We expect Apple to unveil a new iPad series in the first week of May. A new report released Thursday could provide a glimpse of what might be in store, and it says a lot about what the company is doing with its iPad lineup.
Analyst Ross Young job on Young says Apple is using leftover production of this Pro model because there are plans to upgrade the iPad Pro to OLED displays.
The implementation of a mini LED screen would save energy consumption compared to current LED screens. Mini LEDs also produce better blacks, so picture quality on the iPad Air could improve.
A 12.9-inch iPad Air is rumored to be a new addition to the iPad lineup to complement the current 10.9-inch iPad Air. This creates a non-pro pairing that is an alternative to the 11 and 12.9-inch iPad Pro.
Young, however, doesn’t specify whether the smaller Air will also switch from its current LED screen to Mini LED. If the iPad Pro’s current configuration is any indication (the 11-inch model has a standard LED, while the 12.9-inch model uses a Mini LED), Apple may not release it level.
Additionally, no comments were made on how the Mini LED upgrade would affect the price. The current 12.9-inch iPad Pro with 128GB of storage starts at $1,099, while the iPad Air line is much cheaper with an entry-level price of $599. The rumored upgrade to OLED for this model could increase the price, leaving room for the 12.9-inch iPad Air in the $999 range. Apple could also reduce the Air’s standard SSD configuration to 64GB (compared to 128GB for the iPad Pro) to lower the price a bit.
Stay up to date with the latest news by checking out our iPad Air and iPad Pro rumor summaries.
