Upcoming iPad Pro and Mac laptop switch OLED panels will adopt new, specialized display materials, according to the Korean site, The Elec.
The article says LG Display plans to apply a new material set RDE for the products. According to MacRumors, The OLED panels designed for upcoming iPad Pro and MacBook models features a two-stack tandem structure, which consists of two light-emitting layers stacked together. The two-stack OLED design can generate the same brightness levels as its single-stack counterparts, but with significantly reduced power consumption and extended lifespan.
OLED displays
Aligning with previous rumors, an October 9 report from OMDIA said Apple will release an iPad Pro with an OLED display next year.
From the report: The planned OLED tablet panel size will be 11 and 12.9 inches and will be supplied by LG Display and Samsung Display. Based on the current survey, Apple is targeting a total of 10 million units of OLED iPad panels for 2024. The forecast for 2024 indicates that LG Display may supply 6 million units for both the 11-inch and 12.9-inch models, while Samsung Display may provide 4 million units for the 11-inch model only. The OLED iPad will be adopted in the iPad Pro product lineup as the first OLED model for Apple IT products. The demand for the current 12.9-inch iPad Pro with Mini LED backlight will be gradually replaced with OLED technology from 2024 onward.
The OMDIA report aligns with a September 5 report from DigiTimes that said the upcoming tablet models will sport hybrid OLED displays made with a combination of flexible and rigid materials. This could mean the updated iPad Pros would be even thinner and lighter design than current models.
An iPad Pro with OLED display was, according to some rumors, originally slated to launch in 2022. However, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says those plans were delayed because costs and performance weren’t meeting expectations in tests.
Currently, Apple sells a 12.9-inch mini-LED iPad Pro and an 11-inch iPad Pro with a traditional LCD display, as mini-LED has continued to be reserved for the higher-end iPad Pro model. With the 2024 update, the tech giant could return to feature parity between the two iPad Pro models, notes MacRumors.
OMDIA also says Apple is considering bringing OLED displays to the iPad mini and iPad Air starting in 2026.
OLED MacBook Pros
MacBook Pro models with OLED displays are still at least three years away from launching, according to Ross Young, CEO of the research firm Display Supply Chain Consultants. MacBook Pros with such displays have been rumored for over two years.
