The next generation iPad Air has long been rumored to come in two sizes, emulating the iPad Pro line for the first time. And while the next iPad Pro will switch to OLED for its screen technology, it looks like the upcoming larger iPad Air will use the Mini LED tech that is in the current iPad Pro generation.
This information comes from Display Supply Chain Consultants’ Ross Young, generally a reliable source for this kind of stuff. The move to Mini LED for the 12.9″ iPad Air would give it lower power consumption, better brightness for HDR content and deeper blacks compared to the IPS LCD tech inside the current iPad Air.
Apple apparently had some leftover Mini LED panels produced for the current-gen 12.9″ iPad Pro that it now plans on using for the Air, which makes sense considering how bad its tablet sales have been in recent months. Even so, it’s still a net positive for the Air line, and with the upcoming larger iPad Air model, those who want a 12.9″ Apple tablet will be able to get one for less money than the Pro.
Although Young hasn’t said anything about the display tech used in the upcoming 10.9″ iPad Air, the logical guess is that it will still use IPS LCD panels since there isn’t a 10.9-inch iPad Pro in production for which leftover Mini LED panels could have been available. That is, unless Apple switches to 11″ for the smaller variant.
The new iPad Air models are expected to finally become official next month, alongside the new iPad Air tablets.
