I haven’t bought an iPad in 5 years, but 2026 will change that

• The base-model iPad might be getting the upgrade it deserves
• The iPad Mini could finally get a better screen
• The iPad Air’s upgrade isn’t as exciting

Since I got my first iPad back in 2010, I’ve always had one by my side. I love using it for watching videos, reading the news, and checking my email throughout the day. It’s simply nice to have a device with a bigger screen than my iPhone that’s still so portable.

That said, while Apple updates the iPad every year to make it more powerful, the last one I bought was my trusty M1 iPad Pro in 2021. Since then, I haven’t felt much urge to upgrade. The design still looks great, and the performance and battery life have held up impressively over the past five years.

But 2026 might finally be the year I feel that upgrade itch. Why? According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, a trusted source for Apple leaks, Apple is planning three new iPad refreshes this year, and some of the upgrades are exactly what I’ve long hoped for.

The base-model iPad might be getting the upgrade it deserves

More performance and features

First up, let’s talk about the base-model iPad. Last year, Apple refreshed it with an A16 chip. It was nice to see Apple’s most affordable iPad get some attention, but the upgrade felt a bit underwhelming: the chipset boost wasn’t significant, and it doesn’t support Apple Intelligence, leaving it locked out of any new AI features Apple has been adding to its devices, like Image Playground or its Writing Tools.

For 2026, Apple seems ready to fix that. According to Gurman, in 2026, the base-model iPad is expected to be upgraded with an A18 chip, making it significantly faster and finally able to support Apple Intelligence. That means you’ll be able to use Apple Intelligence on Apple’s most affordable iPad, instead of being locked out unless you spend more money on an iPad Air, Mini, or Pro.

With Siri’s long-awaited AI update on the horizon — making Siri more personalized and conversational — having Apple Intelligence on the base iPad could be a major selling point this year, but also, the A18 chipset, which first debuted in the iPhone 16, is a lot more modern and will be a huge upgrade in terms of performance and battery life. The entry-level iPad has been long overdue for this type of upgrade, and if all these upgrades pan out as Gurman suggests, I’ll definitely be picking one up to replace my parents’ aging iPad.

The iPad Mini could finally get a better screen

The OLED dream might come true this year

The iPad Mini is the upgrade I’m most excited about. I’ve always wanted an iPad Mini because it’s so portable, but the screen has always held me back. For starters, it doesn’t support ProMotion, so you’re stuck with a 60Hz refresh rate. On top of that, it’s an LCD rather than OLED, which means it misses out on the deep blacks, higher contrast, and overall efficiency that the iPad Pro’s OLED displays deliver.

That’s reportedly set to change in 2026. Gurman reports that the iPad Mini will get an OLED screen this year, which should bring two big improvements: a high-refresh-rate screen and one that’s far more color-accurate. Both will make the iPad Mini better for watching shows and movies and for photo/video editing.

There’s one potential downside, though: Gurman notes that the OLED upgrade could bump the price by about $100. The iPad Mini currently starts at $499, so it could jump to $599. That stings a bit, but as someone who’s been waiting for these upgrades and wants a smaller iPad, I think it’ll be worth it. Even at $599, it’s still far cheaper than the iPad Pro, which starts at $1,000, and it’ll be a noticeable upgrade from my 11-inch iPad Pro’s LCD screen.

The iPad Air’s upgrade isn’t as exciting

Apple’s new iPads could launch soon

Compared to the base-model iPad and the iPad Mini, the iPad Air’s potential upgrade this year feels a bit underwhelming. Gurman reports it’ll get the M4 chip, which is a slight performance boost over the M3 iPad Air, but it doesn’t really change the iPad Air in any major way — especially compared to the iPad getting the A18 and Apple Intelligence, or the iPad Mini getting an OLED screen.

As for launch timing, the base-model iPad and the iPad Air reportedly could arrive very soon. That lines up with last year, when Apple refreshed both models at the beginning of March.

The iPad Mini’s launch is less clear. Its last refresh was in November 2024, so Apple might hold off until later in the year to roll out the OLED model. That timing would make sense, especially since Apple is also rumored to be upgrading the MacBook Pro with an OLED screen around the same time.

Overall, I’m really excited about the changes Apple is reportedly making to its iPads this year. I use my M1 iPad Pro every day, but I get the most use out of it when I’m traveling, which is why I’ve wanted to switch to an iPad Mini. However, the iPad Mini’s lackluster screen specs have always held me back. It seems that in 2026, that might finally change thanks to its upgrade to OLED. And for anyone looking to get Apple’s most affordable iPad, the performance and feature upgrades with the A18 chip and Apple Intelligence will be a game-changer. I suspect Apple will sell a lot of iPads this year because of it.