Kuo points out that although Apple will now adopt Mini-LED displays for the new iPad Pro, other iPad models will switch to OLED displays, beginning with iPad Air next year. Mini-LED panels offer the same benefits as OLED, such as deeper blacks — since the backlighting is based on several small LEDs — but they don’t suffer from burn-in.
However, as Mini-LED is a more expensive technology, Apple plans to bring OLED to the cheaper iPads, which includes the iPad Air and the entry-level iPad. Unlike the iPhone, in which Apple had to use a custom OLED panel that is folded at the bottom, the OLED displays that the company will adopt in the iPad are flat. This means that the cost for the new panels will be close to what Apple currently pays for each LCD panel used in the iPad Air.
According to the analyst, Apple has no plans to bring OLED to its productivity devices because of burn-in concerns, which could be more noticeable by users who work with the same software for hours. Kuo says that the MacBook Air will also get a Mini-LED display by 2022, which will also boost the adoption of this technology.
He previously said that Apple is also working on new redesigned MacBook Pros with Mini-LED, which are expected to be introduced sometime later this year. Bloomberg today reported that the next generation iPad Pro will launch in April with Mini-LED, but only the larger 12.9-inch model will get the new panel.
Read also:
- What is mini-LED? Here’s what it could mean for the iPad and MacBook in 2021
- Everything we know about Apple’s rumored 2021 iPad Pro update
- Kuo: Two redesigned MacBook Pros with mini LED in 2021, more affordable MacBook Air in 2022
