Apple To Upgrade iPad Mini, iPad Air, MacBook Air With OLED Displays: Report

Apple is gearing up to refresh its MacBook Air, iPad mini and iPad Air ranges, introducing upgraded displays across the lineup, according to a Bloomberg report. 

The tech giant is experimenting with new versions of its devices featuring OLED (organic light-emitting diode) displays, wrote Bloomberg’s technology journalist Mark Gurman. This display technology offers more vibrant colours and sharper contrast compared to traditional LCD panels.

“The iPad mini will likely be the first of the three to gain the upgrade, with an OLED-equipped model arriving as early as next year, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the products haven’t been announced,” wrote Gurman.

The shift towards OLED displays forms part of Apple’s wider strategy to modernise its hardware and entice more users to upgrade. While Mac and iPad sales are expected to see an uptick this year, they still trail behind the exceptional demand recorded in 2021 and 2022, when the pandemic drove a spike in computer purchases, the Bloomberg report added.

“The shift is also expected to bring higher prices. The iPad mini update — code-named J510 — could cost as much as $100 (about Rs 8,824) more because of the pricier display technology,” said Gurman. 

According to Gurman, Apple’s first MacBook Air with an OLED display is unlikely to arrive before 2028. In the meantime, a new model powered by the M5 chip is anticipated to succeed the current M4 MacBook Air sometime this spring, a 9to5Mac report mentioned.

Currently, Apple employs OLED displays across its iPhone, iPad Pro and Apple Watch ranges, while the Vision Pro headset features a more advanced micro‑OLED panel. Reports have also suggested that the company is working on introducing OLED technology to the MacBook Pro for the first time, according to 9to5Mac. 

Apple isn’t expected to introduce OLED screens to the iPad Air lineup in 2026, as next spring’s model is set to retain its existing LCD panel. The transition to OLED is on the roadmap, but it’s unlikely to take place before 2027, reported MacRumors.