iPad Air Could Finally Be Redesigned Next Year
The iPad Air has looked the same since 2020, making it the longest-running design in Apple's tablet lineup. There is a reasonable case that 2027 could be when that comes to an end. Apple last gave the ‌iPad Air‌ a new enclosure in 2020, when the fourth-generation model introduced flat sides, an all-screen front, and Touch ID in the top button. The subsequent M1 , M2 , M3, and M4 updates…
The iPad Air has retained its design since 2020, standing out as the most unchanged tablet within Apple's lineup. There is a plausible argument that 2027 might witness a change in its appearance. Since the introduction of the fourth-generation model in 2020, which incorporated flat sides, full-screen front, and a Touch ID button in the top area, all subsequent updates - M1, M2, M3, and M4 - have been internal upgrades without any design alterations.
This might alter next year. Expectations are that the iPad Air will shift to OLED technology by early 2027, with Samsung Display providing single-stack LTPS panels, similar to those used in the iPad Pro, for reasons of cost and brightness. The M5 chip is also speculated. This transformative upgrade would be among the most significant changes the product has undergone in recent years, coinciding with a broader rollout of OLED displays to other Apple products like the iMac and MacBook Air.
The substantial enhancement would be a fitting occasion for a complete redesign. When the iPad Pro adopted OLED in 2024, Apple undertook its first redesign since 2018, resulting in a notably thinner frame. Significantly, the iPad mini 8 is anticipated for launch in October, featuring a new design, OLED display, a speaker system that utilizes vibration instead of holes, and a water-resistant casing, marking an iPad debut.
Both the iPad Air and iPad mini have shared their design principles since their inception, with the mini specifically adopting the Air's appearance in 2021 and maintaining it through to the iPad mini 7. If the mini receives a redesign this year, the Air is the most logical choice to adopt the same design next. The scenario might resemble how the inaugural iPad mini in 2012 established the design standard for the iPad Air just a year later.
While there are no specific claims about an iPad Air redesign for next year, if it mirrors the iPad mini, the device could potentially incorporate the same features such as the vibration-based speaker system, water-resistance, and more.
Written by urgent.news from MacRumors's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
