iPad Air Next on Apple's OLED Tablet Roadmap Following iPad Pro

The iPad Air will be the next Apple tablet to adopt OLED display panel technology following its upcoming OLED iPad Pro models, according to an updated forecast from research firm Omdia (via The Elec).

OLED iPad Air
"In 2028, we expect the iPad Air to go OLED as well, with the iPad Air using single-stack and the iPad Pro using two-stack tandem OLEDs," said Omdia researcher Kang Min-soo, speaking on Thursday at the 2024 Korea Display Conference in Seoul.

A two-stack tandem structure consists of two light-emitting layers stacked together. The two-stack OLED design can generate the same brightness levels as a single-stack design, but with significantly reduced power consumption and extended lifespan. The iPhone currently uses a single stack OLED display with one light-emitting layer.

Omdia's latest prediction is an adjustment to a forecast published earlier this year, in which it said Apple will launch 8.3-inch iPad mini and 10.8-inch iPad Air models with OLED displays in 2026.

The research firm now appears to be leaning towards the possibility that Apple will launch an OLED foldable in the next few years in the form of a 7- to 8-inch device that could ultimately replace the 8.3-inch iPad mini. According to a previous report, Apple is reviewing a launch timeframe for such a device between 2026 and 2027. The latest report however does not mention whether Kang Min-soo offered his own timeframe.

Apple's next-generation OLED iPad Pro models are expected to be announced in a matter of weeks, according to multiple sources. They are rumored to have a thinner design, an M3 chip, improved cameras, MagSafe wireless charging, and a redesigned Magic Keyboard accessory that makes the iPad Pro more laptop-like.

Apple is also working on two non-OLED versions of the iPad Air, in 10.9 and 12.9-inch sizes, similar to the two sizes of the iPad Pro. These iPad Air models are expected to be introduced as soon as late March alongside the new OLED iPad Pro models.

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

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Top Rated Comments

zkap Avatar
9 months ago
Ah yes, 2028. Why not write something as obvious as the Air following the Pro into OLED territory, which was always going to be the case. Leave it to Apple to be proactive, spreading a feature across the line-up in as little as half a decade.
I do think, though, that this report / rumor is optimistic. More realistically, we will get ProMotion Airs in 2028, immediately followed by OLED ProMotion Airs as soon as 2032.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JanoschR Avatar
9 months ago
ok, great... but I want the new iPad Pro now! ?
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gleepskip Avatar
9 months ago

I am very happy with the current Air 5 panels, which is a good improvement over the previous generations (Air 4 and Air 3), both of which suffered from light leaking of different degrees.
Air 5 display is great and that's coming from am M-series MBP owner. I wish Apple would obsess more with iPad software than hardware.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kiranmk2 Avatar
9 months ago
Hmmm something's not adding up. If the iPad Air was also getting the tandem panel I could understand a 2028 date (time for the technology to mature and prices to decrease), but if it's only getting a single stack panel I don't see why it can't get it sooner with the differentiation to the iPad Pro being the brightness achievable.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
HobeSoundDarryl Avatar
9 months ago
What happened to micro LED- the next gen LED tech with the core visual benefits of OLED minus the shortcomings like burn-in, but also major gains in power efficiency & similar? I seem to recall that only a few years ago, forecasts (such as here in 2018 ('https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/apple-developing-its-own-microled-displays-for-future-devices.2110896/') and here in 2020 ('https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/report-apple-investing-330-million-in-taiwanese-factory-where-microled-display-development-will-be-top-priority.2239230/')) had microLED arriving by about now... if not a year or two+ ago.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Rodney Williams Avatar
9 months ago
Everyone has a valid point. I was given an M1 iPad Pro 11 inch for Christmas by my daughter. I wasn't even sure if I will ever own one. Then I was given one as a gift. It was about almost 6 months afterward that I decided to play with it and see what it's capable of. I have to admit that I was really impressed. Actually blown away in comparison to the earlier iPad when it first came on the market. No wonder, there's a market for digital art. So I haven't picked up a pencil in 20 plus years and decided to get back into my creative self. Slowly but surely getting back into it. At this point, I'm pleased with my M1 iPad Pro, and it does everything that I need to tap into my creativity. Definitely a new frontier that I'm entering when it comes to digital art and creativity. I don't think I will be worrying about the latest and the greatest iPad Air or iPad Pro at this point unless I break my current iPad Pro which I don't think will happen.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)