iPad Air OLED: Samsung expected to become largest supplier for Apple next year

Following the OLED iPad Mini, the iPad Air is the only model in the lineup that hasn’t received an OLED treatment yet. That is expected to change next year, as Apple is working on the next-generation iPad Air. A new report has stated that it could happen early next year and that Samsung Display will be supplying the majority of Apple’s OLED panels.

We know that Samsung Display already supplies OLED panels for the iPhone Duo, some of the iPad Mini OLEDs, and all MacBook Pro OLEDs. It is also expected to contribute to the iPad Air OLED that is said to come out early next year, as per ZDNet. The report cites industry sources familiar with the matter and claims that Samsung Display will supply OLED panels for one of the two iPad Air OLED sizes.

This would make Samsung the biggest OLED supplier for Apple next year. The Cupertino giant is expected to ship 4 to 5 million units for the upcoming iPad Air, with a portion of the OLEDs supplied by China’s BOE. The OLEDs for iPad Pro models will still come from LG, but Samsung will still become the largest iPad OLED supplier overall.

Furthermore, unlike the iPad Pro’s tandem OLED panels, the iPad Air OLED will stick with a single-stack OLED. Instead of the Low-Temperature Polycrystalline Oxide (LTPO) panel, the iPad Air OLED will come with Low-Temperature Polycrystalline Silicon (LTPS) panels.

The report also adds that sales for the iPad Pro models have been sluggish for the past three years. The initial shipment target was reportedly 10 million units, but Apple failed to meet it. For 2026 and 2027, the sales target is much lower at 3 to 4 million.