William Gallagher
A new report backs up previous claims that Apple is planning to release its first OLED iPad in 2022, but appears to say that the iPad Pro range will get the new screens in 2023.
Apple has long been rumored to be preparing models of iPad with OLED screens, with some reports saying iPad Pro ones could appear as soon as the second half of 2021. Most reports, however, point to 2022 for the launch, and now a new report chiefly supports that claim.
The Elec uses the term "iPad" to cover all models generically, and so is not clear on the different versions. However, it says that Apple's first OLED model will be a 10.86-inch edition in 2022, which appears to suggest it will be an iPad Air.
"The following year, in 2023," continues the publication, "Apple is planning to launch an 11-inch OLED iPad and a 12.9-inch OLED iPad."
Since those are the sizes of the iPad Pro line, this report appears to be claiming that Apple will bring the OLED pro feature to the iPad Air, before it does to its pro models. This does fit with analyst Ming-Chi Kuo's recent claim that an OLED "iPad Air 5" will enter production in 2022.
"There is a strong chance that the company will apply different OLED structures for the iPad launching next year and its successors in 2023," continues The Elec.
Specifically, the 2022 model is said to use rigid OLED and thin-film encapsulation, TFE). The 2023 editions may follow the OLED system Apple uses in its iPhones, leveraging a flexible OLED display.
The publication also claims that Apple may be preparing a rigid OLED iPad Air first because production yields of flexible OLED are not yet sufficient.
Overall, The Elec has a mixed track record as it pertains to Apple's future plans, and it's movements within the supply chain.
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5 Comments
So Apple will have one OLED iPad Pro model and one miniLED iPad Pro model? Seems dumb to me.—just make the Pro family miniLED across the board.
It doesn't make sense to provide OLED which is unarguably the most premium technology right now to be on iPad Air. Isn't iPad Air consumer oriented?
This makes no sense. Why would Apple expend all the R&D dollars to get mini-LED into the iPad Pro 12.9" only to replace it with OLED a year or two later? Apple is using an especially dense minLED display, with 2500 local dimming zones in a relatively small screen, so the quality difference vs. OLED becomes much more of a toss-up.
iPad Air is a nice in between model. My main iPad is iPad 7 and I use it for many things that would be considered 'Pro.' A refreshed Air would be a nice step up.
Meh. Would OLED really change anything at all? Anything?
Apple totally owns the tablet market. Their primary focus should be on not screwing it up or losing the attention and loyalty of their customer base with superfluous or gratuitous "upgrades" that serve only to line their pockets with more cash.
These point updates don't inspire anything. Give us a modern iPad mini with a totally kickass hardware spec sheet and let the middle of the road products like the Air ride the wave for another year. With no competition the iPad is flogging a dead horse. Keeping it fresh is cool and necessary, but it's time to look across the entire iPad portfolio and fix the most egregious shortcomings. The most egregious shortcoming today is the iPad mini. Fix the mini and then we can talk about bolstering the other parts of the iPad portfolio that are ... actually doing quite well.