According to a new report by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the “biggest overhaul to the iPad mini in half a decade” is coming as soon as this October. The new version of Apple’s smallest tablet includes an upgrade to an OLED display from the current IPS LCD, which would bring the image quality in line with the iPhone and the iPad Pro.
The last time Apple updated the iPad mini was in 2024, when the only change was from an A15 Bionic to an A17 Bionic processor. Gurman’s report doesn’t offer details on chip upgrades and other specifications, but past reports said that Apple had an A19 Pro iPad mini in testing. Apple is expected to introduce the A20 Pro chip with the iPhone 18 Pro announcement in September, so an A20 Pro in the iPad mini is also a possibility.
Apple is also expected to release the iPhone Ultra, a folding phone, and reports have said that the Ultra is expected to be about 7.8 inches when unfolded. That would make it a little smaller than the 8.3-inch iPad mini. While the iPhone Ultra is expected to be much more expensive than the iPad mini, with a starting price of more than $2,000, its existence could bring more attention to the iPad mini, which currently starts at $599. Apple raised the price of the iPad mini last month, and the upgrade here could result in another price hike, but it will still be much more affordable than an iPhone Ultra.
Gurman also reported that Apple plans to update the other iPad models through the first half of 2027. The entry-level iPad “is slated for release as early as the first calendar quarter next year,” followed by updates to the iPad Air, iPad Pro, and Apple Pencil in the spring.
