Apple (AAPL.US) accelerates OLED product line strategy MacBook Air and iPad series will soon usher in high-end display upgrades

The Zhitong Finance App learned that Apple (AAPL.US) is preparing a major upgrade to its MacBook Air, iPad Mini, and iPad Air product lines, and plans to equip these popular devices with high-end displays.

According to people familiar with the matter, the company is testing new versions of these three products, which will all use organic light-emitting diode (OLED) screens. Compared to current liquid crystal displays (LCDs), this technology can present richer colors and deeper contrasts.

People familiar with the matter said that the iPad mini may be the first of the three devices to be upgraded, and the version equipped with an OLED screen will be launched as early as next year.

This display upgrade is part of Apple's overall transformation to OLED technology, and also provides consumers with a new reason to upgrade their devices. Although both Mac and iPad sales are expected to increase this year, they are still below the levels of 2021 and 2022 — a boom in computer procurement during the pandemic has driven sales of these two products to a high point.

This technological transformation is also expected to lead to higher product prices. The upgraded version of the iPad mini, codenamed J510, may increase the price by $100 due to the use of more expensive display technology. Additionally, Apple has tested a redesigned waterproof case to make it the same waterproof function as the recently launched iPhone.

In line with this design upgrade, Apple has explored a new speaker system using vibration-related technology. This change enabled the company to remove speaker holes where water could get in. Unlike the iPhone's waterproof design, the iPhone retains the speaker opening, but seals and adhesives are added to prevent damage to the device.

The iPad mini was last updated at the end of 2024, when it was equipped with a faster processor and supported the Apple Intelligence Platform (Apple Intelligence).

It's important to note that these upgrade plans are not final and may be changed or delayed — as is common during product development. Earlier reports said that Apple's research and development work on the 18-inch folding screen iPad had postponed the release until 2029.

A Cupertino, California-based Apple spokesperson declined to comment.

The new generation of iPad Air, which will be launched next spring, will continue to use LCD screens, but Apple is already planning to switch to OLED display technology in subsequent iterations. Meanwhile, the iPad Pro, which just updated its M5 chip last week, was the first to use an OLED screen in May 2024.

At least for now, the iPad Air will be the last device in Apple's tablet product line to complete this technological transformation. Apple has no active plans to upgrade the entry-level iPad to an OLED screen.

Meanwhile, the MacBook Pro will be the first Mac with an OLED screen in the next redesign. Apple has also begun early research and development work related to its most popular laptop, the MacBook Air, and will use this technology in the future, but this upgrade is not expected to be before 2028. In the spring of 2026, the current MacBook Air will be upgraded to the M5 chip, and the display will still retain the LCD material.

Currently, the transformation of the entire industry to OLED technology is still in its early stages. Most tablets and laptops still rely on LCD screens; only high-end products such as the iPad Pro and Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 use OLED technology.

Apple first adopted OLED technology in the Apple Watch in 2015, then applied this technology to the smartphone field in the iPhone X launched in 2017.

Earlier this year, Apple introduced the iPhone 16e to replace the iPhone SE, and since then stopped selling the last iPhone model with a non-OLED screen. The display of its Vision Pro headset uses an OLED-derived technology called micro organic light-emitting diode (micro-OLED). This technology has the advantages of high pixel density, high integration, and small size, and is suitable for immersive devices.