Apple could use a so-called hybrid OLED technology in its iPad Pro models by 2024, allowing for slimmer devices. Over the past few years, Apple has been pushing for the iPad Pro to be a laptop replacement for creators and other professional users. Towards that end, the company this year announced iPadOS 16 with a slew of new features, especially for M1 iPad users. The most prominent among them is Stage Manager, which offers several multitasking options, including resizable windows, a center app, intuitive app arrangement to focus on the current apps, overlapping windows of different sizes in a single view, the ability to create app groups, and more.
The company is also reportedly working on iPads with larger screens, possibly with even more multitasking features. Specifically, the company seems to be developing a new iPad Pro with a 14.1-inch screen that the company could market as a laptop replacement. That's according to Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC) CEO and serial tipster Ross Young, who claimed the device could be due for an early 2023 release. The claim is in line with an earlier report from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, who also predicted a similar timeline for the release of the large-screen iPad Pro. Little is known about the upcoming device, but according to Young, it will have mini LEDs and ProMotion technology.
Apple's move to opt for the new hybrid OLED technology in its 2024 iPad Pro models will not only make for thinner devices, but it would also reportedly help the company cut production costs in what could be a win-win scenario for the tech giant. The report, which comes from the Taiwanese publication Digitimes, claims that the technology will combine rigid OLED glass substrates with flexible OLED polyimide films, helping the company reduce costs and make the devices thinner than standard OLED tablets.
Hybrid OLED Technology in 2024 iPad Pro?
The Korean blog The Elec first published a report last month about Apple using hybrid OLED technology in its future iPad Pro models. However, the report claimed that Apple would use the hybrid tech instead of flexible OLED as the latter could 'crumple' at larger screen sizes.
Whatever Apple's reasons might be to opt for the hybrid technology in its 2024 iPad Pro models, two different sources have now seemingly confirmed the move, meaning it would be a surprise if it doesn't materialize. Still, 2024 is a long way away, so it will be interesting to see if the new technology will be ready for primetime by then.