Image: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
The super-size iPad Air supposedly coming in a few weeks could come with a surprise: mini-LED backlights for the screen. This is the same type already in the largest iPad Pro.
It’s another reason for people to look forward to this tablet, which is expected in early May.
Leak of 12.9-inch iPad Air with mini-LED comes out of the blue
mini-LED screens use thousands of tiny LEDs to provide a backlight for the LCD that can illuminate very specific areas. The result is higher contrast, blacker blacks, improved brightness and better power efficiency.
The tech costs more than traditional backlights, so Apple has so far reserved it for high-end “Pro” products. But that’s reportedly about to change.
The upcoming 12.9-inch iPad Air will include mini-LED panels left over from making the current iPad Pro, according to Ross Young. He’s CEO of Display Supply Chain Consultants, and has reliable inside sources at Apple’s component-makers.
The panels will be left over because the soon-to-released version of the iPad Pro will have an OLED screen instead that has no need for backlights.
If this report is correct, the 2024 iPad Air will join two other existing Apple products with a mini-LED display: the 14-inch MacBook Pro and 16-inch MacBook Pro.
While there’s been no mention connecting the tablet with mini-LED before, this leak has to be taken seriously — Young has an excellent track record. That includes correctly predicting that all iPhone 15 models would include the Dynamic Island a solid year before the handset’s launch.
More about the 2024 iPad Air
Whether the backlights will change or not, the big news about the 2024 iPad Air is that there’ll be a 12.9-inch option. The previous largest version came with a 10.9-inch display.
And that’s not the only change. The current iPad Air 5 from 2022 runs an Apple M1 processor that debuted in 2020. The upcoming version of each tablet reportedly will jump to the M3 that premiered in the latest MacBook Air.
The 2024 iPad Air launch is expected on Monday, May 6. Pricing for the 12.9- and 10.9-inch versions is currently unknown.