Apple plans to incorporate OLED screens in iPad Air and iPad mini models by 2026

The current iPad Air

Apple has been reportedly working on moving to an OLED screen for the iPad Pro for some time. The latest rumor is that the display technology will be used in the 2024 iPad Pro and 2026 MacBook Pro.

Korean publication ETNews is now backing up these claims, and adding more specific details. It says that following the iPad Pro in 2024, both the iPad Air and the iPad mini will get single-stack OLED screens in 2026.

It then further says that in 2027, Apple will have OLED in both a revised iPad Pro, and a new 12.9-inch iPad Air.

Significantly, it’s previously been expected that the iPad Pro will use a double-stack OLED screen. While OLED improves contrast and brightness, it can have a shorter effective lifespan and using a double-stack version greatly prolongs that.

This is enough of an improvement over single-stack OLED screens that Apple was willing to change suppliers to get it. Initially, Samsung allegedly refused to develop a double-stack system just for Apple, and so was dropped from the company’s plans.

Within a few months, however, Samsung was reportedly prioritizing double stack development specifically to win back orders from Apple.

ETNews has no details on double stack displays being used for any models. However, it does claim (in translation) that the 2027 revision to the iPad Pro will feature a “next-generation panel that improves the light efficiency of the panel through Color Filter on Encapsulation (CoE).”

This will reportedly reduce power consumption by 20%. It may also be able to support an under-screen camera, conceivably for Face ID.

One oddity in the ETNews report is how the 2026 iPad mini is seemingly listed as having an 8.7-inch screen, instead of the regular 8.3-inch of the current model.