Competing rumors cast doubt on mini LED iPad Air debut in May

Supply chain sources apparently vary on when Apple may release a 12.9-inch iPad Air with mini LED, with a new rumor pushing the release much later.

Less than two weeks away from Apple’s “Let Loose” iPad-centric event in May, it’s still not fully clear what Apple is going to release. A previous rumor claimed with certainty that the 12.9-inch iPad Air would get the same mini LED screen that the present M2 iPad Pro has.

And now, the same source, Ross Young, isn’t so sure based on what he’s heard from other suppliers. In a post on X to paid subscribers, he now says that it’s not coming at the event.

However, in the same message chain, he says that it might arrive in the fourth quarter of 2024. A release would be most likely around the same time frame as the iPhone 16.

Apple has obviously not confirmed that the iPad Air will come in a larger size, regulatory filings have shown that four iPad models are coming soon. It’s believed that they are the iPad Air and iPad Pro, in 11-inch and 12.9-inch sizes.

Young and his firm Display Supply Chain Consultants have an excellent track record when it comes to display-related rumors and supply chain stories. Neither pricing nor feature positioning of the new iPad Air between the 10th generation iPad and iPad Pro is clear, and Wednesday’s report sheds more uncertainty on the situation.