In a note to clients — as noted by MacRumors — analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says a mini-LED iPad and AirPods three are coming in the first half of 2021.
The Sellers Research Group (that’s me) thinks he’s 100% correct. I think the tablet will be an iPad Pro.
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.
Kuo also thinks that Apple will release a MacBook Pro with a mini-LED screen next year. I suspect it will be a 16-inch model sporting the Apple-developed M1 chip.
As for the third generation of AirPods, Kuo thinks they’ll adopt the System-in-Package used for the AirPods Pro, replacing the rigid-flex PCB+SMT design of the second-generation AirPods, and allowing for a form factor similar to the AirPods Pro, featuring a shorter stem and replaceable ear tips. The analyst says the AirPods 3 should be more affordable than the Pro model as they’ll lack higher-end features like Active Noise Cancellation. Battery life could be improved, though, and Apple is working on a new wireless chip.
