Apple will select Samsung Show as the principle provider of OLED panels for a brand new iPad Air, primarily on account of its giant manufacturing capability in comparison with rival LG Show, studies The Elec.
Samsung already provides Apple with OLED panels for the brand new M4 iPad Professional, which encompasses a tandem design for improved brightness and energy effectivity. In the present day’s report provides that Apple will convey an OLED panel to the iPad Air alongside the iPad mini in 2026.
Samsung Show’s A3 line, which mass-produces OLED panels for the iPhone and iPad Professional, has a manufacturing capability of 135,000 items monthly. As compared, LG Show’s E6-1~3 strains, which produce OLED for the iPhone, have a capability of solely 45,000 items monthly, and the E6-4 line, which produces OLED for the iPad, has a capability of simply 15,000 items monthly.
Apple’s plans to transition the iPad mini and iPad Air to OLED shows at the moment are extensively rumored. In accordance with analysis agency Omdia, the iPad Air is anticipated to undertake an OLED show in 2026, with the iPad mini following in 2027. Nonetheless, Korea’s ET Information and ZDNET Korea each counsel that the 2 fashions shall be up to date with OLED shows concurrently in 2026, although there is a risk that Apple may delay the 13-inch iPad Air’s OLED improve till 2027. Whereas the OLED iPad Air is anticipated to retain its 11-inch show, the iPad mini’s display may enhance in dimension from 8.3 inches to eight.7 inches.
In contrast to the newest iPad Professional fashions, which use two-stack LTPO (Low-Temperature Polycrystalline Oxide) OLED panels, the iPad mini and iPad Air are anticipated to function single-stack LTPS (Low-Temperature Polycrystalline Silicon) panels. Consequently, these shows could also be dimmer and proceed to lack ProMotion know-how, however the decrease specs cut back manufacturing prices.
LG Show has an edge within the mass manufacturing of tandem OLED, however this benefit is unlikely to hold over to the iPad Air. In the present day’s Korean report cited an business supply speculating that since Apple wants to extend gross sales of the OLED iPad Air, it should seemingly want Samsung Show, which may reliably produce giant portions of single-stack OLED panels.