Apple to bring OLED displays to more devices, including new water-resistant iPad mini

MacBook Air, iPad mini and iPad Air expected to go OLED

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Crystal ball: Apple is set to introduce OLED display tech to more of its products. According to reports, the company is working on a new MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iPad Air, and iPad mini with the display technology, and is planning to expand its use to other devices.

The stunning OLED display on the iPad Pro is one of its most compelling features, but the tablet's high price remains a barrrier for those who don't need all its power and features.

However, according to Bloomberg's Apple expert Mark Gurman, Cupertino is preparing to update several of its products with OLED displays.

One of the first devices predicted to receive an OLED upgrade will be a new version of the iPad mini in the spring of 2026. The OLED model will cost $100 more, pushing its base price to $599 – the same as the current iPad Air, which isn't expected to receive an OLED update until at least 2027.

Gurman said Apple will continue to use its Retina display technology for the next-generation M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pros. However, their successors, powered by the M6 and M6 Max, are believed to pack OLED screens when they launch in 2027.

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The MacBook Air, which has yet to be updated with the M5 chip, is expected to keep using an LCD display for the foreseeable future, with an OLED version unlikely to appear until at least 2028.

The iPad mini – the first of the next-gen OLED devices to arrive – could come with another new feature that would ease the pain of its price hike. Gurman wrote that Apple is testing a redesigned case for the tablet that is water-resistant, matching the recent iPhones. Great news for those who like to risk using their iPads in the bath.

Apple is hoping to achieved this feat by creating a new speaker system for the iPad mini that uses vibration-based tech. This would allow the mini's speaker holes to be removed, reducing the number of points where water could potentially get into the iPad.

Apple uses acoustically transparent waterproof membranes – thin films that let sound waves through but block water – in the microphone and speaker openings on new iPhones to meet IP67 or IP68 standards. It also utilizes rubberized or silicone gaskets in the SIM tray, buttons, and speaker grilles, while many internal circuit boards and connectors are coated with a hydrophobic water-repelling nano-film.

While adding OLED displays will inevitably increase the price of the devices, the standard entry-level iPad won't be making the switch, keeping its price down.