Apple will make the transition from iPad Air to OLED displays during the second half of next year, while mini-LED display technology will remain exclusive to upcoming high-end iPad Pro models, according to a new report from the company. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
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Apple is expected to be just weeks away from launching a mini-LED iPad Pro, the first Apple device to feature the latest technology. In Kuo’s latest investment note, seen by MacRumors, the analyst underlines his belief that even when the iPad Air switches to an OLED screen in 2022, the mini-LED will remain in its tablet range as the exclusive display technology of the iPad Pro models.
The market is worried that if the iPad starts using OLED in 2022, Apple will abandon the mini LED. However, according to our latest industry survey, if the iPad adopts an OLED display in 2022, it will be the mid-range / low-end iPad Air, while the high-end iPad Pro will still use a mini LED display. The adoption of OLED on iPad does not affect the positive trend of mini LED. Since the OLED used in PiPad a is a rigid type and has a significantly lower IPP than the iPhone, it is less difficult to produce and the cost is close to the LCD currently used in iPad Air.
Kuo anticipates a future Pad lineup in which OLED and mini-LEDs further differentiate Apple’s mid-low-end iPad Air models from its iPad Pro devices. Apple currently uses OLED screens on the Apple Watch and the “iPhone,” while Macs and the “iPad” still retain the older LCD technology. OLED screens offer higher brightness, deeper blacks and wider viewing angles. However, they often cost much more to produce than LCDs.
Earlier this month, DigiTimes reported that a 10.9-inch iPad, presumably the iPad Air, will be upgraded with an OLED display in early 2022. Unlike Kuo’s note, DigiTimes claimed that Apple would also adopt OLED technology for the 12.9-inch “iPad Pro”. DigiTimes it has also claimed that Apple could launch 16- and 17-inch MacBook Pro with OLED later next year.
Apple is already working on several products with mini-LED displays, including the redesigned MacBook Pros. Kuo believes Apple’s use of the mini-LED will accelerate in the coming years as production costs decrease, as Apple’s mid-to-high-end devices will constantly adopt technology first.