Key takeaways
- Both sizes of the iPad Air are expected to switch to OLED in the first half of 2027, with Samsung Display supplying most panels and the screen reportedly staying at 60Hz.
- Industry estimates put 2027 shipments at 4 to 5 million iPad Airs and 3 to 4 million iPad Pros, far below the iPad Pro’s reported target of around 10 million a year, with price cited as a factor.
- My view: OLED is not news in 2027, and 60Hz on a tablet at this price is a shame. The iPad Pro numbers show people have had enough.
Both sizes of the iPad Air are expected to get OLED displays in the first half of 2027, according to DigiTimes, with Samsung Display supplying most of the panels and the screen reportedly staying at 60Hz. Industry estimates put 2027 shipments at 4 to 5 million iPad Airs and only 3 to 4 million iPad Pros, well below the iPad Pro’s reported target of around 10 million a year.
In this article: OLED in 2027 is not news · A third of the target: people have had enough · Is 60Hz a choice? · $999 for the small one, more for the big one · Black or smooth? Most people won’t see it · Samsung makes the best screens · Buy the iPad Air (M4) now · FAQ
OLED in 2027 is not news
Apple keeps talking about OLED in 2026, and now in 2027, as if it were something special. In my view, it’s overblown. Almost nobody cares anymore. Cheap phones and tablets from other makers have had 120Hz screens for years. Why Apple still does this, I don’t understand. With a market value like Apple’s, holding 120Hz back like a miracle reserved for the Pro is, honestly, a shame. Especially when there is nothing else that could sell the iPad Pro.
A third of the target: people have had enough
Apple reportedly wanted around 10 million iPad Pros a year. The estimate for 2027 is 3 to 4 million, and the industry points to the price. That tells me people have had enough of the talk. The bubble under the Apple name is slowly cracking. People no longer believe that everything with the logo is automatically the best, and it hasn’t been for a long time.
I’m glad, because it can help Apple wake up. But for now it looks more like a chaotic slide than what a company with this much money should do: answer quickly, with real innovation.
Is 60Hz a choice?
Many people online suspect Apple holds the iPad Air at 60Hz on purpose, maybe even in software. Nobody outside Apple can prove that. But here is a fact: the same kind of LTPS OLED panel runs at 120Hz in plenty of cheaper Android phones, including Samsung’s mid-range Galaxy A models. So the panel type itself is not what stops 120Hz. Then why does the iPad Air stay at 60Hz, on a tablet that already starts at $749? The only answer I see is to keep the iPad Pro looking special. And we just saw how well that works.
$999 for the small one, more for the big one
On November 1 I said the OLED iPad Air would cost $999. Now that both sizes get OLED, I keep that number for the smaller model. The bigger one will be about $100 more. And if it comes with only 60Hz, I expect the same result as the iPad Pro: sales far below what Apple hopes. Look at the iPad mini: $499 in 2024, $599 in June and $699 with OLED. The stairs only go up.
Black or smooth? Most people won’t see it
One reader wrote that he would rather have a ProMotion LCD than a 60Hz OLED. I agree with him word for word. Both matter: OLED gives true black because the pixels switch off completely, and ProMotion gives smoothness you feel every time you scroll. But believe me, most people who buy an iPad won’t see the difference in black in daily use, except maybe in a dark room watching a film. For most of them, black is black. Bloggers put far too much weight on it. The smoothness, you notice every day.
Samsung makes the best screens
Most of these panels will come from Samsung Display, and Samsung’s screens are among the most famous on the market, with full contrast. Its own Galaxy Tab S7+ had an OLED screen with 120Hz back in 2020. Samsung shows what its panels can do in its own tablets. It’s a pity Apple doesn’t do the same with them.
Buy the iPad Air (M4) now
As I said on November 1, if you want a good iPad at a fair price, buy the current iPad Air (M4), ideally on sale, and don’t wait. An LCD at a fair price beats a 60Hz OLED with a $999 price tag. I said the same about the OLED iPad mini price, and nothing has changed.
Also on Evolt News: OLED iPad Air in 2027: The Same Panel Apple Called Not Good Enough · New iPad mini: 60Hz, a Cut-Down Chip and $699. Shame on You, Apple · iPhone 20 Pro: Will It Work Every Day?
Featured image: iPad Air, Apple press image via MacRumors.
This article is opinion.
OLED iPad Air: FAQ
When is the OLED iPad Air coming?
In the first half of 2027, according to DigiTimes and Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman.
Will both sizes get OLED?
Yes. DigiTimes says both the 11-inch and 13-inch models switch to OLED.
Will the OLED iPad Air have 120Hz ProMotion?
Reportedly no. DigiTimes says it will stay at 60Hz, with ProMotion only on the iPad Pro.
Who will make the OLED panels?
Mostly Samsung Display. BOE is trying to qualify for one of the sizes.
How many iPad Pros is Apple expected to ship?
Industry estimates say 3 to 4 million in 2027, below a reported target of about 10 million a year.
How much does the iPad Air cost now?
It starts at $749 since June 2026.
Sources: DigiTimes, Bloomberg, MacRumors, Samsung.
Our Take
OLED alone no longer sells a tablet, and the iPad Pro’s numbers prove it. A 60Hz OLED iPad Air at a higher price risks the same result.
If you need an iPad now, the current iPad Air (M4) at a fair price is the smarter buy.
