Ever since the Apple Watch and iPhone ditched their LCD displays, rumors of OLED screens coming to the iPad lineup have popped up with regularity, but we’ve yet to see the technology come to Apple’s tablet. If you’ve been patiently waiting for OLED, a new report says you’ll have to wait a little longer.
According to a post on yeux1122’s blog, Apple is in negotiations with LG, Samsung, and Chinese companies for active matrix OLEDs (AMOLEDs). The AMOLEDs are thought to be for two iPad models other than the iPad Pro, which would likely mean the iPad Air and iPad mini. The report also stated that production could start after the end of 2025, which would make the new iPads available in 2026, possibly for a spring release. Yeux1122’s blog has made similar reports in the past that have panned out, so its reporting has been reliable.
Yeux1122’s report comes a couple of days after Omdia stated that “Apple is continuously discussing the possibility of widely adopting OLED technology for the iPad mini and iPad Air lineup as the next phase of its strategy from 2026 onward.” Omdia also said that the iPad Pro could see OLED upgrades much sooner–by next year. Omdia is a market research group that tracks manufacturers’ supply and purchasing volume.
Apple’s current 10th-gen iPad, iPad mini, and iPad Air have LED displays, while the 12.9-inch iPad Pro uses mini-LED. A change to OLED for the higher-end models has been churning in the rumor mill for some time; in 2021, a report said that the iPad Air would get an OLED display by 2022, and then another report said that the release would be delayed until 2023. Apple hasn’t released any new iPads so far in 2023, though that may change this month.
The iPad Pro and iPad Air were upgraded in October 2022, which was also when Apple released the 10th-generation iPad. The iPad Air was upgraded in March 2022, and the iPad mini in September 2021. 2023 was a quiet year for the iPad, but the rumors are starting to pick up. 9to5Mac cited sources that said that a new iPad mini with a chip upgrade could be coming, as well as an update to the 10th-generation iPad. 9to5Mac also stated that Apple could release a larger iPad Air and a new Magic Keyboard, though likely not shipping until 2024.
Author: Roman Loyola, Senior Editor
Roman has covered technology since the early 1990s. His career started at MacUser, and he's worked for MacAddict, Mac|Life, and TechTV.