Despite the OLED panel, the iPad mini refresh may skip the most important display upgrade

With the launch of the iPhone 17, Apple caught up to years-old budget Android smartphones by finally using a ProMotion display for its base phone. However, the company may repeat the same offense that plagued its phones for so long with its iPad mini upgrade.

The next iPad mini may not get a ProMotion display

Apple is widely expected to launch a redesigned version of the iPad mini later this year, which is expected to feature an OLED panel. According to Korean supply chain leaker yeux1122, the company is going to use an 8.4-inch hybrid OLED panel with an LTPS back panel, which has confirmed earlier rumors about the device.

However, the leaker also claims (translated source) that the display of the iPad mini 8 will support the same 60 Hz refresh rate seen on earlier models. That means Apple won’t introduce the ProMotion technology for dynamically adjusting the refresh rate of the display with the new tablet.

Disappointing, but not surprising

While we’ve been hearing about the OLED upgrade to the iPad mini for years, the refresh rate of its display was never part of the rumors. Even with this particular source’s mixed track record, his claim is very likely to turn out to be true.

The only Apple tablets with ProMotion displays, that support up to 120 Hz refresh rate, are the iPad Pro models, which first got it with the 2017 models. However, even the latest iPad Air models don’t support more than 60 Hz refresh rate.

That mirrors the approach Apple used to have with the iPhone, which first got ProMotion display with the iPhone 13 Pro and kept it exclusive to the Pro models until last year. Meanwhile, even some entry-level Android smartphones and tablets come with displays that support higher refresh rates.

The truth is that many users don’t really care all that much about this particular feature. Several users on Reddit say they buy only iPad Pros because they can’t look at 60 Hz displays anymore, but many others claimed they can’t even notice the difference. One user even said the whole thing is not worth the hype.

It could still pack some nice upgrades

Even the move to an OLED display would be a great improvement over the iPad mini 7 and its LCD display. The tablet may also get a slightly larger display, landing at 8.4 inches, instead of the 8.3-inch diagonal of its predecessor.

On the inside, the tablet could get the A20 Pro chip, which is expected to power the iPhone 18 Pro and the foldable iPhone Ultra. The iPad Mini 8 is also expected to feature a redesigned speaker system and a water-resistance rating.

As ridiculous as always

I’m one of the people who aren’t bothered by lower refresh rates, but I still think it’s ridiculous that Apple withholds something that has become part of the basics so long ago. Alas, our only hope is that this rumor is wrong and we get the same nice surprise as with the iPhone 17.

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