Next year, many reliable leakers predict that Apple will produce its first OLED tablet, which Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman calls "the first major update to the product since 2018."

While it is not surprising that the more expensive Pro models will be the first to debut this screen technology, the question arises as to when it will spill over to less expensive models. Also, as we have seen with Apple's purported OLED roadmap for the Mac, we can now see when the iPad mini and iPad Air will follow the Pro with higher quality panels.

This schedule comes from Korean site ET News and is pretty much what we have been hearing for some time, but a bit more specific. After the introduction of OLED in two iPad Pro models next year, the report claims, it will be two years before the next tablet upgrade in 2026.

It appears that two tablets will get the OLED treatment that year: the 8.7-inch iPad mini and the 10.9-inch iPad Air.

The first measurement is not a typo: the current iPad mini has an 8.3-inch LCD screen, but ET News suggests that LCD screens will get bigger in the next few years. Whether that will be accomplished by eliminating the bezel of the iPad mini 6 over its 7.9-inch predecessor or by actually increasing its footprint remains to be seen.

Finally, in 2027, the rumored larger 12.9-inch iPad Air will feature an OLED panel along with its little brother, the iPad, and only the basic entry-level iPad will have LCD screen technology. That makes sense if Apple wants to maintain a low-cost option to ensure its dominance in the global tablet market.

No deception: if you want an OLED iPad and don't mind an iPad Pro in 2024, you'll have to wait a long time. But that doesn't mean the mini and Air won't have improved internals in the interim. In fact, according to analyst Minqi Kuo, all four iPad models will be refreshed next year.

Kuo expects the Air to arrive in Q1 2024, followed by the Pro model in the spring or summer. mini and the regular iPad are expected to arrive later this year. aside from the Pro, these will not be major changes.