Apple is reportedly working on the next iPad Mini, which may feature a major display upgrade in the form of a Samsung-made OLED panel. Leaked details shared by tipster Digital Chat Station on Weibo suggest that Apple has chosen Samsung as the display supplier for this compact tablet refresh. While the shift from LCD to OLED could bring better contrast and color accuracy, it remains unclear whether the new model will support a higher refresh rate than the current iPad Mini 7’s 60Hz display.
Apple is reportedly testing an OLED display for the next iPad mini, likely made by Samsung. The display size and refresh rate are still uncertain, but it may be an 8.5-inch single-stack LTPS panel, potentially launching in 2026. pic.twitter.com/hWmqSXYGgC
— Marius Fanu (@mariusfanu) April 3, 2025
Mass production of the OLED displays for the next iPad Mini is expected to begin in the second half of 2025 at Samsung’s Cheonan facility in South Korea. In addition to the iPad Mini, Apple reportedly plans to bring OLED panels to the iPad Air lineup, with a potential launch timeline set for 2026. Some reports even hint at larger 11-inch and 13-inch OLED iPad Air models possibly arriving in 2027, indicating a broader shift in Apple’s tablet display strategy over the next few years.
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The iPad Mini currently uses LCD screens, but a shift to OLED would bring richer colors, deeper blacks, better contrast, and improved viewing angles, thanks to the individually lit pixels of OLED technology. While Apple has already introduced OLED in its flagship iPhones and the iPad Pro as of May 2024, the iPad Mini and iPad Air may not receive the same premium display quality. Unlike the iPad Pro’s advanced two-stack LTPO OLED panels, the Mini and Air are expected to use single-stack LTPS OLED panels, which may offer less brightness and lack features like ProMotion, Apple’s high refresh rate technology.
REPORTS: Apple is currently testing OLED iPad mini and iPad Air prototypes with a potential public release in 2026. pic.twitter.com/ad7TFFgO8f
— Brian MacDuff (@itstheBMAC) April 3, 2025
Apple is reportedly preparing to launch new iPad Pro and MacBook Pro models powered by the upcoming M5 chip in 2025, with production expected to begin in the second half of the year and a potential release around October.
According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the iPad Pro will likely be among the first devices to feature the M5 chip, despite the recent M4-powered iPad Pro debut in May 2024. That update brought a major design overhaul, including an OLED display and a slimmer build, but the M5 version is expected to focus solely on performance upgrades rather than any major design changes.
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