Apple's first foldable iPad expected after 2028: new high-end OLED tandem display and COE tech

Apple's first foray into the foldable market will be a foldable iPhone, but after that we'll be introduced to the foldable iPad Pro which is expected in 2028 according to the latest rumors.

Insider @Jukanlosreve on X has posted an Apple OLED transition roadmap update from Meritz Securities, which points to the fat that there is "continued weak demand" for Apple's higher-end OLED iPad Pros, first launched in 2024 with multiple new technologies including tandem displays and hybrid OLED structure.

Apple is expected to unveil the OLED iPad mini as "originally planned" in 2026, while the OLED iPad Air will be "advanced" from 2028 to 2027, a year earlier. However, the upgrade for the OLED iPad Pro is delayed from 2027 to 2028. The upcoming OLED iPad mini and iPad Air will use hybrid OLED structure, a single-stack approach is expected to be used for reducing the cost.

• Read more: Apple's long-awaited foldable device rumored for 2026: foldable iPhone, iPad, or something else

The upgraded iPad Pro is scheduled for a 2028 release, and will reportedly be one of the first of Apple's new products to use COE (Capsule OLED Encapsulation) technology, while the foldable iPad is "likely to be released after 2028" and is expected to be similar to the upgraded iPad Pro, as we should see both a tandem display and COE technology in the foldable iPad Pro.

• The OLED iPad mini will be released as originally planned in 2026, and the OLED iPad Air will be advanced from 2028 to 2027. In contrast, the upgrade for the OLED iPad Pro is delayed from 2027 to 2028.
• While the OLED iPad mini and iPad Air will utilize a hybrid OLED structure, a single-stack approach is expected to be applied for cost reduction, unlike the iPad Pro.
• The upgraded iPad Pro, scheduled for release in 2028, is expected to be the first among Apple's tablet products to incorporate COE (Capsule OLED Encapsulation) technology.
• A foldable iPad is likely to be released after 2028, and similar to the upgraded iPad Pro, it is expected to feature both tandem display and COE technology.