OLED iPad mini could launch in 2026 — followed by iPad Air a year later

iPad mini 7
(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

After several years of waiting for OLED displays to come to iPads, it finally happened with the iPad Pro M4. But that isn’t the last we’ll see of OLED screens, as a newly leaked roadmap suggests that other iPads and MacBooks will be getting an OLED upgrade — starting in 2026.

The roadmap was shared by leaker @Jukanlosreve, and details several new OLED devices coming in the next 6 years. Apparently, that’ll start with an 8.4-inch iPad mini coming in 2026, followed by 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Air models in 2027. But that’s not all.

leaked ipad oled roadmap

(Image credit: Jukanlosreve)

If the roadmap is to be believed, we won’t be seeing another generation of iPad Pro until 2028 — though it will still have an OLED display. That year may also see the launch of two OLED MacBook Air models, complete with the same 13- and 15-inch displays we saw on this year’s MacBook Air M3. It’s just a shame that both these devices won’t be getting significant updates for another 4 years.

However the MacBook Pros should see a significant upgrade at some point in 2026, and yes, both the 14-inch and 16-inch models look like they’ll be getting OLED displays as well.

Interestingly, 2028 may also be the year Apple releases its first foldable, which will be a “Tablet/Note PC/Monitor”. Apparently, this will have a foldable 18.8-inch OLED display, which is an insane size — and bigger than every MacBook you can buy. Needless to say, this is a little big to be the long-awaited iPhone Flip, and it’s going to be interesting to see how Apple markets the device.

Naturally, there are a few things missing here. There’s no word on the entry-level iPad, and while we’re expecting the iPad 11 to arrive in the near future, I don’t see OLED happening for several more years. There’s also no sign of devices like the iMac or Apple’s range of monitors — all of which are bound to get OLED upgrades at some point. However, it’s not clear if they’re simply missing from the roadmap, or if that upgrade won’t be happening for at least several years.

The question is whether this roadmap is accurate or not. As Apple Insider notes, it does come from an analytics firm rather than Apple or one of its suppliers. However, display analyst Ross Young agrees with the contents of the roadmap — which is positive, even if it’s not a total confirmation of its legitimacy.

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Tom Pritchard
UK Phones Editor

Tom is the Tom's Guide's UK Phones Editor, tackling the latest smartphone news and vocally expressing his opinions about upcoming features or changes. It's long way from his days as editor of Gizmodo UK, when pretty much everything was on the table. He’s usually found trying to squeeze another giant Lego set onto the shelf, draining very large cups of coffee, or complaining about how terrible his Smart TV is.

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