Apple hopes to update the iPad mini with an OLED display in time for a 2026 launch with Samsung Display as a supplier for the new panels, reports ZDNet Korea.
According to the report, Apple requested engineering samples from Samsung last month for a display suitable for the iPad mini. The planned OLED screen is said to measure around 8 inches, which is in line with the iPad mini’s current 8.3-inch LCD panel. The project will boost Samsung’s OLED business as the Korean company is already responsible for supplying OLED displays for the new iPad Pro alongside LG.
If the new project goes smoothly, OLED panels for the iPad mini could begin mass production as soon as the second half of 2025, before the new tablet’s commercial launch in 2026. An OLED iPad Air is also in development and could launch simultaneously with the new iPad mini.
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This wouldn’t be the first time we hear of Apple working on OLED displays for the iPad mini and iPad Air, but it now seems that the project is moving from a conceptual stage to a prototyping one. Last year, research firm Omdia reported that Apple began exploring the use of OLED displays for the iPad mini and iPad Air with a launch set for 2026 at the earliest.
Later, ET News reported that the OLED iPad mini’s screen would grow slightly bigger to 8.7 inches, with the company planning to upgrade the remaining iPad models and all MacBook devices to OLED screens by 2027. Before the iPad mini receives an OLED display, Apple is expected to refresh the tablet with a minor spec bump later this year.
