According to a Korea Herald report, production of OLED displays for the next-generation iPad Pro will kick off in February 2024. The Herald’s sources tell it that LG Display is set to begin OLED production for the new iPad Pro as early as February next year at their facility in Paju, Gyeonggi Province. That time frame is approximately three months sooner than had been previously expected, with Apple forecast to launch the new product lineup in the second quarter of next year.
Apple is looking to have a total of 10 million OLED iPad panels produced next year. LG Display is expected to supply 60% of the total supply, with Samsung Display being responsible for producing the remainder. Market tracker Omdia said LG may be supplying the panels for 11-inch and 12.9-inch models, while Samsung provides panels for the 11-inch model only.
The displays are expected to cost three times the price of iPhone display panels, which means we could see higher iPad prices for customers.
The 11-inch iPad Pro being sold currently uses an LCD panel, while the 12.9-inch model boasts mini-LED backlighting, which provides increased brightness and a higher contrast ratio. OLED technology eliminates the need for backlighting, while also offering a higher contrast ratio with deeper blacks, lower power consumption, and more.
Apple is rumored to be working on super thin hybrid OLED displays manufactured with a combination of flexible and rigid materials, which could lead to slightly thinner iPad Pro models.
In addition to new OLED displays, the next-generation iPad Pro models are expected to boast slightly-larger screens, an M3 chip, and more.