It’s been rumored for several years that Apple is thinking about switching its iPad Pro tablets to OLED display technology. The latest report from the supply chain says the first of these updated devices is due to arrive in 2024.
This is from ET News in South Korea (via Mac Rumors ), which claims that development is now underway on an iPad with an OLED screen. The display departments at Samsung and LG are apparently in line to provide the panels.
The current iPad Pro models feature mini-LED LCD technology: while this has a slightly higher ceiling in terms of maximum brightness when compared with OLED, OLED can’t be beaten in terms of color range, contrast, and the deepness of its blacks.
Apple has used OLED technology on its iPhones for several years now, but it’s more difficult and more costly to produce the panels at larger sizes. Apple’s priority currently is to maintain industry-leading margins (=profit per device) rather than providing the best screen at any cost.
Most other higher-end vendors already offer high-end large OLED screens both for large-sized tablets and large screens on laptops.
Previous leaks had also put the launch date of an iPad Pro at some point in 2024, so this matches up with that. OLED technology is also being worked on for Apple’s MacBook line, the report says, with the switch scheduled for 2026.