Apple’s tablet lineup looks set for a busy start to 2027. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the company is preparing a new iPad Air, an updated entry-level iPad and a refreshed iPad Pro for the first half of next year. That would arrive only months after last week’s OLED iPad mini refresh. Apple has not confirmed any of it, so treat the details as informed reporting rather than a product roadmap.
The most notable change appears to be coming to the iPad Air, which is expected to move to an OLED display. That would push the technology one tier further down Apple’s range after it debuted on the iPad Pro. There is a catch, though. The panel is reportedly staying at 60Hz, and Touch ID is expected to remain instead of Face ID. Buyers get better contrast and deeper blacks, but not the smoother scrolling that has become standard on rival Android tablets at similar prices. An M5 chip is widely expected to replace the current M4, with US pricing estimated at roughly $799 to $899 for the 11-inch model.
The base iPad update may matter more to everyday buyers. Apple’s cheapest tablet has gone untouched since early 2025, and it is reportedly getting the A19 chip and 8GB of RAM. That memory figure is the important part, because it is the threshold Apple Intelligence needs. The budget model would finally run Apple’s AI features, closing an awkward gap in a lineup that has otherwise moved on. Apple’s N1 wireless chip and C1X modem are also said to be included. The design and screen are expected to stay the same, though new colours are possible.
The iPad Pro sounds like the quietest of the three. The main reported addition is a vapor chamber for cooling, the same approach Apple brought to the iPhone 17 Pro last year. A new chip, likely M6 and possibly M7, is also expected. Little else has surfaced, which is notable given that the current design will be about three years old by then. The Pro currently starts at $1,199 for the 11-inch model and $1,499 for the 13-inch.
There are no regional prices or launch dates yet. In the UAE, the current iPad range spans Dhs 1,399 to Dhs 8,499, with the M4 iPad Air starting at Dhs 2,599. Anyone who needs a tablet now will find today’s models more than capable. Buyers holding out for OLED on the Air, or Apple Intelligence on a budget iPad, have a clearer reason to wait. The bigger question is whether Apple keeps the Pro’s next real redesign for a later year, leaving its most expensive tablet with only a new chip and better cooling.
