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 (Neutral)
Related Forum: iPad

Popular Stories

Home Hub Command Center with Dome Base Feature

Apple Working on All-New Operating System

Thursday September 25, 2025 1:11 pm PDT by
Apple is developing an all-new operating system codenamed "Charismatic," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Apple smart home hub concept based on rumors This is likely Apple's long-rumored "homeOS" operating system. In a report last month, Gurman said both Apple's rumored smart home hub in 2026 and tabletop robot in 2027 will run the new operating system. He said the software platform ...
Tim Cook Rainbow

Apple Event in October? Here's What to Expect

Monday September 29, 2025 9:31 am PDT by
Apple's annual iPhone event is in the rearview mirror, but rumors suggest the company plans to release a handful of additional products before the year ends. Will there be another Apple event this October? We discuss the possibility below. Apple in October Apple's most recent October events were in 2021 and 2023. In 2022 and 2024, Apple did not host an October event. Instead, it...
iOS 26

Apple Continues to Prepare iOS 26.0.1 With Multiple Bug Fixes Expected

Sunday September 28, 2025 1:30 pm PDT by
Apple is preparing to release iOS 26.0.1, according to a private account on X with a proven track record of sharing information about future iOS versions. The account initially said iOS 26.0.1 would have a build number of 23A350, but they now expect the update to have a build number of 23A355. This suggests that the software update will include more bug fixes or changes than initially...
Apple MacBook Pro M4 hero

New MacBook Pro Nears Mass Production, But Four Bigger Upgrades Expected Next Year

Sunday September 28, 2025 2:08 pm PDT by
Apple's next MacBook Pro models will enter mass production soon, according to the latest information shared by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said he continues to believe the new MacBook Pro models will be released at some point between late 2025 and the first quarter of 2026, meaning they should be available to order by March at the latest. Apple often...
iOS 26

Apple Releases iOS 26.0.1 With Fixes for Wi-Fi, Cellular, and Camera Issues on iPhone 17 Models

Monday September 29, 2025 10:12 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 26.0.1 and iPadOS 26.0.1, the first updates to the iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 operating systems that came out earlier this week. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. According to Apple's release notes for the update, iOS 26.0.1 addresses a bug that could cause aberrations in...
iOS 26 Battery Glass Feature

iPhone 16 Pro Max 80% Charge Limit: One Year Later, Was It Worth It?

Wednesday September 24, 2025 3:58 pm PDT by
With the iPhone 15 series, I did an experiment and kept my iPhone's Charge Limit set at 80 percent for an entire year. It provided an interesting look at the impact of charge limits on battery longevity, so I decided to repeat it for the iPhone 16 line. Since September 2024, my iPhone 16 Pro Max has been limited to an 80 percent charge, with no cheating. As of today, my battery's maximum...
iphone 17 ceramic shield

Regular iPhone 17's USB-C Charging Speeds Tested With Apple Chargers

Friday September 26, 2025 9:01 am PDT by
The website ChargerLAB has tested the standard iPhone 17 model's USB-C charging speeds with a variety of Apple's chargers, from 18W to 140W. The device reached a peak charging speed of around 27W to 28W with these Apple chargers:29W USB-C Power Adapter 30W USB-C Power Adapter 35W Dual USB-C Port Power Adapter 35W Dual USB-C Port Compact Power Adapter 40W Dynamic Power Adapter with 60W Max...
LG UltraFine 6K Display TB5

LG UltraFine 6K (32U990A) TB5 Display: Pre-Orders Open September 30

Monday September 29, 2025 6:21 am PDT by
Pre-orders for LG's new UltraFine evo 6K display (model 32U990A) with Thunderbolt 5 support will begin on September 30, according to a major U.S. retailer listing. LG first revealed the 32-inch display at CES 2025 in January, teasing its status as the first monitor to support Thunderbolt 5. At the time, LG only provided high-level specs, but left pricing, availability, and full technical...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature Iridescent 1

Samsung Confirms Plan to Make Foldable Displays for Major American Company

Monday September 29, 2025 6:54 am PDT by
Samsung Display president Lee Cheong has confirmed plans to make foldable smartphone displays for a major American company, which is widely believed to be Apple. As reported in Chosun Biz, Cheong last week told journalists in Seoul that the company is accelerating preparations for mass production of OLED displays designed for foldable smartphones to be supplied to a "North American client."...

Top Rated Comments

ksgant Avatar
56 months ago
Seems OLED is always "a year away" for the iPads.
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Zdigital2015 Avatar
56 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
56 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
56 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
56 months ago


Attachment Image
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
alpi123 Avatar
56 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)