According to Korea's ETNews, Apple is intending to use OLED panels for certain iPad models starting next year, after adopting mini-LED technology on the new 12.9-inch iPad Pro. According to the journal, Apple confirmed OLED on the iPad since the small and medium-sized OLED market is set to start the second growth phase.
Apple will switch some iPad models to OLED starting in 2022
Apple opted to use OLED instead of Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) in some iPad models in 2022, according to the industry on the 31st. Apple and display makers are said to have reached an agreement on manufacturing and delivery. Samsung and LG are the current OLED suppliers for iPhones with that technology, and the research predicts that by 2022, some iPads will also have an OLED display.
Ming-Chi Kuo, a reputable Apple analyst, predicted that the 2022 iPad Air would have an OLED display in March. Kuo stated at the time that while Apple will use Mini-LED panels for the upcoming iPad Pro, other tablet models, beginning with the iPad Air next year, will move to OLED panels. Because the backlighting is based on numerous tiny LEDs, mini-LED panels have similar benefits to OLED panels, such as deeper blacks, but they don't suffer from burn-in.
According to the analyst, Apple has no intentions of introducing OLED to its productivity devices because of worries about burn-in, which might be more visible by customers who work with the same program for long periods of time.
Upcoming iPad models to get OLED display
Another reason to utilize OLED in tablets rather than mini-LED is cost. Unlike the iPhone, which had to rely on a unique OLED screen that is folded at the bottom, Apple's OLED panels for the iPad will be flat. This suggests that the new panels will be priced similarly to what Apple now spends on each LCD panel used in the iPad Air.
The ETNews story does not specify which models will have the new OLED display. It does, however, disclose that these OLED-screen iPads will be available in 2022. Apple's iPads started off with LCD displays, but the 12.9-inch Pro model recently switched to a mini-LED display. Mini-LED screens provide a wider color gamut, higher contrast, and support HDR. It also supports local dimming, which dims the illumination behind the panel's black-on-black region while leaving the rest of the panel bright. Mini-LED screens, on the other hand, are costly and difficult to produce.
According to a MacRumors story quoting analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the 2022 iPad Air would include an OLED display. It is expected to be released in the second part of this year. Samsung and LG will supply the new OLED panels for future iPads. However, mini-LED screens will be limited to the Pro line, according to the expert.
In the meantime, Apple is preparing for WWDC 2021. The business will reveal the changes that will be coming to iOS 15, iPadOS 15, macOS 12, and other operating systems. The rumoured 2021 MacBook Pro with a faster CPU and a revamped chassis might also be unveiled.