Samsung Display tipped to lead OLED supply for 2027 iPad Air

The latest versions of the iPad Pro and iPad mini already sport OLED screens, but the current 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Air are stuck with LCD panels. Today, industry sources in Korea are claiming that the first OLED iPad Air models are due in the first half of 2027 - which lines up with earlier reporting.

These Korean sources put 2027 OLED iPad shipment outlooks at 3 to 4 million Pro units, 4 to 5 million mini units, and 4 to 5 million Air units. On the supply side, Samsung Display is tipped for the mini panels and for the bulk of the Air order alongside BOE, while the Pro panels would keep coming from LG Display and Samsung Display, with the former leading the latter. BOE is said to be chasing one of the two Air sizes, though whether it will actually succeed remains to be seen.

Apple is also expected to keep a clear gap between the Pro and the cheaper OLED models. The Pro will stick with tandem OLED and LTPO, while the mini and Air are using single-stack OLED with LTPS - a cheaper recipe that was suggested before.