Last month, Apple made the iPad Air M4 official but aside from the performance bump, it didn't bring any major new changes. Now, the iPad Air M5, slated to arrive in 2027, is reportedly being treated with a premium display upgrade, bringing it on par with the iPad Pro.
iPad Air OLED Could Launch in 2027
A new report from ET News has revealed that Apple is planning to debut the next iPad Air refresh with an OLED display. It is said to debut with the iPad Air M5, replacing the longstanding Liquid Retina IPS display that differentiated the Air from the iPad Pro models.
Moreover, just like the iPhone Fold, the iPad Air's OLED display is also said to be manufactured by Samsung, which will begin mass production of OLED panels by the end of 2026 or in January 2027. If true, Apple's switch to OLED for iPad Air could add a serious value proposition as it is expected to offer richer colours and deeper blacks than the current LCD.
However, it might not be as good as the iPad Pro's TANDEM OLED display. For context, Apple uses a dual-layered OLED for the iPad Pro, which uses a stacked OLED layer to form a single multi-LED OLED display layer. It is responsible for higher picture quality output, sharper and vibrant images, lower power consumption and higher brightness value.
With the iPad Air, Apple plans to use a standard OLED sheet, which is what Samsung also uses in its S series tablets. However, unlike Samsung, iPad Air is expected to support LTPS refresh rate rather than LTPO. It could also be less bright, less punchy and less deep black than the iPad Pro's OLED display.
That said, it is still too early to comment on whether iPad Air OLED is indeed becoming a reality in 2027. As of now, there is no supply chain report regarding the transition and earlier rumours of iPad Mini getting an OLED display have also proven to be bleak lately. Hence, it is best to wait for further concrete evidence before we can get our hopes high.
