A new supply chain report from Korean language publication The Elec claims Apple’s upcoming 2024 iPad Pro models with OLED screens will be nearly as expensive as a MacBook Pro. This is due to the high price of the OLED screens Apple will use.
The report says the new iPad Pro models will cost as much as 80% more than the current iPad Pro models. The publication says its industry sources have told it that the new 11-inch iPad Pro with OLED display will start at $1,500. The 12.9-inch edition, which The Elec refers to as a 13-inch model, is said to be 60% more costly and it will start at $1,800.
The iPad Pro with OLED price estimates surpasses the price of some current MacBook Pro models. For example, the 13.6-inch MacBook Air with M2’s base price starts at $1,199, while the 13-inch MacBook Pro with M2 base price starts at $1,299.
The Elec says its industry sources are divided in their response to the potentially sky-high prices. The publication says that folks in favor of the huge price jump say it is “a reasonable increase even considering that it is an Apple product with loyal customers.”
However, some sources spoke against the price hikes, saying iPad buyers are not as loyal as iPhone buyers and that they have a lot of alternatives to the Apple tablet, meaning will be difficult to maintain the level of existing iPad Pro sales at the expected $1500 to $1800 price points.
Apple is reported to be negotiating over display pricing with both LG Display and Samsung Display. The specifications for the displays will require fabrication processes that have never before been integrated to manufacture OLED panels of the required size.
The Elec says the supply price of OLED panels used in existing 10-inch devices costs in the $100 to $150 range. The costs for the processes involved in making Apple’s new 11-inch and 13-inch OLED panels could be priced closer to $270 and $350, respectively. However, price estimates could change, as the OLED panels expected to be provided by LG and Samsung are still in the development stage, so final panel pricing has not been finalized.
Samsung is reported to be investing in eighth-generation OLED production lines. The new production lines will “theoretically” result in lower-priced OLED panels. However, those panels have already been designated for Apple’s upcoming OLED MacBooks, which are also expected to hit store shelves sometime in 2024.
It should be noted that supply chain sources don’t have “inside baseball” knowledge about Apple’s internal plans for its upcoming product prices. While they can make an educated guess or two based on expected component prices, only designated Apple internal product teams actually have a handle on actual prices.