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

[MacRumors]

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).

"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.

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

 

[JanoschR]

ok, great... but I want the new iPad Pro now! 😆

 

[zkap]

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.

 

[iPay]

Like, next in 2028 !?

 

[EugW]

So, according to that article, 2028… or… 2026 or 2027.

 

[StuBeck]

So, according to that article, 2028… or… 2026 or 2027.

Or we will get an updated forecast in April saying its happening in 2029, then in 2026 they'll say its 2030, and then we will hear that its never happening and people were idiots for thinking it was going to happen.

 

[Apple Mac Daz]

Talk about contradicting years

 

[kiranmk2]

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.

 

[TechRunner]

These predictions of things to come four years from now are pretty easy to ignore, regardless of the company being rumored about.

 

[klasma]

The original source doesn’t actually claim that the iPad Air is “next”. I would expect the MacBook Pros to move to OLED before that. As usual, MacRumors distorts the original article and manages to be more confusing.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

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 and here in 2020) had microLED arriving by about now... if not a year or two+ ago.

 

[klasma]

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 and here in 2020) had microLED arriving by about now... if not a year or two+ ago.

Forecasts were representing the best-case scenario. It’s still a completely open question whether the technology will be able to pan out, and if so, when.

 

[one more]

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 and here in 2020) had microLED arriving by about now... if not a year or two+ ago.

MicroLED panels would still be way too costly today. As for the modern OLED burn-in, it is practically not existant and we are more likely to burn our eyes staring at our screens than the screens themselves.

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.

 

[gleepskip]

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.

 

[foobarbaz]

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.

Well "can't" is the wrong question. Sure it can go in there now. The reason they don't is probably cost. It doesn't fit their margins.
Also, brightness alone is not enough differentiation for the price difference in case they plan 120Hz or maybe Facetime for the Air.

 

[bradman83]

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 and here in 2020) had microLED arriving by about now... if not a year or two+ ago.

Random minor quibble: OLED burn-in tends to be an issue primarily when the screen is displaying a largely static image. This is especially problematic on laptops running desktop operating systems that have static UI items like the Windows taskbar and macOS menu bar/dock, or TVs being used as informational displays (think airport flight boards). iPhones and iPads are less susceptible to burn-in because there are few static UI elements; all apps run in full screen and generally have different layouts, meaning the screen is constantly being refreshed. Even the clock and indicator icons on the top of the screen animate in and out as apps are switched.

 

[PlayUltimate]

TLDR: some other Apple product, perhaps the iPad Air, may get an OLED screen at some point in the future.

 

[kiranmk2]

Well "can't" is the wrong question. Sure it can go in there now. The reason they don't is probably cost. It doesn't fit their margins.
Also, brightness alone is not enough differentiation for the price difference in case they plan 120Hz or maybe Facetime for the Air.

I would have thought that if a single stack OLED panel is, say 20% more than the LCD panel, that Apple would increase the selling price by 20% (and increase the margins) whilst extolling the virtues of OLED (perfect black, high contrast, fast response time).

Agree with you on retaining Promotion as a Pro differentiator.

 

[satchmo]

So in 2028, Apple will have a stacked lineup.

 

[Rodney Williams]

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.

 

[svish]

2028 is very far away. Eventually the Air lineup will shift to OLED. Not sure how Apple will be pricing the devices when Air also gets OLED.

 

[harold.ji]

Yeah, Apple is acting like all non-Pro models are charities to the poor.

 

[garranhado]

There’s OLED Android tablets in years for 200/300$, not only Apple is late but will be expensive.