12.9-Inch iPad Air No Longer Expected to Feature Mini-LED Display

Apple's upcoming 12.9-inch iPad Air will feature an LCD display like its smaller sibling, according to Display Supply Chain Consultants CEO and analyst Ross Young.

iPad Air 12

Earlier this month, Young said that the larger ‌iPad Air‌ would feature a mini-LED display like the current iPad Pro of the same size. The existing 10.9-inch ‌iPad Air‌ is equipped with a standard LCD panel, and the move to mini-LED technology for the 12.9-inch model would have provided increased brightness for HDR content, deeper blacks, lower power consumption, and more. He said the 12.9-inch ‌iPad Air‌ would use leftover mini-LED display panels from the 12.9-inch ‌iPad Pro‌, with the 10.9-inch model sticking with LCDs.

Now, in a post to subscribers on X (formerly Twitter), he said that this is no longer expected to be the case due to the panel's high cost, despite confirmation from multiple supply chain sources. As a result, both ‌iPad Air‌ models will feature LCD displays, clearly delineating them from the ‌iPad Pro‌, which is expected to move to OLED.

However, Young added that there may be a new iPad model with a 12.9-inch mini-LED display introduced in the fourth quarter of 2024. Speculatively, the device could be a high-end ‌iPad Air‌, a low-end ‌iPad Pro‌, or something else entirely. Next-generation ‌iPad Air‌ and ‌iPad Pro‌ models are expected to be announced at Apple's "Let loose" event on May 7.

Related Roundup: iPad Air
Buyer's Guide: iPad Air (Don't Buy)
Related Forum: iPad

Top Rated Comments

abatabia Avatar
2 weeks ago
I’m going to get flak for this but: there are way too many iPads.
Score: 44 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Fuzzball84 Avatar
2 weeks ago

I’m going to get flak for this but: there are way too many iPads.
I come from 2027… there are now 34 iPads in the lineup..

Consider yourself lucky ?
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheLinkster Avatar
2 weeks ago
I won't believe it until I hear from Gurman.

Just kidding.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TallGuyGT Avatar
2 weeks ago
This rumor never made sense. They need to differentiate the Air from the Pro.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
zelativity Avatar
2 weeks ago
High-end iPad Air? Low-end iPad Pro? I mean it's not like the iPad lineup as it is isn't confusing enough right? /s
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
harold.ji Avatar
2 weeks ago
Mother Nature would be angry about those wasted leftover mini-LED panels from 12.9 iPad Pro!
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 18 Apple Music Messages and Notes Feature 1

iOS 18 Rumored to Add New Features to These 16 Apps on Your iPhone

Tuesday April 30, 2024 10:44 am PDT by
Apple is expected to announce iOS 18 during its WWDC keynote on June 10, and new features have already been rumored for many apps, including Apple Music, Apple Maps, Calculator, Messages, Notes, Safari, and others. Below, we recap iOS 18 rumors on a per-app basis, based on reports from MacRumors, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, and others: Apple Maps: At least two new Apple Maps features are...
apple watch ipad demo 1

Check Out This Apple Watch iPad Demo Unit From 2014

Wednesday May 1, 2024 1:46 pm PDT by
With the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch approaching, we thought it would be fun to take a look back at an interesting bit of Apple Watch history. After the Apple Watch was announced in 2014, and before it became available in 2015, Apple sent out custom Apple Watch iPad demo kiosks to retail stores. The Apple Watch and iPad units used for these devices were specially designed, had custom ...
Apple Event Let Loose Pastel Green

Report: Five Things Apple Won't Announce at Its Event Next Week

Friday May 3, 2024 4:30 am PDT by
Apple is holding at least five announcements for later in the year that will not arrive at the company's "Let loose" special event next week, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In a report detailing his expectations for Apple's upcoming event, Gurman noted that there are a total of five things that the company is holding for later in the year: AI features: While Apple may tease new...
Apple Silicon AI Optimized Feature Siri 1

Tim Cook on Generative AI: 'We Have Advantages That Will Differentiate Us'

Thursday May 2, 2024 2:11 pm PDT by
During today's earnings call covering the second fiscal quarter of 2024, Apple CEO Tim Cook again spoke about Apple's work on generative AI. He said that Apple has "advantages" that will "differentiate" the company in the era of AI, and some "very exciting things" will be shared with customers in the near future. We continue to feel very bullish about our opportunity in generative AI. We are ...
maxresdefault

Will the New iPad Pro Really Have the M4 Chip?

Wednesday May 1, 2024 8:30 am PDT by
While Apple's upcoming iPad Pro models have been expected to feature the M3 chip for over a year, recent reports have unexpectedly suggested that the new devices will instead feature the as-yet-unannounced M4 chip. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Last week, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that he now believes there is a "strong possibility" that the upcoming iPad Pro ...