The iPad Air is a fantastic device. It’s sleek, has great features, long battery life, and versatility for gaming, video, and work. However, its LCD screen and 60Hz refresh rate fall short, making it feel less smooth and a bit outdated compared to the iPad Pro.
But things might change soon. According to The Elec, Samsung Display is expected to supply OLED panels for the iPad Air in 2026. This is exciting news because earlier reports from Apple Insider suggested we wouldn’t see OLED displays on the iPad Air until 2028. Getting them a couple of years earlier will definitely be a win for Apple fans.
Samsung Display has a large OLED production capacity. Its A3 line can produce 135,000 panels per month for the iPhone and iPad Pro. In comparison, LG Display’s E6-1-3 line can produce 45,000 iPhone OLED screens monthly, and the E6-4 line can produce 15,000 iPad OLED screens.
Last year, Samsung shipped between 150 million and 160 million iPhone OLED panels from the A3 line, while LG’s E6 line shipped 52 million. LG is expected to increase its production by 10 million units in 2024.
The Elec also reports that Apple might extend OLED screens to other devices, like the iPad Mini and a future foldable. It’s speculated that while the iPad Pro uses a Tandem OLED setup (two OLED panels stacked), the iPad Air might use traditional OLED technology, which could reduce costs.
However, it’s important to take this report with some caution. The Elec is reliable for supply chain news, but it’s less accurate when predicting features for unreleased products, especially those as far off as 2026. We should get more concrete details next year.
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