Apple To Release New iPad Pro With This Feature Next Year, Report Says

Apple is expected to release a new iPad Pro with an OLED display next year, a report says.

Samsung and LG Display are already working on OLED panels that will be used for Apple’s upcoming iPad Pro, according to sources speaking with South Korean tech site The Elec. The device is likely to be released sometime during the second half of 2021, per the report.

Samsung Display renovated its A4 factory in Asan, South Korea, to be able to produce the OLED panels for the device, the outlet said. These OLED panels feature upgraded technologies compared to those used in smartphones and will be able to resist some of the issues plaguing the said display component.

Samsung reportedly added a distribution chamber that will allow it to place one RGB layer, send the panel back to the front of the production line, then add another emitting layer on top. The process allows the company to place two to three RGB layers per OLED panel.

These new OLED panels are expected to have longer life compared to the older OLED panels. What’s more, they are expected to resist the screen burn-in issues that make smartphones with OLED panels look unsightly with continued, prolonged use.

Apple is said to have required higher-end OLED panels from both suppliers. These OLED panels will be used for the company’s next generation of iPad Pros, which is expected to arrive during the second half of next year. An exact release window remains unknown, but if the company’s recent release schedule is to be considered, fans can expect the devices to arrive in October 2021.

Logical

Previous reports indicated that Apple is working on a new iPad with a Mini-LED screen. This device is believed to be an iPad Pro, and it is expected to be released sometime during the first half of next year, according to another Korean site.

The Elec contradicts this report, saying Apple is expected to use “direct backlight LCD panels” for the iPad Pros that will be released during the first half of 2021.

Regardless of specs, reports about Apple releasing two new iPad Pro models with different specs in one year could actually be logical.

First, Apple updated its iPad Air and made it almost identical to the iPad Pro in looks and just as powerful in terms of performance. The Cupertino-based tech giant will need to create a new iPad Pro that can be set apart from the iPad Air in various respects – such as processors and display technology. This could be released as soon as possible so that the iPad Air will not cannibalize the iPad Pro.

Second, the latest report indicated that Apple is making a shift from using Liquid Retina displays on the iPad Pro to using higher-end OLED screens. This is fitting for a “Pro” device.