Apple to refresh entire iPad line-up within the next few months – here’s what to expect and when to expect it

The first iPad mini with an OLED display is planned for release by October, according to a report from a noted Apple watcher.

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports the smallest Apple tablet will get its long awaited update this autumn before the company brings the more advanced display technology to the iPad Air further down the line.

“Apple is preparing to unveil the new OLED iPad mini [code-named J510] as early as this fall, with a release planned by October,” the report says before adding Apple is “working on an eventual OLED upgrade for the iPad Air.”

Gurman doesn’t shed any light on when the iPad Air will get the OLED treatment currently only available on the top end iPad Pro models. However, he does say that new 11-inch and 13-inch models are expected to arrive in the spring of 2027 alongside new iPad Pro models.

Gurman’s sources say the base level iPad model, with lineage all the way back to the original, will not receive an OLED update for the foreseeable future and will stick with LCD tech.

That’s to be expected. It’s designed to be the cheapest possible entry-level Apple tablet and not designed for those prioritising the benefits of an OLED display panel.

That doesn’t mean the standard iPad is being left alone completely. A hardware update will arrive in the first three months of 2027, Gurman’s sources say. “The main change will be a faster processor rather than a major design overhaul,” he writes.

Just yesterday we brought new speculation the iPad mini revamp will have an OLED panel, but it will be restricted to a 60Hz refresh rate, rather than a ProMotion display which offers a variable refresh rate of up to 120Hz. Gurman reckons that model will carry an even higher cost, despite the fact Apple just raised the prices by $100 a couple of weeks ago to account for the memory and storage shortages.

Chris Smith

About

I'm a freelance writer based in South Florida with bylines for Trusted Reviews Wareable, Wired UK, Shortlist. DigitalSpy, FourFourTwo, The Observer, Empire Online, TechRadar and T3. I have authored more than 10 books on how to use technology for Flametree Publishing. I'm a podcast host for The Liverpool Way and teach yoga in my spare time.