In a note to clients — as noted by MacRumors — Jeff Pu, an analyst at Chinese research firm GF Securities says Apple plans to release several higher-end devices with mini-LED displays in 2021, including a new 12.9-inch iPad Pro in the first quarter, a new 16-inch MacBook Pro in the second quarter, and a new 27-inch iMac in the second half of the year.
The Sellers Research Group (that’s me) thinks there’s a 99% chance Pu is right. His prediction lines up with that of noted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Earlier this month, Kuo said Apple’s development of mini-LED display based hardware hasn’t been significantly affected by COVID-19, but may have delayed adoption of the technology in the short-term. He says some products may be pushed from a late 2020 release date to 2021.
“We believe that investors do not need to worry too much about the extension of the mini LED schedule, because mini LED is a key technology that Apple will promote in the next 5 years, so even if the short-term schedule is affected by the new coronary pneumonia, it will not damage the long-term positive trend,” Kuo adds.
The analyst thinks that Apple willrelease iPad Pros and MacBook Pros with mini-LED displays that will use 10,000 mini-LEDs and will be comparable to OLED screens. believes the mini-LED displays will make for thinner and lighter products. He thinks they will also result in good wide color gamut performance, high contrast and HDR, and local dimming.
Mini-LEDs sport a local dimming function with a contrast effect similar to that of OLED displays. However, on some product lines, costs for mini-LED backlit displays may even be lower than their OLED counterparts, according to LEDinside. Mini-LED products are as thin as those using OLED technology so they consume less power than traditional LED screens, and they cost 70-80% less to produce than OLED displays, although their performance is similar.
