Low iPad Pro demand could push an OLED iPad Air to 2027

By Bryan M. Wolfe Published January 6, 2025

A video playing on the Apple iPad Air (2024). — Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

If you have patiently waited for Apple to release an iPad Air with an OLED, we have bad news. LG Display is adjusting its OLED production away from the iPad Pro because of weak demand. According to The Elec (via MacRumors), production is shifting to manufacturing iPhone displays, which could delay the launch of the world’s first iPad Air with OLED.

According to the report, LG Display hopes to maintain its current production of iPad OLED inventory until the end of February. By then, it hopes Apple will give it the go-ahead to shift production to OLED iPhone panels.

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Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC) believes Apple hoped to introduce an iPad Air with OLED in 2026. However, because of weaker sales of the iPad Pro, the launch date might move into 2027. However, the first MacBook Pro OLEDs are still expected to arrive sometime in 2026.

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The latest iPad Pro and iPad Air models were introduced in early 2024. The iPad Air (2024) now includes a 13-inch version and the existing 11-inch model. The iPad Pro (2024) features an Ultra Retina XDR display with OLED technology, while the iPad Air is equipped with a Liquid Retina LCD.

Current iPhones, including the iPhone 16 Pro, have OLEDs.

OLED displays offer several advantages over LCDs, such as nearly perfect black levels and infinite contrast ratio. OLEDs also generally offer a wider color gamut, meaning they can display more colors and more accurate colors, resulting in a more vibrant and lifelike image.

However, OLEDs are more expensive than LCDs. Undoubtedly, this is one of the reasons iPad Pro sales seem to be lagging.

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Mobile and A/V Freelancer

Bryan M. Wolfe has over a decade of experience as a technology writer. He writes about mobile.

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