Apple accelerates OLED upgrade: iPad mini may get a new screen as early as next year, MacBook Air upgrade will take three years

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Media reports indicate that Apple is preparing to make major updates to its MacBook Air, iPad mini, and iPad Air series, planning to equip these devices with more advanced displays.

According to sources familiar with the matter, Apple is testing new versions of all three products, each featuring OLED screens. Compared to current LCD displays, OLED technology delivers more vibrant colors and deeper contrasts. Of the three, the iPad mini may be the first to receive the upgrade, with an OLED-equipped version likely to be launched as early as next year.

Higher Prices Expected for OLED Screens

Reports say this move is part of Apple’s broader transition to OLED displays, while also offering consumers a new reason to upgrade. Although Mac and iPad sales are expected to grow this year, they remain below the peaks seen during the pandemic years of 2021 and 2022, when remote work fueled a surge in computer sales.

However, this transition is also expected to bring higher prices. The upgraded iPad mini, codenamed J510, may cost as much as $100 more due to the pricier display technology. Apple has also tested a redesigned, waterproof body to match the latest iPhone design.

As part of this waterproof design, Apple is exploring a new type of speaker system employing vibration-related technology. This would allow the company to eliminate speaker openings and prevent water ingress. This design differs from the iPhone’s approach to waterproofing, where openings remain but water damage is prevented through gaskets and adhesives.

The last update to the iPad mini was at the end of 2024, introducing a faster processor and support for the Apple Intelligence platform.

However, these upgrade plans have not been finalized and are subject to changes or delays, which is common in Apple’s product development. For example, media previously reported that Apple originally planned to launch an 18-inch foldable iPad, but that project’s release has now been pushed back to 2029.

The next-generation iPad Air, expected to be released in the spring of next year, will continue using LCD screens, but Apple intends to switch to OLED technology in subsequent generations. Meanwhile, the iPad Pro equipped with the M5 chip, launched in May last year, was the first to feature OLED.

As things stand, the iPad Air will be the last model in Apple’s tablet lineup to transition to OLED. At least for now, Apple does not plan to upgrade the entry-level iPad to OLED.

MacBook Pro to Use OLED in Next Update

Meanwhile, the MacBook Pro will be the first Mac computer to feature an OLED screen in its next design update. Apple has also started early development of an OLED version of the MacBook Air, but this upgrade is not expected until after 2028. The company plans to add the M5 chip to existing MacBook Air models in spring 2026 but will retain LCD displays.

Currently, the industry-wide transition to OLED is still at an early stage. Most tablets and laptops still rely on LCD technology, with only a few high-end models—such as the iPad Pro and Samsung Galaxy Tab S11—using OLED.

Apple’s first use of OLED was in the 2015 Apple Watch, then introduced into smartphones with the iPhone X in 2017.

Earlier this year, Apple stopped selling its last non-OLED iPhone model after replacing the iPhone SE with the iPhone 16e. The Vision Pro headset also uses a display technology called micro-OLED.

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