Apple’s next iPad mini could have a massive display upgrade in tow, switching from IPS LCD panels to OLED. Apple is apparently currently testing Samsung-made OLED panels for the most diminutive iPad, and it would of course be a very welcome change to see the next iPad mini with an OLED screen.
It’s been rumored to make its debut in 2026, around two years after its predecessor which launched last October. The 2024 iPad mini was also rumored to get an OLED panel back in 2023, but that obviously didn’t happen and so the introduction of the new display tech got postponed to the next iteration in the line.
It’s interesting to see Apple go this route, investing in the smallest iPad – this most likely means the iPad mini line is doing quite well, sales-wise. The iPad Air has also been rumored to get in on the OLED action in 2026, so next year we might finally see all iPads have OLED screens, aside from the entry-level model which will likely stick with LCD to reach its affordable price.
Speaking of reaching a price point, the iPad mini’s OLED screen will most likely be LTPS not LTPO, and definitely not a Tandem OLED. We’re talking single-stack with decent but not record-breaking brightness, and probably no high refresh rate – that has to keep being a differentiating factor for the more expensive Pros.
Source (in Chinese)
