The long-awaited change of iPad mini

After a long wait, Apple is expected to equip OLED screens for many products including the iPad mini.

iPad mini A17 Pro. Photo: Bloomberg .

According to Bloomberg sources, Apple plans to equip OLED screens for some product lines such as iPad mini, iPad Air and MacBook Air.

Similar to the iPhone or iPad Pro, OLED technology provides true colors, deep blacks and better contrast than LCD. While OLED has been equipped since the iPhone X, Apple only integrated this technology into the iPad Pro since last year.

Of the three devices, the iPad mini could be the first to get an upgrade. Rumors predict an OLED version could be released as early as next year.

The latest move shows a strategy to shift to OLED screens to attract users. While iPad and Mac sales are expected to grow this year, they will still be lower than in 2021-2022, when the pandemic boosted demand for computers.

The switch to OLED screens will increase the price of the device. Accordingly, the new generation iPad mini (codename J510) could be $100 more expensive than the current version.

Not only the OLED screen, analyst Mark Gurman said Apple also designed a new case on the iPad mini with water resistance, similar to recent iPhone lines.

“Apple is developing a speaker system that uses vibration technology. This change allows for the elimination of speaker holes where water can enter.

This approach differs from the iPhone's water-resistant design, which kept the speaker hole intact but added gaskets and adhesive to prevent damage,” Gurman wrote.

The latest generation of iPad mini was just released in late 2024 with the A17 Pro chip, supporting Apple Intelligence. The product design remains the same as its predecessor.

Bloomberg notes that plans can still change or be delayed. For example, the foldable iPad project (18-inch screen size) has just been pushed back to 2029.

MacBook Air models on display at an Apple store. Photo: Bloomberg .

Apple could also equip the iPad Air with an OLED screen from 2027. After that point, except for the basic line, the remaining iPad models will be equipped with OLED screens. 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 screen, right after the M5 version that was just released in mid-October.

The company’s most popular laptop, the MacBook Air, will soon get similar technology, although it may not be released 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 LCD, except for new high-end models equipped with OLED like the iPad Pro or Samsung Galaxy Tab S11,” Gurman emphasized.

Apple first applied OLED to the Apple Watch in 2015. The technology continued to appear on smartphones with the iPhone X in 2017.

Earlier this year, Apple discontinued the last iPhone with an LCD screen (the 3rd generation iPhone SE) and replaced it with the iPhone 16e. The display on the Vision Pro glasses also uses a customized technology from OLED, called micro-OLED.

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