Apple Reportedly Plans to Upgrade Every iPad and MacBook Screen

Sometime in the near future, practically all of Apple’s products will cost more. That kind of truism could be for any number of reasons: Trump tariffs, international trade wars, or any number of supply chain issues. However, a major reason your next lower-end iPad or MacBook Air could demand more money is due to Apple reportedly shifting its entire lineup over to prettier, though more expensive, OLED displays.

According to a report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the 8.3-inch iPad mini display would be the first to receive this upgrade. That makes sense, as the $500 7th-gen iPad mini from 2024 was essentially a specs bump to bring it more in line with the more recent iPad Airs with M3 chip and iPad Pros. Gurman, citing his usual slate of anonymous sources, further claims this could boost the price of a tiny iPad by $100 or more. At that point, you’re paying for nearly the equivalent of Apple’s recent iPhone 16e without the ability to make calls.

Apple’s ‘Pro’ devices will get OLED first

The once-fresh MacBook design is starting to spoil, so we’ve been chomping at the bit for years to finally have an OLED MacBook Pro in our hands. Gurman previously hinted that we may see the screen upgrade in 2026. For those who don’t know, OLED stands for organic light-emitting diode, which is a kind of self-emissive screen technology that produces deeper blacks and better contrast, while using less power. The iPhone uses a version of OLED, and the most recent M4 and M5 iPad Pro use two layers of OLED to produce some excellent visual quality without sacrificing brightness. (OLED is normally less bright than some other screen technologies.)

The problem with OLED is that it’s costlier to produce. For example, the iPad Pro with M2 chip started at $800 in 2022, while the M4 cost $1,000. Manufacturing these types of screens requires a dedicated manufacturing space with a design process that is wholly different from any type of LCD factory. Though OLED has become far more ubiquitous in the last few years—reducing prices overall—OLED panels are normally designated for premium products.

Yes, that means they’ll cost more

The next-gen iPad Air will likely move up from the M3 chip to M4. That new version could come in spring, according to Gurman. It will still sport the typical IPS LCD, which Apple refers to as Liquid Retina. The base-level iPad will still likely have the same screen technology. However, the iPad Air and MacBook Air may eventually receive the OLED treatment in 2027 or 2028. The next generation of Air products may be samey, though a little bit less expensive.

Apple’s products are normally pricier than the competition. Consumers would appreciate having options between OLED and non-OLED—as many PC laptop brands offer—but that isn’t Apple’s usual MO. You go onto their website and see a $1,000 11-inch iPad Pro (M5), but as soon as you start adding extras like more storage, 5G connectivity, or a Magic Keyboard, that same tablet can easily balloon to $1,500 or more.

Normally, the best way to save on Apple products is to choose the non-Pro option. The latest iPhone 17 is the most feature-packed non-Pro smartphone Apple has ever produced, and it starts at $800 versus $1,100 for the iPhone 17 Pro. In that vein, the MacBook Air is still the company’s highest-selling MacBook. The latest data from analyst firm Counterpoint shows that Apple had been shipping more laptops—an estimated 14.9% increase—than at the same time last year, but it’s still not the kind of highs the company experienced during the pandemic when everybody and their mother bought a Mac to help them get through lockdown.

If Gurman’s report is correct, Apple is imagining that a new look with better-looking screens could push a whole new generation of products. The truly next-gen MacBook may look better, but just don’t be surprised when the sticker price is more than you expect.