• 2 min read
Apple may finally give the iPad mini OLED
Bloomberg says Apple’s next iPad mini could get an OLED screen this fall, though a 60Hz panel may keep expectations in check.
Image: Gizmodo
Apple’s smallest tablet may be the one getting the most meaningful update next. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is preparing a new 8.4-inch iPad mini with an OLED display, a notable shift for a product line that hasn’t had a major overhaul since 2021.
An OLED panel would bring the same display tech used in iPhones, with better contrast and deeper blacks. But the upgrade may come with limits. This week, MacRumors cited Korean-language leaker yeux1122, who claimed the iPad mini’s OLED screen would top out at 60Hz. If that’s accurate, it would fall short of the iPhone 17, which the report says supports 10Hz to 120Hz with ProMotion.
A 60Hz cap would be a letdown, but it could also help Apple keep the device cheaper. The 8.3-inch iPad mini launched at $500, but the current base model now starts at $600 with 128GB of storage after price increases. Even so, an OLED switch could push the next version higher, and a price above $700 would make the math harder when an iPhone 17 with a 6.3-inch OLED display costs $800.
Recommended reading
Samsung 990 SSD hits 7,250 MB/s with a 2TB option
Performance is still an open question. The source article speculates Apple could use an A18 Pro chip, first introduced in the iPhone 17 Pro. Gurman says the new iPad mini should arrive this fall, after Apple unveils the iPhone 18 Pro and its folding iPhone in September.
Bloomberg also says Apple is planning chip refreshes for the base iPad and iPad Air early next year. A new iPad Pro is expected later, in early 2027. For now, the iPad mini looks like the only iPad with a potentially meaningful hardware change on the horizon — even if Apple’s usual add-on pricing for 5G and storage still threatens to undercut the appeal.
Computing Editor
Tomas lives in the terminal. He covers chips, laptops, and operating systems with a focus on performance and efficiency. He reads kernel changelogs the way other people read fiction, and he's always on the hunt for the perfect mechanical keyboard switch. If it processes data, Tomas has an opinion on it.
via Gizmodo
