Malcolm Owen
Apple's rumored 12.9-inch iPad Air is allegedly getting closer to reality, with a claim that display panels for the tablet have started to ship to the supply chain.
Apple is thought to be working on a new model of iPad Air, borrowing the idea of the larger screen option from the MacBook Air and iPad Pro by adding a 12.9-inch option alongside the existing 10.9-inch version.
In a tweet from Display Supply Chain Consultants' Ross Young on X on Sunday, shipments for the 12.9-inch iPad Air display panel started moving sometime in December.
12.9" iPad Air panel shipments started in December
— Ross Young (@DSCCRoss) December 10, 2023
Young and DSCC have a good track record when it comes to display-related rumors and supply chain stories, so it is likely that the shipment news is accurate.
The timing of shipments seems to correlate with earlier rumor reports about the model, which was said to have a launch in early 2024, later refined to be as part of a wave of upgraded devices due in March.
While using a new display, it seems that the technology the screen uses won't change away from the existing LED-based Liquid Retina display to something like mini-LED or OLED. No other real details about the model are known either, other than the screen size.
Andrew O'Hara
William Gallagher
2 Comments
If it is compatible with Pencil 2 and is just as fast as iPad Pro, but is much lighter, then I am definitively buying it. I am not using iPad Pro for creation but consumption and writing. That's it.
If this is true, this will be the perfect replacement for my 11” iPad Pro. The 12.9” pro is just too expensive and overkill for me, but an iPad Air at 12.9” tied to Astropad Studio will be the perfect compromise.