The iPad Air M4 might be dead in the water already as OLED update tipped
An iPad Air OLED could be ready for Spring 2027, so where does that leave the new M4 that just arrived with an LCD.
Apple is reportedly planning a new iPad Air with an OLED display for next year’s update, according to a new leak. Apple only just refreshed the iPad Air in March with an M4 series processor. That’d normally make this a great time to buy a new model.
However, if you can possibly hold off for a year then a new supply chain report has suggested the iPad Air OLED is now in the pipeline with a launch coming as soon as March next year.
That’s according to ET News (via 9to5Mac) in South Korea, which is reporting Samsung is making the OLED panels for the new iPad model.
The report says: “According to supply-chain sources, Samsung Display plans to start mass production of OLED for iPad Air at the end of the year or around January next year. Apple is to supply display panels to the next-generation iPad Air, which is scheduled to be released in the first half of next year. The expected launch time of the iPad Air, which the industry expects, is March or May next year.”
Recent reports from the likes of Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman have suggested Apple is gradually updating its iPad models to furnish them all with OLED displays. The iPad mini might be next to get an OLED panel, Gurman says.
The iPad Pro, of course, was first to the more advanced display technology. Today’s report suggests the panel for the iPad Air might have a slightly lower spec than the Pro display.
The newest version of the middle-child iPad arrived in early March, in 11-inch and 13-inch models, both carrying the M4 chip. This made it 30% faster than the M3 variant and 2.3x faster than the M1 version. The Air also has Apple’s cellular chip – C1X – from the iPhone Air and new iPhone 17e, as well as its N1 chip which handles Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Thread.
Chris Smith
