12.9-Inch iPad Air No Longer Expected to Feature Mini-LED Display

Apple's upcoming 12.9-inch iPad Air will feature an LCD display like its smaller sibling, according to Display Supply Chain Consultants CEO and analyst Ross Young.

Earlier this month, Young said that the larger ‌iPad Air‌ would feature a mini-LED display like the current iPad Pro of the same size. The existing 10.9-inch ‌iPad Air‌ is equipped with a standard LCD panel, and the move to mini-LED technology for the 12.9-inch model would have provided increased brightness for HDR content, deeper blacks, lower power consumption, and more. He said the 12.9-inch ‌iPad Air‌ would use leftover mini-LED display panels from the 12.9-inch ‌iPad Pro‌, with the 10.9-inch model sticking with LCDs.

Now, in a post to subscribers on X (formerly Twitter), he said that this is no longer expected to be the case due to the panel's high cost, despite confirmation from multiple supply chain sources. As a result, both ‌iPad Air‌ models will feature LCD displays, clearly delineating them from the ‌iPad Pro‌, which is expected to move to OLED.

However, Young added that there may be a new iPad model with a 12.9-inch mini-LED display introduced in the fourth quarter of 2024. Speculatively, the device could be a high-end ‌iPad Air‌, a low-end ‌iPad Pro‌, or something else entirely. Next-generation ‌iPad Air‌ and ‌iPad Pro‌ models are expected to be announced at Apple's "Let loose" event on May 7.