iPad Air 2026: OLED panels will be provided by Samsung

Apple will choose it Samsung show as the main supplier of OLED panels for the new iPad Air, mainly because of the large production capacity compared to the rival LG Display, reports The Elec.

Samsung has already provided Apple with OLED panels for the new M4 iPad Pro, which feature a dual design for improved brightness and energy efficiency. Today’s report adds that Apple will bring an OLED panel to the iPad Air with the iPad mini in 2026.

Samsung Display’s A3 series, which mass-produces OLED panels for the iPhone and iPad Pro​​, has a production capacity of 135,000 units per month. In comparison, LG Display’s E6-1~3 series, which produces OLEDs for the iPhone, have a capacity of only 45,000 units per month, and the E6-4 series, which produces OLEDs for the iPad, have a capacity of of only 15,000 units. every month

Apple’s plans to switch the screens of the iPad mini and iPad Air to OLED screens are now an open secret.

According to research firm Omdia, the iPad Air is expected to adopt an OLED display in 2026, with the iPad mini following in 2027.

However, Korea’s ET News and ZDNET Korea report that both models will be updated with OLED displays at the same time, although there is a possibility that Apple will delay the OLED update of the 13-inch iPad Air until the 2027. While the iPad OLED Air is expected to keep the 11-inch screen, the screen of the iPad mini could increase from 3 to 8 inches.

Unlike the latest iPad Pro models, which use dual-stack LTPO OLED panels, the iPad mini and iPad Air are expected to have single-stack LTPS panels. As a result, these screens can be darker and also lack ProMotion technology. But lower specifications also reduce manufacturing costs.

LG Display has an advantage in mass production tandem OLED, but this advantage is unlikely to carry over to the iPad Air. Today’s Korean report cited an industry source who speculated that since Apple needs to boost sales of its OLED ‌iPad Air‌, it will likely favor Samsung Display, which can reliably produce large quantities of OLED panels single stack.

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