Apple will transition the iPad Air to OLED displays in the second half of next year, while the mini-LED display technology will remain exclusive to future state-of-the-art iPad Pro models, according to a new report by Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
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Apple is expected to be just a few weeks away from launching a mini-LED iPad Pro, the first Apple device to feature newer technology. In the last note of investor Kuo, seen by MacRumors, the analyst underlines his belief that, even when iPad Air moves to an OLED display in 2022, the mini-LED will remain in its range of tablets as a display technology exclusive to 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 iPad adopts an OLED display in 2022, it will be iPad Air mid-range / low-end, while iPad Pro will still use a mini LED display. The adoption of OLED in iPad does not affect the positive trend of mini LEDs. Because the OLED used in the “iPad” is a rigid type and has a significantly lower PPI than the iPhone, it is less difficult to produce, and the cost is close to the LCD screen currently used in the “iPad Air”.
Kuo predicts a future iPad line in which OLED and mini-LEDs will further differentiate the iPad Air models from the mid-low end to its itsiPad Proad devices. Apple currently uses OLED displays in the Apple Watch and iPhone, while Macs and iPad still retain older LCD technology. OLED screens offer higher brightness, deeper blacks and wider viewing angles. However, they often cost much more than LCDs.
Earlier this month, DigiTimes reported that a 10.9-inch iPad, likely iPad Air, will be updated with an OLED display in early 2022. Unlike Kuo’s note, DigiTimes said Apple will also adopt 12.9-inch OLED technology for the iPad Pro. DigiTimes He also said that Apple could launch a 16- and 17-inch OLED MacBook Pro later next year.
Apple is already working on several products with mini-LED displays, including the redesigned MacBook Pro. Kuo believes that the use of Apple’s mini-LEDs will accelerate in the coming years, as production costs fall, with Apple’s mid-to-high devices consistently adopting the first technology.