Copyright 9to5Mac
Apple is planning a major display upgrade for three future products, according to a new report. The same report also points to some changes coming specifically to Apple’s iPad mini. OLED screens for more Macs and iPads Mark Gurman at Bloomberg reports that Apple is testing future versions of the MacBook Air, iPad Air, and iPad mini that feature OLED screen technology. Apple currently uses OLED technology in the iPhone, iPad Pro, and Apple Watch. Apple Vision Pro uses micro-OLED. Apple has already been rumored to be developing the first MacBook Pro with an OLED screen. That hardware isn’t coming anytime soon, however, as Apple is expected to use existing display technology in the yet-to-be-announced M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro models. Instead, Apple reportedly plans to redesign the MacBook Pro with the M6 Pro and M6 Max versions. These are likely coming sometime in 2027. That means we may be waiting even longer for the first OLED MacBook Air. Apple hasn’t updated the MacBook Air to its latest M5 chip yet. That chip was only announced this month and powers the new Apple Vision Pro, iPad Pro, and entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro. Gurman points to 2028 for the first OLED MacBook Air at the earliest. Meanwhile, the M5 upgrade is expected to replace the current M4 MacBook Air this spring. So which of the three devices will likely switch to OLED first? Gurman says the iPad mini will likely be first to make the move. Additionally, he reports that Apple is developing a new water-resistant design for the iPad mini. Gurman specifies that Apple’s approach to water resistance on iPad mini will be different from iPhone: As part of that push, Apple has explored a new speaker system that uses vibration-related technology. The change allows the company to remove speaker holes where water could enter. That’s a different approach than the iPhone’s water-resistant design, which retains holes but adds gaskets and adhesives to prevent damage. That iPad mini update is expected to debut sometime in 2026 at the earliest. Gurman also adds that it could increase in price by $100. The A17 Pro-equipped iPad mini starts at $499, so the OLED model would start at $599. The M3 iPad Air starts at $599. Although it’s not mentioned in the report, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the iPad Air similarly jump in price. That would still leave a few hundred dollar delta between the iPad Air and iPad Pro starting prices. Lastly, the report concludes by saying that Apple’s entry-level iPad won’t be making the switch to OLED, based on Apple’s current plans, which makes sense given its place in the lineup.
