Once you see the OLED display on the M4 iPad Pro, it’s hard to go back to the LCD on Apple’s lower-tier tablets.
But much like how the Dynamic Island made the transition from iPhone 14 Pro to standard iPhone 15, and the anticipated debut of the Action Button across every iPhone 16, the Cupertino crew look set to bring this gorgeous display tech to more of its slabs.
Only problem is you’ll be waiting a while. As The Elec reports, the iPad Air and iPad Mini may be getting OLED displays by 2026. Granted, this is much sooner than earlier reports of a 2028 debut, but it’s still quite the wait.
Turning to a rival for help
To help with this transition, the report claims that Apple could be turning to Samsung for a supply of OLED panels. Given Samsung’s tech normally packs some of the best-looking display tech, this gives me plenty of confidence that we’ll see something sweet — especially in that iPad Mini.
But let’s get real. You shouldn’t expect the advanced goodies you see on the iPad Pro’s Tandem OLED screen. Apple likes to differentiate its standard and Pro devices through display specs, and the difference between Air/Mini and Pro iPads will probably be split down this line here too.
That would mean a single-layer screen without the same level of brightness and contrast, and (probably) a 60Hz refresh rate over the 120Hz you find on iPad Pro. But it’s not all bad news because even at its most basic implementation, OLED is a feast for the eyes.
So don’t expect to see these in the upcoming announcement of new iPads that leakers predict will happen in October, but they are indeed on the way.
