Apple is reportedly preparing an OLED-equipped refresh of its tablet line, and the Apple iPad Pro looks set to lead the change. According to a report, the company is working toward a new iPad Pro lineup with OLED screens in 2021, arriving after Next Generation iPad models that may use mini-LED displays. The shift signals Apple's continued push to improve screen quality across its iPad family.
Why the Apple iPad Pro is moving to OLED
An OLED panel is expected to deliver high brightness in the iPad Pro, though it also carries the possibility of a burn-in issue. The current iPad Pro lineup uses an LCD panel that Apple calls its Liquid Retina display.
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo recently reported that the iPad family will start moving to mini-LED displays in the first half of 2021. The iPad Pro is likely to receive the new treatment first, before it gradually reaches other iPad versions.
Samsung and LG are preparing the display panels
According to a report by The Elec, Samsung Display and LG Display are developing a new OLED panel intended for the new iPad Pro in the second half of 2021. Both suppliers are said to be readying panels for the Next Generation iPad Pro lineup.
Samsung Display has reportedly revamped its production line to produce the new OLED screens for the iPad. The report describes the company adding a distribution chamber to its Origin Material Deposition Chamber to deposit red, green and blue, allowing it to lay down an RGB layer by placing the substrate in front of the production line and sending an emitting layer over it.
The new OLED structure is expected to add two to three emitting layers to extend the longevity of the display panel.
Mini-LED display may come before OLED
Before switching to OLED, Apple could bring a mini-LED display to its iPad family. Several reports have suggested mini-LED iPad models may enter mass production in the coming months, with the iPad Pro lineup likely shifting to mini-LED first.
- Kuo told investors the new technology would also be part of the new iPad mini model.
- Adoption of OLED for the iPad Pro lineup may be delayed depending on the scale of mini-LED adoption.
- The mini-LED iPad Pro may arrive in the first half of 2021.
What it means for buyers
For now, the reports point to a layered rollout: mini-LED first, OLED later. Anyone tracking the iPad Pro should expect display technology, rather than the model name, to be the headline change.
