Report: Apple to Release 5th-Gen iPad Air With OLED Display Next Year

Apple plans to release a 10.8-inch iPad with an OLED display next year, followed by the company's second ‌iPad‌ with an OLED display in 2023, according to a new report from The Elec.

iPad Air display
The Elec, which has a mixed track record on reporting on Apple's plans, claims that the ‌iPad‌ being planned for release next year will feature a 10.8-inch screen size, likely hinting it may be the 5th generation iPad Air. According to the report, the ‌iPad‌ will use a rigid OLED display panel that "stacks organic material and inorganic material in alternative layers to protect the organic material from water and oxygen."

Looking out to 2023, Apple is reportedly planning multiple iPads with an OLED display that will use flexible OLED display panels rather than rigid OLED. For the 2023 iPads, the company may also implement LTPO technology which enables ProMotion 120Hz refresh rate, a feature currently exclusive to the iPad Pro.

For the iPads launching in 2023, Cupertino could use flexible OLED over rigid OLED. It could also change the TFT from LTPS to low-temperature polycrystalline oxide (LTPO). The RGB emission layer could also be the "tandem" structure where two layers of them are stacked together.

A separate report in May, from the South Korean website ETNews, said that Apple will use OLED panels in "some" iPad models starting next year but didn't specify which iPads.

Today's report, outlining a 10.86-inch screen size, likely means it will be an updated ‌iPad Air‌. Apple last updated the ‌iPad Air‌ this past fall with an updated all-screen design and the company's flagship A14 Bionic processor. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo also previously reported that an updated iPad Air in 2022 will adopt OLED displays, while mini-LED, just launched this past April in the ‌iPad Pro‌, will remain exclusive to the high-end ‌iPad‌.

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

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Top Rated Comments

ksgant Avatar
54 months ago
Seems OLED is always "a year away" for the iPads.
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Zdigital2015 Avatar
54 months ago

Unless and until it can run M1 apps, hard pass.
Tell me exactly what an M1 app is?
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Vol Braakzakje Avatar
54 months ago
Interesting. I think it is really important to think about how you use the iPad. OLED is probably better if you do a lot of movie watching at night in bed.
Mini LED is better if you use your iPad primarily at day time, as the higher brightness will be much more useful than the darkness of oled.

Gives people a choice, which is good imho. I’d still go for the mini led because I need the iPad in bright light.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Warputin Avatar
54 months ago
Why build a car, when you can just sell an iPad at the price of one :)
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
profets Avatar
54 months ago


Attachment Image
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
alpi123 Avatar
54 months ago

This would imply that apple sees mini LED to be the better technology right.
I assume this also means the 11” pro will become mini LED?
Depends on the use. Both can be good or bad.

miniLED is brighter but has blooming, and in the end, it's still an LCD panel. The contrast ratio is standard unless viewing HDR content.

OLED has true blacks, a 1:infinity contrast ratio, and no blooming, but can suffer from burn in and PWM (some people are sensitive to it).
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)