Since 2020, the iPad Air has worn the same design across all its models — the longest unchanged look in Apple’s tablet family. That could change in 2027, when reports suggest the device may finally break from its old look.
The 2020 design brought flat sides, full-screen display, and Touch ID into a single top button. Internal upgrades followed with the M1, M2, M3, and M4 chips, but no new shell. Now, with OLED on the horizon, the iPad Air may get a visual overhaul next year. In early 2027, Apple is expected to swap the iPad Air’s current display for Samsung Display’s single-stack LTPS panels, placed under a tandem OLED.
Alongside the display, the M5 chip is rumored to power the next model. A redesign may follow, much like when the iPad Pro received a new look in 2024 with an ultra-slim frame. The change could mirror what Apple did with the iPad mini 8.
The iPad mini 8 is expected to arrive by October with a new design, a vibration-based speaker eliminating visible holes, and a water-resistant build — a first for the iPad. The Air and mini have shared design traits since 2021, and if the mini’s 2024 model sets a new look, the Air is a likely candidate to follow. Though no specific iPad Air redesign rumors exist yet, a pattern emerges: what starts with the mini often moves to the Air.