iPad Air With OLED Screen to Be Launched ‘As Early as 2026’: Report

Apple’s iPad Air will reportedly be upgraded with an OLED screen, making it the second tablet in the company’s lineup to be equipped with the improved display technology instead of the company’s Liquid Retina IPS LCD screens. The company is also said to have selected a supplier for the displays on its upgraded iPad Air models. Earlier this year, Apple introduced the iPad Pro (2024) with a new Tandem OLED technology and slim design, while the iPad Air (2024), which also arrived in in two display sizes, features an LCD screen.

iPad Air OLED Model May Debut by 2026

An upgraded iPad Air with an OLED screen will be launched by Apple “as early as 2026”, according to a report (in Korean) by The Elec. The iPhone maker is also expected to launch an improved version of the iPad Mini with an OLED screen, which currently sports an 8.3-inch Liquid Retina IPS LCD screen, in the same year.

The latest iPad Pro (2024) model that was launched in May is equipped with an advanced Tandem OLED screen that offers increased brightness, improved colour reproduction, and reduced power consumption, while enabling a slimmer form factor.

On the other hand, the purported iPad Air OLED model will not be equipped with the same display technology, allowing the company to keep the manufacturing costs for the device and the retail price lower than the iPad Pro model.

Samsung Could Supply Panels for iPad Air OLED Model

The Cupertino company has tapped Samsung Display to supply the OLED panels for these iPad Air models, due to its ability to mass-produce the displays (on its A3 line) at a higher rate than South Korean rival LG Display (on its E6 lines), as per the report. 

The purported iPad Air OLED model could arrive in two display sizes, just like this year’s iPad Air (2024) which was launched in 11-inch (2,360×1,640 pixels) and 13-inch (2,732×2,048 pixels) variants along with Apple’s M2 chipset. The tablet has a 12-megapixel camera on the back and front for photos and video calls, respectively. It is equipped with a USB Type-C port that supports charging at 20W when connected to a compatible charger.