iPad Air 6 to get the iPad Pro's mini-LED display in shock late leak — OLED iPad Pro won't be the only display boost in May

iPad Air 5 rear camera
(Image credit: Future)

If you are looking to upgrade your iPad Air 5 but don’t want to go for Apple's best iPad, the new iPad Air 6 has just received a report that may make it worth the upgrade. 

Taking to X, Ross Young, a reputable industry analyst shared exclusively to his premium subscribers that “The upcoming 12.9” iPad Air has a MiniLED display.” He further clarified this would use up leftover panels from the previous iPad Pro, which use a Mini-LED display. The brand new iPad Pro M3 is said to use an OLED screen so it would have no need for these leftovers. It does confirm that the iPad Air 6 won't receive an OLED option but this seemed unlikely anyway, as Apple needs to differentiate the different types of iPad and the screen lineup is a great way to do so. 

Though we haven’t received any official information just yet, we are anticipating the iPad Air 6 to launch in early May, according to the latest reports, and it is expected to get a processing upgrade with the still very powerful M2 chip. The iPad Pro, on the other hand, is tipped to get the latest M3 chip, giving it more power in everyday use. Though it won’t get the OLED upgrade, the iPad Air 6 getting a Mini-LED screen will still make it an attractive upgrade when paired with that processor. Young did not specify whether the smaller iPad Air 6 model would get the mini-LED treatment, but this seems unlikely. 

Why this upgrade matters 

Mini-LED displays use a lot more LEDs than traditional displays, allowing for a much nicer and sharper contrast ratio. It makes for a super bright and clear picture, something that the iPad's excellent Retina Display can benefit from. Mini-LED displays make for great devices to use outside, as they tend to get brighter than their standard LED counterpart. It is an upgrade that many who casually use the device won’t notice but you will be thankful for the change as you use the iPad Air 6 in everyday life. 

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James Bentley

James is a staff writer and general Jack of all trades at iMore. With news, features, reviews, and guides under his belt, he has always liked Apple for its unique branding and distinctive style. Originally buying a Macbook for music and video production, he has since gone on to join the Apple ecosystem with as many devices as he can fit on his person. 

With a degree in Law and Media and being a little too young to move onto the next step of his law career, James started writing from his bedroom about games, movies, tech, and anything else he could think of. Within months, this turned into a fully-fledged career as a freelance journalist. Before joining iMore, he was a staff writer at Gfinity and saw himself published at sites like TechRadar, NME, and Eurogamer. 

As his extensive portfolio implies, James was predominantly a games journalist before joining iMore and brings with him a unique perspective on Apple itself. When not working, he is trying to catch up with the movies and albums of the year, as well as finally finishing the Yakuza series. If you like Midwest emo music or pretentious indie games that will make you cry, he’ll talk your ear off.