If you’ve been eyeing a new iPad, you may want to push your purchase by a few months. A new report suggests that Apple is preparing a sweeping refresh of its entire tablet lineup, with the first new model expected as early as this fall.
A new OLED iPad mini will lead the way
According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, a redesigned iPad mini with an OLED display, codenamed J510, will be the first tablet out the door, arriving as soon as October. The release timeline aligns with a leak from late last year, which also pointed to a late 2026 launch.
If accurate, this would bring the smaller tablet in line with the sharper contrast and deeper blacks Apple already offers on the iPhone and iPad Pro. However, a separate leak suggests the iPad mini may be capped at 60Hz, a detail Gurman’s report doesn’t address.
Other models will follow in 2027
The report also points to an entry-level iPad refresh, codenamed J581, expected to land in the first quarter of 2027. This model won’t get as big of an update, with the most notable change likely to be a faster chip.
The iPad Air in both its 11-inch and 13-inch sizes will reportedly follow in spring alongside new iPad Pro models, continuing Apple’s usual pattern of refreshing its mid-tier and top-end tablets together. New Apple Pencils are also expected to launch in the same window.
New iPad models may be on the way, but a lower price tag likely isn’t. Apple recently raised prices across its Mac and iPad lineup, pushing the current iPad mini up $100 to $599. The OLED refresh may land with an even steeper price tag, though its arrival could result in a discount on the current model, making it a better buy later this year. The rest of the lineup likely won’t be spared either, given how widely the ongoing memory and storage shortage has reshaped pricing across the industry.
