The most anticipated changes to the iPad mini.

After a long wait, Apple is expected to equip many of its products, including the iPad mini, with OLED displays.

iPad mini A17 Pro. Photo: Bloomberg .

According to Bloomberg , Apple plans to equip several product lines, including the iPad mini, iPad Air, and MacBook Air, with OLED displays.

Similar to the iPhone or iPad Pro, OLED technology offers more realistic colors, deeper blacks, and better contrast than LCD. While OLED has been available since the iPhone X, Apple only integrated this technology into the iPad Pro last year.

Of the three devices, the iPad mini is likely to be the first to receive an upgrade. Rumors predict an OLED screen version is expected to launch as early as next year.

The latest move shows a strategy of shifting to OLED displays to attract users. While iPad and Mac sales are projected to grow this year, they are still lower than in the 2021-2022 period, when the pandemic boosted demand for computers.

The switch to OLED screens has led to a price increase. Accordingly, the new generation iPad mini (code name J510) may be $100 more expensive than the current version.

In addition to the OLED screen, analyst Mark Gurman says Apple is also designing a new casing for the iPad mini with water resistance, similar to recent iPhone models.

"Apple is developing a speaker system that uses vibration technology. This change allows for the elimination of speaker holes through which water could enter."

"This approach differs from the water-resistant design on the iPhone, which retains the speaker grille but adds gaskets and adhesive to prevent damage," Gurman wrote.

The latest generation of iPad mini, launched in late 2024, features the A17 Pro chip and supports Apple Intelligence. The product design remains unchanged from its predecessor.

The Bloomberg writer emphasizes that plans can still change or be postponed. For example, the foldable iPad project (18-inch screen size) has just been delayed until 2029.

MacBook Air models are displayed at an Apple store. Photo: Bloomberg .

Apple may also equip the iPad Air with an OLED screen starting in 2027. After this point, except for the base model, all other iPad models will feature OLED displays. This means the next version, expected to launch in early 2026, will still use an LCD screen.

For computers, the MacBook Pro will be the first device to use an OLED display, following the M5 version which was released in mid-October.

The company's most popular laptop line, the MacBook Air, will also soon feature similar technology, although its release date may not be until 2028. Meanwhile, the next generation of MacBook Air, expected to launch in early 2026 with the M5 chip, will still use an LCD screen.

“The industry’s shift to OLED is still in its early stages. Most tablets and laptops still use LCDs, except for the high-end models that are equipped with OLED, such as the iPad Pro or Samsung Galaxy Tab S11,” Gurman emphasized.

Apple first used OLED technology in the Apple Watch in 2015. This technology continued to appear in smartphones with the iPhone X in 2017.

Earlier this year, Apple discontinued the last iPhone model with an LCD screen (the 3rd generation iPhone SE) to make way for the iPhone 16e. The display on the Vision Pro glass also uses a customized technology derived from OLED, called micro-OLED.

Source: https://znews.vn/thay-doi-lon-cua-ipad-mini-post1597997.html