12.9-Inch iPad Air Now Rumored to Feature Mini-LED Display

[SoldOnApple]

Kinda want to wait for microled. Sick of big blooming, even my $4k macbook has it, though don’t get me wrong hdr still looks incredible on it.

 

[Apple Knowledge Navigator]

Typical TC. The iPad lineup is going to a mess.

 

[SactoGuy18]

Now I wonder (a bit off-topic here!) if the iPad Air gets the mini LED display, will it also get a maximum of 512 GB of local storage?

 

[JoshuaBru]

Does mini LED allow for always on display? Or just OLED? I’d love to have an iPad docked on my nightstand as a clock in that new standby mode and be able to grab it and surf the web, control home stuff etc when I need it. Not sure why Apple hasn’t ventured into this space yet. Googles (terrible) Pixel tablet last year was pretty cool for this central home hub idea.

 

[FineWoven]

can't call this heavy ass thing an "air" just drop that stupid name.

Was thinking the same thing. Keep the “Air” branding for the smaller model, that’s fine. But then call the big boy something like iPad Plus. It’s more accurate marketing and is consistent with their other product lines.

 

[FineWoven]

Well now there’s an interesting little tidbit… Hmmm if the bigger Air ends up getting the exact same display as my current M1 iPad Pro 12.9” while benefiting from a similar reduction in weight and thickness as the Pro line is supposedly getting this year, plus I’m sure some of the other features coming to the Pros, then I just may be tempted to go with the non-pro device this time around 😳

 

[Rafterman]

im glad the only media I'd ever watch on an iPad is like family guy or some other animation. don't have to worry about that.

"And no sprinkles! For every sprinkle I find...I shall kill you."

--- Stewey Griffin

 

[Jim Lahey]

Vis-à-vis the Pro Motion being exclusive to the Pro iterations, remember this is the company that makes a MacBook Pro Not-Pro, a MacBook Pro Pro, and a MacBook Pro Max. Anything is possible with these guys in 2024. Expect the unexpected. iPad Air Pro Pro Pro??

 

[TechRunner]

Price will be the biggest factor for me in considering the 12.9" Air. With my base 7th gen no longer able to download new iPadOS versions due to lack of space, I'm hoping to upgrade soon. Let's get these things on the market, Apple!

 

[gibi]

meh, it should be at least 5 years that I keep reading about the iPad OLED....now we are back to my 12.9 miniLED screen?

 

[gusping]

Well now there’s an interesting little tidbit… Hmmm if the bigger Air ends up getting the exact same display as my current M1 iPad Pro 12.9” while benefiting from a similar reduction in weight and thickness as the Pro line is supposedly getting this year, plus I’m sure some of the other features coming to the Pros, then I just may be tempted to go with the non-pro device this time around 😳

It all hinges on promotion for me and the price gap. If the jump from the large Air to the large Pro is <£200 then i'd just get the Pro. Any more and it would make me think twice.

 

[Digitalguy]

The 12.9" iPad Air users are going to be shocked when they crack their screen and discover Apple's $750 replacement fee for 12.9" Mini LED. I've had a lot of different iPads since launch, nearly every iPhone generation since launch, and a whole lot of different laptops and MacBooks over the years. The one one I've ever broken was the 12.9", which was in a folio case, inside a special padded iPad divider, inside of a padded camera bag, after sitting in the trunk of a car (secured in the same spot) for a two hour road trip. I'm never buying a 12.9" again.

mine fell on the ground from 1m and did not break or crack (fell face down)

 

[mac38728]

Hope this doesn’t lead to a price hike, would like to see this on the 10.9” also.

 

[SweeetasCinnamon]

The rumored 12.9-inch iPad Air that is expected to be announced in May will be equipped with a mini-LED display like the current 12.9-inch iPad Pro, according to Ross Young, CEO of research firm Display Supply Chain Consultants. 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 provide increased brightness for HDR content, deeper blacks, and more.

Young revealed this information in a post shared on social media platform X today. He said the 12.9-inch iPad Air will be using leftover mini-LED display panels from the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, and he touted lower power consumption as another benefit.

Given that Apple does not have existing inventory of 10.9-inch mini-LED display panels, it is likely that the smaller iPad Air will remain equipped with an LCD panel.

Meanwhile, the next iPad Pro models are widely expected to transition to OLED displays, which would eliminate backlighting to allow for higher contrast ratio with true blacks, and provide other enhancements compared to LCD and mini-LED technologies. The new iPad Pro models are also expected to be announced in May.

Young has a solid track record with display-related Apple rumors, so this information about the iPad Air is likely accurate.

Article Link: 12.9-Inch iPad Air Now Rumored to Feature Mini-LED Display

I think it's highly dependent on the price point on whether a 12.9in Air would be more cost-effective than a refurbished 12.9in Pro. I think too many people sleep on that clearance and refurbished area.

 

[Royksöpp]

Ehhh... After all the rumors of the M4, I don't know if I would want to upgrade now. I would be so angry if Apple pulled an iPad 3 and replaced the M3 Pro's after less than a year.

 

[seek3r]

If this is accurate probably shows the macbook air/pro roadmap too, the pros will get OLED and the airs will move to miniLED

 

[seek3r]

they make different spec versions of computers, I don't see why they can't do the same here. they should also kill the MacBook Air... Just have iPad and iPad Pro and MacBook and MacBook Pro... with varying spec levels between them... like they used to back in the day... the air was a cool novel product in the first gen when it was remarkably light but the name just means nothing anymore

honestly I think the macbook naming makes more sense in the AS era than it did before. They beefed up the pros and lightened the airs, so now the two lines of machine are:

Air: light for light work, the consumer model
Pro: heavy for heavy work, the professional (and at the base prosumer) model

The air name conveys its core selling point beyond price: the machine is lightweight and super easily portable

 

[jonnyb098]

Who cares at this point … refurbished pros are gonna be the way to go and have been The last couple years

 

[Royksöpp]

If this is accurate probably shows the macbook air/pro roadmap too, the pros will get OLED and the airs will move to miniLED

Not gonna happen. The display panel is significantly thicker, which in turn would make the air thicker. It’s also more expensive to produce. The idea of using leftover panels for the iPad is smart, as long as they’re reasonably priced. The MacBook Air is Apples Goldilocks computer. There is no way they are going to fiddle with their most popular Mac.

 

[Rafterman]

Who cares at this point … refurbished pros are gonna be the way to go and have been The last couple years

That is one of the things that irks me about Apple - never any sales. The new Pros and Airs are coming in less than a month, yet...will we see any price reductions or sales to blow them out? No, of course not. With Apple: maximum price always.

 

[EugW]

meh, it should be at least 5 years that I keep reading about the iPad OLED....now we are back to my 12.9 miniLED screen?

This shouldn't come as a surprise, as the OLED iPad is supposed to be a Pro. The mini-LED rumour is for the Air.

 

[seek3r]

Not gonna happen. The display panel is significantly thicker, which in turn would make the air thicker. It’s also more expensive to produce. The idea of using leftover panels for the iPad is smart, as long as they’re reasonably priced. The MacBook Air is Apples Goldilocks computer. There is no way they are going to fiddle with their most popular Mac.

Good point, didnt think about that honestly

 

[sos47]

i dont need the pro version of an ipad powerwise. i am fine with all other versions. but i really dislike the touchid on the non pro ipads because everytime „you are holding it wrong“.

i would like to have faceid on all devices. the diffs could be processor, storage, display, thunderbolt, speakers.
Multiuser support would be great.

 

[Surne]

does that mean it will also support promotion refresh rate?

I can't see why it wouldn't. It seems a somewhat useless extra step to lock all of these 120hz panels to 60hz just because.

 

[Portavoz]

It’s annoying with subtitles or any high-contrast text, especially in the dark:

View attachment 2369535

luckily I never use dark mode or watch iPad in the dark.