Apple is reportedly testing the final prototypes of its first OLED iPads that are tipped to launch in 2024. The company is slowly transitioning away from traditional IPS LCD displays in its MacBooks and iPads to more modern display technologies. Currently, the company uses mini-LED backlighting for the IPS LCD displays in its latest 12.9-inch iPad Pro, as well as the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro duo that were announced last October. The mini-LED technology allows for darker blacks and brighter whites, thereby improving contrast levels over conventionally backlit IPS LCD screens.
As for OLED displays, Apple first adopted the technology in the Apple Watch before bringing it to the iPhone. The first iPhone to sport an OLED panel was the iPhone X, which was a revolutionary device in terms of its design. Multiple reports from last year claimed that the first OLED iPad would launch in 2022 but more recent reports have suggested a less positive timeline. According to TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple would still launch an 11-inch iPad Pro with a mini-LED display this year, but the OLED model will not launch anytime soon.
Apple is said to be producing the final prototypes of iPads with OLED displays. That's according to South Korean publication ET News, which claims that the first such device would come with a lightweight design and improved image quality. The report also doubles down on rumors that the devices will launch in 2024. The OLED panels are reportedly being supplied by display partners Samsung and LG Display, with the Cupertino firm said to be performing a slew of tests to evaluate the screens.
Apple Is Focusing On Design With Its First OLED iPad
Apple is also said to be using a new technology called 'dry etching' to remove unwanted material from the display module to make it thinner and lighter. While conventional OLED production uses a wet etching process, dry etching is said to be a more advanced technology that uses gas instead of a liquid to achieve similar results. According to Samsung Display, wet etching is "cheaper, faster, and simpler" than dry etching, but also less precise, which makes the latter option more desirable for the manufacture of high-end OLED panels.
An earlier report by noted tipster and CEO of Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC), Ross Young, suggested that Apple will launch its planned OLED iPads in both 11-inch and 12.9-inch sizes. Another report from earlier this year also suggested that the OLED displays in the iPads will be low-power LTPO panels which could offer a wider variable refresh rate, potentially improving the power efficiency of these devices. Apple is yet to confirm or deny any of the rumors, so it will be interesting to see how things play out in the next couple of years.
Source: ET News, Samsung Display