Next month should be iPad month, with Apple expected to update its tablet lineup after going the whole of last year without so much as a minor upgrade. The iPad Pro 2024 is expected to lead the charge, with new OLED panels — but what about the rest of the lineup?
A report from Macworld shines some light on that, with the iPad Pro’s move to OLED seemingly having trickle-down effects. The article cites a claim by display analyst Ross Young that the iPad Air 2024 will feature a MiniLED panel in the 12.9-inch version that’s joining the Air lineup — in other words, the same kind of display found on the current iPad Pro 2022.
In our iPad AIr 2022 review, we found that the tablet “delivered sharp picture quality on a relatively small screen.” We did wish that the screen was a bit brighter, but overall it’s pretty good.
A larger miniLED based screen would put it on par with the current iPad Pro that delivered rich colors and stark contrasts between dark and light elements on the screen. It would also improve power consumption. Coupled with the rumor that the newer iPad Air will also be getting the Apple M3 chip, we’re looking at some serious battery life upgrades just between those two updates — not to mention excellent performance as we’ve seen in tests for the MacBook Air 13-inch M3.
We already thought that the iPad Air (2022) was the best iPad of the current lineup and an upgraded display might help the new version hold on to that top spot.
It should be noted that Young did not mention pricing in his post. Currently, the iPad Air (2022) starts at $599 for the 64GB model and $749 for the 256GB version. A larger dispaly could mean a price hike for the tablet. We also don’t know if Apple is keeping the 10.9-inch version of the Air or just updating the line to the 12.9-inch form factor.