Kuo: iPad Air to Adopt OLED in 2022, Mini-LED to Remain Exclusive to iPad Pro Models

Apple will transition the iPad Air to OLED displays in the second half of next year, while mini-LED display technology will remain exclusive to upcoming higher-end iPad Pro models, according to a new report from Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

OLED iPad Pro Feature
Apple is expected to be just weeks away from launching a mini-LED ‌iPad Pro‌, the first Apple device to feature the newer technology. In Kuo's latest investor note, seen by MacRumors, the analyst underlines his belief that even when the ‌iPad Air‌ transitions to an OLED display in 2022, mini-LED will remain in its tablet lineup as a display technology exclusive to ‌iPad Pro‌ models.

The market is worried that if the iPad starts to use OLED in 2022, Apple will abandon the mini LED. However, according to our latest industry survey, if the iPad adopts an OLED display in 2022, it will be the mid-/low-end iPad Air, while the high-end iPad Pro will still use a mini LED display. The adoption of OLED in iPad does not affect the positive trend of mini LED. Since the OLED used in iPad is a rigid type and has a significantly lower PPI than iPhone, it is less challenging to produce, and the cost is close to the LCD currently used in iPad Air.

Kuo envisions a future iPad lineup in which OLED and mini-LED further differentiate Apple's mid-to-low end ‌iPad Air‌ models from its ‌iPad Pro‌ devices. Apple currently uses OLED displays in the Apple Watch and the iPhone, while Macs and ‌iPad‌ still retain the older LCD technology. OLED displays offer higher brightness, deeper blacks, and wider viewing angles. However, they often cost significantly more to produce than LCDs.

Earlier this month, DigiTimes reported that a 10.9-inch ‌iPad‌, presumably the ‌iPad Air‌, will be updated with an OLED display in early 2022. In contrast to Kuo's note, ‌DigiTimes‌ stated that Apple would also adopt OLED technology for the 12.9-inch ‌iPad Pro‌. ‌DigiTimes‌ has also claimed that Apple might release 16-inch and 17-inch MacBook Pro with OLED later on next year.

Apple is already working on several products with mini-LED displays, including redesigned MacBook Pros. Kuo believes that Apple's use of mini-LED will accelerate in the coming years as production costs decrease, with Apple's mid-to-high-end devices consistently adopting the technology first.

Related Roundup: iPad Air
Buyer's Guide: iPad Air (Buy Now)
Related Forum: iPad

Popular Stories

iphone 16 pro ghost hand

5 Reasons to Skip This Year's iPhone 17 Pro

Thursday July 10, 2025 4:54 am PDT by
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 series in two months, and the iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to get a new design for the rear casing and the camera area. But more significant changes to the lineup are not expected until next year, when the iPhone 18 models arrive. If you're thinking of trading in your iPhone for this year's latest, consider the following features rumored to be coming...
apple tv 4k new orange

New Apple TV Expected Later This Year With These New Features

Saturday July 12, 2025 3:09 pm PDT by
A new Apple TV is expected to be released later this year, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the next Apple TV, according to rumors. Rumors Faster Wi-Fi Support The next Apple TV will be equipped with Apple's own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. He said the chip supports ...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 16 New Features

Friday July 11, 2025 12:40 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are only two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:A redesigned Dynamic Island: It has been rumored that all iPhone 17 models will have a redesigned Dynamic Island interface — it might ...
macbook pro blue green

M5 MacBook Pro No Longer Coming in 2025

Thursday July 10, 2025 12:38 pm PDT by
Apple does not plan to refresh any Macs with updated M5 chips in 2025, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Updated MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models are now planned for the first half of 2026. Gurman previously said that Apple would debut the M5 MacBook Pro models in late 2025, but his newest report suggests that Apple is "considering" pushing them back to 2026. Apple is now said to be...
iphone 16 pro pro max

iPhone 17 Pro Models With BOE Displays Will Be Sold in China Only

Thursday July 10, 2025 11:59 pm PDT by
iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max models with displays made by BOE will be sold exclusively in China, according to a new report. Last week, it emerged that Chinese display manufacturer BOE was aggressively ramping up its OLED production capacity for future iPhone models as part of a plan to recapture a major role in Apple's supply chain. Now, tech news aggregator Jukan Choi reports...
Apple Watch Ultra 2 Complications

Apple Watch Ultra 3: What to Expect

Sunday July 13, 2025 10:30 am PDT by
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 is nearly over, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the Apple Watch Ultra 3:Satellite connectivity for sending and receiving text messages when Wi-Fi and cellular coverage is unavailable 5G support, up from LTE on the Apple Watch Ultra 2 Likely a wide-angle OLED display that ...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

Apple Says iPhone Driver's Licenses Will Expand to These 8 U.S. States

Tuesday July 8, 2025 11:26 am PDT by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Unfortunately, this feature continues to roll out very slowly since it was announced in 2021, with only nine U.S. states, Puerto Rico,...
iPhone 17 Air Colors Thumb 2

iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air Rumored to Come in These 9 Colors

Friday July 11, 2025 12:30 am PDT by
The iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air will be available in a total of nine color options, according to new information coming out of Asia. The iPhone 17 Air's expected color options. According to the leaker going by the account name "yeux1122" on the Korean blog Naver, accessory manufacturers are now producing camera protector rings for the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air in colors to match their...

Top Rated Comments

xxray Avatar
57 months ago
I’d rather have OLED than mini-LED though. You get true infinite contrast, and burn in has never been a thing with Apple’s OLED.

Mini-LED is just a glorified LCD panel with slightly better contrast. It still doesn’t compare to OLED pure blacks. It makes no sense that mini-LED would be the premium product while OLED is the mid- to low-tier product.
Score: 29 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iSayuSay Avatar
57 months ago

makes sense. Pro devices get mini-LED that has no burn in, but still has most of the advantages of OLED
I don't know.. miniLED is basically an LCD with controlled backlit. It still has some sort of backlight bleeding, or halo effect in the edges between dark and light images? TCL uses miniLED for their latest TVs, because it's cheap for its ability to mimicking OLED contrast (to some degree).

OLED however is pixel perfect. If anything OLED is still the king of high-end display both for TV and mobile market. I mean why Pro model iPhones (before 12 Series) go with OLED if it's not a premium offering? It's been years since iPhone uses OLED and I don't see any meaningful burn-in problems.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
locoboi187 Avatar
57 months ago

IF that was the case Samsung would use it in their TVs, but they don't because for larger panels its not as good.
Most inaccurate thing I read to start my day.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iSayuSay Avatar
57 months ago

IF that was the case Samsung would use it in their TVs, but they don't because for larger panels its not as good.
But then again in the premium TV market, LG OLED consistently beats Samsung QLED years after years?

LG also has their own lineup for QLED which is called NanoCell. It is okay, bigger and cheaper, a bang for your bucks. But obviously a second grade product compared to their own OLEDs.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
xxray Avatar
57 months ago

IF that was the case Samsung would use it in their TVs, but they don't because for larger panels its not as good.
1. “If that were true” - ?? It is true. It is literal fact. OLED has infinite contrast, mini-LED does not. iPhone X is going on 4 years old and all subsequent models of iPhone X/Pro have been OLED, all Apple Watch models have been OLED, and there have been no reports of widespread burn-in.

2. LG’s OLED TVs are consistently considered the best possible picture you can get on a TV by professionals who test displays objectively for a living.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
T'hain Esh Kelch Avatar
57 months ago

IF that was the case Samsung would use it in their TVs, but they don't because for larger panels its not as good.
They actually did for a couple of years, but their technology wasn't living up to LGs and they had production issues, so they instead shifted back to LEDs. Of course, even Samsung knows that OLED is the best, so they started marketing their LEDs as 'QLED' to trick uninformed consumers like you into buying their second rate displays.

If you go to any TV rating site, you'll see OLED displays easily winning over QLED displays, over and over again.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)