OLED iPad mini could be coming in 2026, say insiders

Yesterday, we reported that Apple is working on a folding iPad Pro with a very big screen. And now there are new claims that it's also working on a much smaller tablet – an OLED version of the iPad mini.

The recently released iPad mini isn't dramatically different, but the arrival of OLED – which is tipped to happen in 2026 – could make a big difference to Apple's small device. OLED panels are very thin, and as we've seen in the top-end M4 iPad Pro, it enables Apple to make its tablets much thinner and much lighter.

For a highly portable tablet like the mini, that's a big plus.

What do we know about the OLED iPad mini?

The prediction comes from Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC), as reported by MacRumors. Speaking to supply chain insiders from organisations involved in Apple device components, DSCC has concluded that there will be an 8.5-inch OLED iPad mini on sale in 2026.

The organisation is focused on the display sector, not the whole supply chain, so that's as much information as it can offer.

DSCC does have some other nuggets, though. It says that the panels for the 11-inch and 13-inch OLED iPad Air are scheduled for models in 2027. That means by the end of that year, all of Apple's mobile devices bar the entry-level iPad will be packing OLED panels.

The organisation also corroborates other reports about Apple's folding iPad. It expects an 18.8-inch folding iPad Pro to launch in 2027. Some of the specifics differ, though.

Bloomberg says the launch date is 2028, not 2027, and the Wall Street Journal seems unclear as to whether the folding Apple device is an iPad or a MacBook. Bloomberg is hedging its bets on that one: it suggests that the device is an iPad, but says that by the time it's released iPadOS will run macOS apps.