While closely following Apple’s 2024 iPad event just a few weeks ago, one line toward the end of Tim Cook’s closing statement made my ears perk up. After various other Apple leaders spent over half an hour discussing the significant changes to the iPad line, it was Cook’s job to succinctly recap how Apple viewed its tablet lineup moving forward.
“We’re so excited about this new iPad lineup. A more affordable entry-level iPad with an all-screen design. The new iPad Air is available for the first time in two sizes. The remarkably thin and powerful iPad Pro. And, of course, the small but mighty iPad Mini. This is the strongest iPad lineup we’ve ever had,” Cook stated.
You could argue Cook had to mention the iPad Mini if Apple still intended to sell it. After all, what Apple didn’t say out loud during the event was that its cheapest iPad was also officially being axed from the lineup too. But for the cult of iPad Mini fans around the world, including myself – Cook’s words offered a ray of hope that Apple still see a future in the small but mighty tablet.
Now, a new set of rumors are swirling that Apple intends to upgrade the iPad Mini significantly by adding an OLED display. The source of these rumors is rooted in supply chain observations. Korea-based ET News and ZDNet Korea have noted that Samsung Display, the supplier of Apple’s current OLED panel for the iPad Pro, has started working on 8-inch prototypes for the iPad Mini. This shift could also make the iPad Mini’s screen slightly bigger. However, we suspect this would result from smaller bezels vs. increasing the size of the tablet itself.
The rumors also indicate that this potential display upgrade wouldn’t be the same advanced tandem OLEDs just released in the new iPad Pros, which makes total sense. Still, any improvement to the current panel, which is constantly bemoaned for its noticeable jelly scroll effect, would be a change fans would celebrate. Unfortunately, it also sounds like the transition to OLED won’t happen until 2026.
Given that the iPad Mini was last updated in September of 2021, waiting over five years to introduce changes would be a surprising move on Apple’s part. Then again, Apple did wait close to five years between the launch of the iPad Mini 3 and 4, which, at the tail end of that gap, led many to believe Apple was letting the tablet line slowly die out.
There is evidence though that the iPad Mini could receive at least a minor update between now and 2026. As Apple Insider and MacRumors noted last October, Apple did submit battery regulatory filings that hinted that a new iPad Mini could be imminent. The update may just mean that a processor bump is coming, but here’s hoping that Apple’s more extensive plans for the Mini will arrive sooner than suggested.
