Looking ahead: Apple users have long wondered when the Cupertino company would expand OLED technology beyond the iPhone and iPad Pro. The latest information suggests that Apple's entry-level tablet could receive the display upgrade this fall, with other models expected to follow in the coming months.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports that Apple is aiming to release a revised iPad mini with an OLED display by October. Meanwhile, a new version of the standard iPad is expected to launch in the first quarter of 2027, followed by an OLED-equipped iPad Air and a new iPad Pro in the spring.
It remains unclear how much Apple's plans have changed since earlier reports about an OLED iPad mini. In 2025, Gurman claimed that the device would debut in the spring of 2026 with a water-resistant chassis and a slightly higher price tag. Despite the apparent delay, plans for the iPad Air and iPad Pro do not seem to have changed. The standard iPad is expected to retain its LCD display while receiving a processor upgrade.
Overall, Gurman describes Apple's plans for the next several months as the biggest overhaul of the iPad lineup in half a decade. The iPhone received its first OLED display in 2017, while iPad Pro models have featured OLED panels since 2024.
Pricing expectations have also changed since earlier reports, and the ongoing RAM shortage has likely made future prices more difficult to predict. The OLED iPad mini was originally expected to start at $599, but the current model reached that price last month after all iPad and MacBook models received significant price increases.
Also read: Which iPad Model Should You Get? 2026 Update
Apple is expected to unveil the OLED iPad mini after revealing the iPad 18 Pro and the company's first foldable device, the iPhone Ultra, in September. Those launches could be followed by another new touchscreen product from Cupertino and the next device to carry the "Ultra" moniker: the MacBook Ultra.
Although the laptop's expected launch date remains unclear, tipsters now believe that the next MacBook model will feature a touchscreen. The discovery of full touchscreen support for Sidecar – which currently supports only Apple Pencil input and a limited number of touch gestures – in the macOS 27 developer preview increases the likelihood of a touch-enabled MacBook. However, Apple does not plan to replace iPads with 2-in-1 MacBooks anytime soon.
Apple's OLED iPad mini could arrive this October, kicking off a major iPad overhaul
