Apple Considering Samsung OLED Displays for Next-Generation iPad?

ipad 2 oblique
Talk of Apple turning to OLED displays for its mobile devices has arisen repeatedly for many years now, and those rumors have received another update with a claim from The Korea Herald (via Macworld UK) that Apple Chief Operating Office Tim Cook recently visited South Korea to discuss the possibility of adopting an active matrix OLED (AMOLED) display from Samsung for the next-generation iPad, a device the report claims could be released before the end of the year.

Apple Inc's chief operating officer Tim Cook discussed adopting Samsung's AMOLED display technology for tablet PCs during his recent visit to South Korea, industry sources said.

"Apple wants to tap into Samsung's AMOLED technology for an upgraded version of the iPad2, considered as many as the iPad3 that is likely to be launched toward the end of this year," a source told The Korea Herald on Wednesday (May 25) on condition of anonymity.

Samsung is already one of Apple's primary suppliers for its mobile devices, although the two companies are currently embroiled in a legal dispute begun when Apple filed suit against Samsung for allegedly copying Apple's technology and designs with its "Galaxy" line of smartphones and tablets.

But while the latest report claims that Apple is looking to Samsung for AMOLED technology, a previous report from a different Korean publication claimed that Apple was interested in the company's "Super PLS" technology for more traditional LCDs in the next iPad.

Related Roundup: iPad
Buyer's Guide: iPad (Neutral)
Related Forum: iPad

Popular Stories

iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Available Next Month With These 8 New Features

Tuesday November 11, 2025 9:48 am PST by
Apple released the first iOS 26.2 beta last week. The upcoming update includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, including a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics in Apple Music, and more. In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, but it did not provide a specific release date....
m1 chip slide

Five Years of Apple Silicon: M1 to M5 Performance Comparison

Monday November 10, 2025 1:08 pm PST by
Today marks the fifth anniversary of the Apple silicon chip that replaced Intel chips in Apple's Mac lineup. The first Apple silicon chip, the M1, was unveiled on November 10, 2020. The M1 debuted in the MacBook Air, Mac mini, and 13-inch MacBook Pro. The M1 chip was impressive when it launched, featuring the "world's fastest CPU core" and industry-leading performance per watt, and it's only ...
iphone pocket%402x

Apple Debuts iPhone Pocket, a Limited Edition iPod Sock-Style Accessory

Tuesday November 11, 2025 1:23 am PST by
Apple has teamed up with Japanese fashion house ISSEY MIYAKE to launch iPhone Pocket, a 3D-knitted limited edition accessory designed to carry an iPhone, AirPods, and other everyday items. The accessory is like a stretchy pocket, not unlike an iPod Sock, but elongated to form a strap made of a ribbed, elastic textile that fully encloses an iPhone yet allows you to glimpse the display...
AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, and AirPods 4

Thursday November 13, 2025 11:35 am PST by
Apple today released new firmware designed for the AirPods Pro 3, the AirPods 4, and the prior-generation AirPods Pro 2. The AirPods Pro 3 firmware is 8B25, while the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 firmware is 8B21, all up from the prior 8A358 firmware released in October. There's no word on what's include in the updated firmware, but the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods 4 with ANC, and AirPods Pro 3...
homepod mini colors

New HomePod Mini Coming Soon With These Features

Tuesday November 11, 2025 7:30 am PST by
Apple is expected to announce a new HomePod mini imminently, headlining with new chips. Here are all of the new features we're expecting. The second-generation HomePod mini is highly likely to contain a more up-to-date chip for more advanced computational audio and improved responsiveness. The current HomePod mini is equipped with the Apple Watch Series 5's S5 chip from 2019. Apple is likely ...
ios 26 digital id passport wallet

Apple Announces Launch of U.S. Passport Feature in iPhone's Wallet App

Wednesday November 12, 2025 9:15 am PST by
Apple today announced that iPhone users can now create a Digital ID in the Apple Wallet app based on information from their U.S. passport. To create and present a Digital ID based on a U.S. passport, you need: An iPhone 11 or later running iOS 26.1 or later, or an Apple Watch Series 6 or later running watchOS 26.1 or later Face ID or Touch ID and Bluetooth turned on An Apple Account ...
homepod mini thumb feature

New HomePod Mini, Apple TV, and AirTag Were Expected This Year — Where Are They?

Wednesday November 12, 2025 11:42 am PST by
While it was rumored that Apple planned to release new versions of the HomePod mini, Apple TV, and AirTag this year, it is no longer clear if that will still happen. Back in January, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple planned to release new HomePod mini and Apple TV models "toward the end of the year," while he at one point expected a new AirTag to launch "around the middle of 2025." Yet,...
Tesla Charging

Tesla Working to Add Apple CarPlay Support to Vehicles

Thursday November 13, 2025 8:31 am PST by
Tesla is working to add support for Apple CarPlay in its vehicles, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports. Tesla vehicles rely on its own infotainment software system, which integrates vehicle functions, navigation, music, web browsing, and more. The automaker has been an outlier in foregoing support for Apple CarPlay, which has otherwise become an industry standard feature, allowing users to...
iphone air thinness

iPhone Air Sales Are So Bad That Apple's Delaying the Next-Generation Version

Monday November 10, 2025 11:41 am PST by
The thin, light iPhone Air sold so poorly that Apple has decided to delay the launch of the next-generation iPhone Air that was scheduled to come out alongside the iPhone 18 Pro, reports The Information. Apple initially planned to release a new iPhone Air in fall 2026, but now that's not going to happen. Since the iPhone Air launched in September, there have been reports of poor sales...
All Screen iPhone 2027 Feature 1

Apple to Hide Selfie Camera Under Display of 20th Anniversary iPhone

Monday November 10, 2025 1:55 am PST by
Apple will conceal the front-facing camera under the screen of its 2027 iPhone, a Chinese leaker said today, corroborating reports that Apple's 20th anniversary iPhone will have no visible cutouts in the display. Weibo-based account Digital Chat Station said Apple's development of under-screen camera technology was progressing as planned for adoption in 2027, one year after it will...

Top Rated Comments

tekmoe Avatar
189 months ago
Apple to Samsung - "Your products are too similar to ours. We are going to sue you."

Apple to Samsung - "Oh, BTW, we like your displays and would like to use them."

:rolleyes:
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
NewYorkRanger Avatar
189 months ago
Why would Apple release a new iPad this year when the current unit is still selling so well? It's almost June and they are still hard to find. The competition, while eating into market share, shouldn't be that huge of a concern at this point since Apple has such a huge lead when it comes to consumer confidence and desire.

I'd wait until at least Q1 2012, why cannibalize sales of the iPad 2 so early? There is this huge misconception that people will not buy iPad 2's as x-mas gifts, I just don't see that holding true.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gnasher729 Avatar
189 months ago
Apple to Samsung - "Your products are too similar to ours. We are going to sue you."

Apple to Samsung - "Oh, BTW, we like your displays and would like to use them."

:rolleyes:

Apple to itself: "We are in court with Samsung right now, but they are making these excellent displays. Should we buy them or not? " Answer: "Of course we buy them, as long as they are good and at the right price and quantity."

Samsung to itself: "We are in court with Apple right now, but they are offering us tons of money for our displays. Should we sell them or not? " Answer: "Of course we sell them, as long as we make a good profit doing so. "
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
*LTD* Avatar
189 months ago
Apple to Samsung - "Your products are too similar to ours. We are going to sue you."

Apple to Samsung - "Oh, BTW, we like your displays and would like to use them."

:rolleyes:
Completely different businesses.

Corporations take things a lot less personally than people. Samsung makes a lot of money as a supplier.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sciwizam Avatar
189 months ago
Only if:

1) No Pentile. Pentile is a bastardization and looks horrid for text and high contrast boundaries.

2) Does not look any worse in high light conditions.

Time to update some old information regarding AMOLED's and Pentile sub-pixels.

The display in the new Samsung Galaxy S2 is Super AMOLED+. The "+" part refers to the true RGB sub-pixel arrangement, not the RGBG pentile arrangement they used in the original Galaxy S.

http://www.oled-info.com/super-amoled-plus-resolution-explained

Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
paintblock Avatar
189 months ago
No! No! No!

The biggest problem with the otherwise excellent current iPad display is how badly it performs in sunlight. The LAST thing we need is a switch to AMOLED -- those things are practically invisible in sunlight -- they make Apple's IPS LEDs look like eInk when it come to sunlight performance.

What the heck are you talking about? My fiancé has a Samsung Focus Win7 phone, and I swear it's the only phone you can see without squinting and cupping your hand beneath the blazingly bright Arizona desert sun. It performs so incredibly beautifully in direct sunlight it's not even funny. Super AMOLED all the way.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)