We’ve heard rumors of the iPad Professional adopting OLED screens for over half a decade now, and it seems to be like 2024 stands out as the yr it lastly occurs.
Though ideas that Apple would embrace bigger OLED panels for the iPad return to not less than the debut of the OLED iPhone X in 2017, it’s been principally a spate of on-again-off-again rumors through the years, with little certainty surrounding Apple’s plans. Till just lately, that’s.
In 2021, the 12.9-inch Mini-LED iPad Professional threw a bucket of chilly water on the concept of an OLED iPad Professional, however even earlier than that debuted, many analysts agreed that Mini-LED was only a stepping stone, and the truth that the 11-inch iPad Professional retained the LCD display screen for not one, however two iPad generations, seemingly proved that time.
In reality, the consensus was that the 11-inch iPad Professional would skip mini-LED and go straight to OLED, and by early 2022, these plans gave the impression to be coming collectively.
So, it wasn’t an enormous shock when extra dependable experiences started showing final summer season that Apple was certainly engaged on a serious overhaul for the 2024 iPad lineup — a major set of adjustments that would come with a swap to OLED for the iPad Professional and a bigger iPad Air — and that manufacturing of the brand new panels would start in early 2024.
Right now, this has been additional confirmed in a brand new report by South Korea’s The Elec (by way of MacRumors), which reveals that OLED panels for the brand new iPad Professional have entered manufacturing this week and are on the right track to be included in iPad Professional fashions that can start delivery in April.
Particularly, The Elec notes that LG Show has already begun manufacturing the skinny movie transistor (TFT) modules for the 13-inch iPad Professional LTPO OLED panels and is anticipated to start producing 11-inch show TFT modules this week, together with Samsung Show, which may even provide OLED panels for the 11-inch iPad Professional.
LG Show is the unique provider of the 13-inch OLED panels for Apple, however for the reason that smaller iPad Professional is usually in greater demand, Apple has pegged each LG and Samsung as suppliers for the 11-inch OLED panels.
Though the April delivery timeframe could seem too late for Apple’s rumored “March Insanity” occasion, the place the corporate is anticipated to unveil all the pieces from new M3 MacBook Air laptops to the iPad Professional and iPad Air, it nonetheless matches many of the experiences we’ve been listening to.
As an example, whereas Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman predicted the March occasion, he additionally hinted that Apple may use it to announce some new merchandise that might have later delivery dates. It actually wouldn’t be the primary time Apple has carried out this, and preorders may nonetheless open in late March with April availability.
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has additionally predicted a second-quarter launch for the brand new iPads — not less than for the Professional fashions — which might put them within the April to June timeframe.
The brand new iPad Professional lineup will undoubtedly be powered by Apple’s new M3 chip, which debuted final fall in a refreshed 24-inch iMac and entry-level 14-inch MacBook Professional. Nevertheless, the OLED panels are anticipated to value Apple considerably extra to provide, which may outcome within the iPad Professional lineup seeing its first vital worth improve in a number of years.
[The information provided in this article has NOT been confirmed by Apple and may be speculation. Provided details may not be factual. Take all rumors, tech or otherwise, with a grain of salt.]