMotion is not directly linked to Tandem OLED.

While there is a good chance the iPad Air and iPad mini won’t get ProMotion when they go OLED, it wouldn't be because they are single-layer OLED per se. It would be because of the single-layer technology they choose.

 

[oldwatery]

What has Tim got them smoking at Apple. The decisions they are making are beyond incomprehensible.

 

[iToph]

50% bezel 50% screen

 

[originalsk]

Oh my, calling it "Pro Motion" does not make it Pro feature. Much cheaper devices already have high frequency display in 2024, not having it in 2026 or 2027 would be absolutely ridiculous from Apple. Should be a default standard.

 

[psac]

That's a long time to wait for a new mini! I was hoping for later this year or early next year.

 

[Elusi]

Any extra care for the mini beyond a boring SoC spec bump is good news! 2026 is a bit far away, though.

 

[tonie walker]

realistically, more like 2030

 

[Saturn1217]

Just please still release an iPad mini 7 THIS YEAR with jelly scroll fixed (and a brighter display if that’s possible).

I will insta buy an OLED iPad mini (provided it actually comes with a brighter screen). But I don’t want to wait until 2026 for a new mini.

 

[Bruce Patterson]

#unnecessary

 

[kerplunknet]

Make a high frequency PWM for Oled first! Eye strain on iPhone is very disturbing and I would not like to see it on the mainstream iPads

Or better yet, displays with no PWM. Like we have always had before they started using OLED.

 

[EugW]

Oh my, calling it "Pro Motion" does not make it Pro feature. Much cheaper devices already have high frequency display in 2024, not having it in 2026 or 2027 would be absolutely ridiculous from Apple. Should be a default standard.

While I agree ProMotion isn’t necessarily pro, ProMotion ≠ high refresh rate.

 

[kk1ro]

An OLED iPad mini with ProMotion would be an instant buy from me! It would be the perfect media/entertainment device for my needs.