What you need to know
- A new report says Apple is planning a 10.9-inch iPad upgrade next year.
- According to The Elec is could feature an OLED display.
- Apple recently introduced mini-LED to its iPad Pro.
A new report claims Apple's iPad Air, or a new 10.9-inch model could get a huge display boost in the form of OLED next year.
From The Elec:
Apple will launch two new models of iPads that use OLED panels in 2023, TheElec has learned.Cupertino will launch its first ever OLED iPad in 2022. The tablet will sport a 10.86-inch OLED screen. Samsung Display will be the sole supplier of the OLED panels.The following year, in 2023, Apple is planning to launch an 11-inch OLED iPad and a 12.9-inch OLED iPad.
According to the report, the new OLED iPad coming next year will use "rigid OLED and thin-film encapsulation", as well as the same OLED LTPS structure used in its iPhone lineup. By contrast, the following year Apple is reportedly planning to switch to flexible OLED for new iPad Pro models.
Apple currently hosts the 10.9-inch iPad Air in its lineup, as well as the 10.2-inch iPad, with the former currently regarded as Apple's best iPad right now. It seems more likely Apple would upgrade the iPad Air with this feature, given that the sizes of screen match the rumor and Apple's increased price of the iPad Air and a focus on more premium features in the last upgrade. By contrast, the 10.2-inch iPad remains Apple's cheapest full-size option, making OLED a much less likely inclusion for that model.
If the report is correct, it would mean a massive upgrade in display quality in the next iPad Air, as well as a boost to the iPad Pro the following year. The new iPad Pro (2021) has a stunning new Liquid Retina XDR display powered by mini-LED technology and was just released this year, meaning a two year wait for an upgrade makes sense. We've heard previous multiple reports OLED displays are coming to iPad from this source, Digitimes, and Ming-Chi Kuo.
