Next iPad mini to Get OLED — But Expect to Wait For It
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Apple’s iPad mini 8 is expected to boast an OLED screen, but considering Apple’s lengthy release cycles, we shouldn’t expect it to show up anytime soon.
After all, Apple only released the seventh-generation iPad mini last week, three years after the iPad mini 6 debuted in 2021 with the same design and LED-backlit LCD screen. That model came 2.5 years after the company’s smallest tablet was resurrected in early 2019, following a nearly four-year silence during which many believed Apple had abandoned it entirely.
A well-known display chain analyst says Apple’s next update for its smallest tablet could feature an OLED display panel. However, you probably won’t be able to update to an OLED mini for at least a couple more years.
In a reply to a post on X that mentions the iPad mini, Display Supply Chain Consultants CEO Ross Young said on Wednesday that the “Next iPad mini will have OLED.”
Unfortunately, Young didn’t provide any further information about his claim. However, there’s a good possibility his prediction could end up being correct.
Young and Display Supply Chain Consultants have a fairly accurate track record for display-related rumors and analysis. Given his history of previous rumors and reporting and the relatively limited detail of the post, Young’s reply seems highly plausible. It makes for a reasonably safe bet if Las Vegas ever opens a line of action on iPad mini display panel updates.
Several rumors have circulated in the past, promoting the narrative that an OLED iPad mini is in development and will arrive in the next few years. In 2023, we saw rumors claiming that a new iPad mini and a new iPad Air would both boast screens using OLED panels and could arrive sometime in 2026.
In May 2024, it was reported that major Apple display partner Samsung Display was developing a new display due to hit the iPad mini by 2026. The report indicates that Samsung Display allegedly sent samples to Apple in April 2024 for the Cupertino-based device maker’s consideration; mass production was reportedly set to start in late 2025.
The credibility of Young’s claim is only helped by the sluggish release schedule Apple follows for iPad mini releases. Indeed, Apple doesn’t exactly claim any speed records when it comes to updating its “mini” tablet. Three years passed between the seventh generation and the sixth generation of the small tablet, 2.5 years passed between the sixth and fifth generations, and 3.5 years between the fifth and fourth iterations.
A late 2026 release between the current-generation iPad mini and the eighth-generation model would mark just two years between updates, making the release schedule rather swift compared to previous generations.
As AppleInsider, which first noticed Young’s X reply, pointed out, it is entirely possible that Apple is looking to step up its new iPad mini schedule and release a new generation more regularly.
While the iPad mini 7 doesn’t boast any significant design changes or even an updated display, the device received some impressive internal upgrades, including the ability to use Apple Intelligence. The new 8.3-inch tablet has the A17 Pro chip, which powered last year’s iPhone 15 Pro lineup, making it capable of handling the same games, apps, and Apple Intelligence features as current iPhone, iPad Air, and iPad Pro models.
[The information provided in this article has NOT been confirmed by Apple and may be speculation. Provided details may not be factual. Take all rumors, tech or otherwise, with a grain of salt.]
