Production on 12.9-Inch iPad Air and OLED iPad Pro Displays Now Underway

ByJim Miller

Major changes are ahead for Apple's iPad portfolio in 2024, according to display industry insider Ross Young.

Apple aims to broaden its tablet range with both a larger 12.9-inch iPad Air and a new OLED screen technology coming to the high-end iPad Pros.

Shipments of display panels for the bigger iPad Air model have already begun, Young reports. Respected Apple analysts Ming-Chi Kuo and Mark Gurman also point to a March 2024 debut for the upsized mid-range tablet alongside a standard 10.9-inch version.

(About Ross Young: He is a leading display analyst from Texas who has inside knowledge from the supply chain, so he can make predictions about upcoming tablets. 90% accurate.)

At 12.9 inches, the next iPad Air would match the screen size of today's largest iPad Pro. However, by sticking with LCD technology, Apple can reserve OLED for its top-of-the-line tablet series and justify the iPad Pro's premium pricing. Young says panels for OLED iPad Pros will likely ship to Apple in January ahead of a 2024 introduction.

Expanding the iPad Air line upward while shifting the Pro line to a costlier but more advanced OLED display configuration allows Apple to stretch its price spectrum.

The 12.9-inch iPad Air will neatly fill the gap between the 10.9-inch iPad Air and 11-inch iPad Pro when it launches next spring.

Bringing greater differentiation across the price range lets Apple target more types of users based on budget and needs. The updated iPad Air and Pro tablets are set to bring both larger and better screen technologies across Apple's tablet portfolio next year.

Apple iPad 2023 Model

Read more about Apple iPad series:

  1. Apple Plans Major iPad and MacBook Upgrades in 2024
  2. New iPad Mini 7 Expected in 2024 With Major Upgrades

– Tom Bowen