New Apple iPad Mini OLED in October, iPad 12 not until next year
According to Mark Gurman of Bloomberg, Apple plans to launch a new Apple iPad Mini OLED by October of this year. There are also new rumors about the entry-level iPad 12.
Apple iPad Mini OLED
Apple already equipped the iPad Pro with an OLED display in May 2024, but the iPad mini, iPad Air, and entry-level iPad still use LCD screens. Switching to OLED technology in the next Apple iPad mini OLED would offer improved image quality thanks to richer colors, a higher contrast ratio, and true blacks.
Since OLED displays are generally more expensive than LCD displays, the next Apple iPad Mini OLED could have a higher starting price compared to the current model.
Gurman didn’t reveal any further details about the Apple iPad Mini OLED today, but had previously reported that the device would feature a vibrating speaker system and improved water resistance. Rumors also suggest that the next iPad mini will be equipped with an A19 Pro or A20 chip, as opposed to the A17 Pro chip in the current model.
The current model was launched in October 2024 and is equipped with the A17 Pro chip, which enables Apple Intelligence.
Apple iPad 12 won’t arrive until 2027
In March, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said that a new entry-level model, the Apple iPad 12, would be released “later this year,” but that has apparently changed. Today he reported that the device is not expected to launch until the first quarter of 2027 at the earliest.
The most important new feature will be a faster processor, not fundamental design changes, he said. So it appears to be just an improvement in the technical specifications. Unlike the OLED display of the Apple iPad Mini OLED, the base iPad will retain an LCD screen.
Gurman had previously stated that the device would be equipped with the A18 chip, but Filipe Espósito of Macworld indicated that it would have an A19 chip. In any case, the device would support Apple Intelligence, as both chips offer the 8GB of RAM required for this functionality. The current entry-level iPad has an A16 chip with 6GB of RAM.
Last month, Apple raised the starting price of the iPad worldwide. In the US, for example, the device now costs from $449, up from $349.
Apple iPad Air 2027 also in planning
According to Gurman, Apple also plans to launch new 11- and 13-inch iPad Air models early next year. He said the iPad Air will eventually switch to an OLED display, but did not comment on whether this would be the case with the next models.
He recently reported that new iPad Pro models will also be released at the beginning of next year.
All in all, he expects a new iPad mini by October of this year, followed by updated entry-level models of the iPad, iPad Air and iPad Pro in the first half of next year.
