Apple iPad Air could finally get a new design next year
The Apple iPad Air has looked unchanged since 2020, making it the tablet with the longest product cycle. There are strong indications that this era could end in 2027. The fourth-generation model is characterized by flat sides, a frameless front, and Touch ID integrated into the top button. Subsequent updates, M1, M2, M3, and M4, were limited to internal improvements without any design changes.
That could change next year. The Apple iPad Air is expected to launch in early 2027 with a new OLED display. Samsung Display is rumored to be supplying single-stack LTPS panels that are lower in cost and brightness than the iPad Pro’s tandem OLED display. The use of the current M5 chip is also circulating in the rumor mill. This would be the biggest change to the product in years and part of a broader OLED rollout that will eventually reach products like the iMac and MacBook Air.
The extensive upgrade would be an ideal candidate for a complete redesign. When the iPad Pro switched to OLED in 2024, Apple fundamentally redesigned the device for the first time since 2018, introducing a significantly thinner casing.
Apple iPad Air 2027 and iPad mini 8 with OLED displays
Even more remarkable is that the iPad mini 8 is expected to be released in October and will feature a new design, an OLED display, a vibration-based speaker system without speaker holes, and a water-resistant casing – a first for an iPad.
The Apple iPad Air and iPad mini have shared a similar design since their introduction. The mini adopted the Air’s look in 2021 and retained it up to the current iPad mini 7. Should the mini receive a new casing this year, the Air would be the obvious candidate for a similar model. This is similar to how the original iPad mini from 2012 set the design standard for the iPad Air just a year later.
There are no concrete rumors yet about a redesign of the iPad Air next year, but if it resembles the iPad mini, the device could get the same vibration-based speaker system, water resistance, and more.
