Rumor: iPad Air and iPad mini set to gain OLED as early as 2026

OLED debuted in the iPad lineup for the first time this year. The M4 iPad Pro, which Apple says has ‘the world’s most advanced display,’ features a unique tandem OLED setup. Now, a new rumor claims that OLED displays are also bound for both the iPad Air and iPad mini, with 2026 the targeted release date.

OLED coming to the majority of the iPad line

Lee Ki-jong reports for TheElec that Apple is planning OLED versions of both the iPad Air and iPad mini, with Samsung the likely supplier of OLED panels.

Both new OLED models are expected to debut in the same year, with 2026 the current expected release date. This corroborates a prior report about the iPad mini gaining OLED.

Though the report offers no such details, it is unlikely that the iPad Air and mini will gain tandem OLEDs.

The Pro models come with a premium price tag that can help cover the higher display costs. The iPad Air and mini serve a different purpose in Apple’s product lineup, and maintaining a lower cost is more important for those devices.

It is common, though, for some of the tech from Apple’s Pro devices to filter down to the rest of the lineup over time—though often with some feature reductions.

Following the iPhone’s OLED pattern

The iPhone, for example, limited OLED to Pro models for a time. The base model iPhone would feature an LCD screen, even as the Pro and Pro Max used OLED.

Starting with the iPhone 12, the base model added an OLED display. However, Apple’s ProMotion tech was still limited to the OLEDs on Apple’s Pro models. That pattern has continued unchanged for years.

It is likely that we’ll see something similar with the new iPad Air and mini. They’ll gain OLED, but it won’t be as advanced as the tandem OLED display found in the premium iPad Pro line.

Apple just released a new iPad Air in the last couple months, and a new iPad mini is expected for later this year. As a result, 2026 might just be the next time we see these devices updated.

Are you interested in an OLED iPad Air or mini? Let us know in the comments.