We were blown away by the new iPad Air when it was revealed last September. The all-screen design brought it in line with the iPad Pro, and the super-powerful processor led us to speculate that it could even make the Pro redundant. Subsequent iPad Pro updates have softened that line of thought – but the Air could come back swinging in 2022.
According to new reports, Apple is working on a new iPad Air featuring a super-bright OLED display, and it could arrive as soon as next year. The 12.9-inch iPad Pro is currently the only Apple tablet with an LED display, but a more affordable model could be a shoo-in for our best drawing tablets roundup.
The 12.9-inch iPad Pro is the only current model featuring an LED display (Image credit: Apple)
According to The Elec (as spotted by MacRumors), Apple's next iPad Air will be the company's first ever OLED tablet (the iPad Pro features a mini-LED display, which is a little more expensive to produce). And as anyone who's experienced the larger M1 iPad Pro will attest, it's a vast improvement on traditional LCD displays, offering much higher contrast and brightness. Check out our M1 iPad Pro 12.9-inch review for the lowdown on the Pro.
We were already seriously impressed by the 2020 iPad Air (Image credit: Apple)
The new OLED display is said to be 10.86-inches (the same size as the current iPad Air), and is said to feature "thin-film encapsulation" tech, which "stacks organic material and inorganic material in alternatively in layers to protect the organic material from water and oxygen". Basically, it's strong.
The benefits of an LED iPad Air for creatives are obvious – while the 12.9-inch iPad Pro is incredible, it's hardly the most affordable option out there. With Apple Pencil 2 and Magic Keyboard support, the Air offers many of the same perks as the Pro, but the LCD display is currently a major drawback. A more affordable LED digital canvas can only be a good thing.
Time will tell whether an OLED iPad Air will become a reality, but you don't have to wait to get hold of an incredible iPad – check out today's best iPad Air and iPad Pro deals below, and be sure to visit out main Apple deals page for more brilliant offers.
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Daniel John is Design Editor at Creative Bloq. He reports on the worlds of design, branding and lifestyle tech, and has covered several industry events including Milan Design Week, OFFF Barcelona and Adobe Max in Los Angeles.
