As we expect the release of the OLED iPad Pro and iPad Air 6, the most recent leak by display analyst Ross Young says the larger iPad Air model will feature a miniLED display. The analyst says these are leftover panels from the current 12.9-inch iPad Pro, which means the iPad Air will get a solid upgrade.
A miniLED display brings several improvements, such as lower power consumption, increased brightness for HDR content, and deeper blacks. Still, it’s unclear if the panel will feature ProMotion or if a 120Hz refresh rate will be included with both models.
That said, Apple is likely maintaining an LCD display for the smaller iPad Air version since it doesn’t have a stock of miniLED displays in that size. If this leak is true, and Ross Young is often right, the iPad Air upgrade will be bigger than anticipated.
More interestingly, this larger iPad Air will likely cost similarly to the new 11-inch iPad Pro, as miniLED panels are also expensive. With a possible M2 chip, Touch ID on the Side Button, and a landslide front-facing camera, the new iPad Air will be a Frankenstein of the current 12.9-inch iPad Pro, with new benefits and downsides.
With this iPad Air leak, it only seems Apple will make the iPad lineup even more confusing, as users will be able to choose from LCD, miniLED, and OLED panels with and without ProMotion. In addition, as there aren’t many differences between the M2 and the M3 processor, you can also say that miniLED and OLED have their own benefits and downsides as well.
That said, we are possibly a few weeks away from Apple introducing these iPads and their prices, so we’ll better understand which new tablet is worth upgrading to and how confusing the iPad lineup will be.