Apple is preparing an OLED iPad mini for October as its tablet lineup expands

Apple is preparing the biggest overhaul of its iPad mini in half a decade, with plans to release a version featuring an OLED display by October, according to people familiar with the matter. The current model has kept the same design since 2021, receiving only a faster chip two years ago. Bloomberg reported the updated tablet on Wednesday, describing it as codenamed J510.

The new mini will use an LTPS OLED panel rather than the higher-end LTPO technology found in the iPad Pro, meaning the screen will run at 60 hertz instead of the Pro’s variable refresh rate. It will also carry an A19 Pro chip, a step up from the A17 Pro in the current model. All details come from unnamed sources, and Apple has not commented on the report.

The mini is not the only iPad in the pipeline. Apple is also testing an updated entry-level iPad, codenamed J581, for early 2027, which would get a faster processor but no major redesign. New iPad Air models in 11-inch and 13-inch sizes are planned for spring 2027, while the standard iPad will stick with LCD screens for now.

The October target would place the mini’s launch just weeks after what is shaping up to be one of Apple’s busiest Septembers in years. The company is expected to unveil a foldable iPhone alongside the iPhone 18 Pro lineup, new Apple Watch models, and updated Macs. iPad revenue is projected to grow six percent to nearly $30 billion this fiscal year, according to Bloomberg.

The shift to OLED could push the mini’s price higher at a time when Apple has already raised costs across its product line. The current mini starts at $599, up from $499 before the global memory chip shortage forced Apple to increase hardware prices in June. Apple has also been preparing redesigned iPad Pro and MacBook Pro models for 2027, with the broader lineup reflecting both design ambition and the pressure of rising component costs.

The foldable iPhone, expected to start at around $2,000 with a screen of roughly eight inches when open, will sit far above the mini in Apple’s lineup despite offering a comparable display size when unfolded. That leaves the mini as Apple’s most affordable route to a large portable screen, assuming OLED does not push its price out of reach. Whether Apple can deliver an OLED mini by October while managing the same memory constraints that have disrupted Mac and iPad production all year is the open question Bloomberg’s sources did not answer.