12.9-Inch 'iPad Pro' Again Rumored to Have Oxide LCD Display

ipadair2cApple's much-rumored 12.9-inch "iPad Pro" could have Oxide LCD display technology and will enter mass production in the third quarter of 2015, according to DigiTimes. The report, citing sources within the supply chain, claims that Apple has elected to use oxide panels for the tablet after weighing the cost versus performance of display technologies a-Si, TFT LCD and Oxide LCD.

"Market rumors over the last six months have stated that Apple would aim to release the device in the first half of the year, with mass production occurring in the first quarter. The company, however, has been assessing different panel technologies ranging from a-Si, TFT LCD and Oxide LCD in terms of cost versus performance, and has only recently decided to move forward with Oxide technology."

The report adds that Sharp, LG Display and Samsung Display have been sending Apple display samples as they compete to secure component orders for the iPad Pro. Sharp is expected to be the main supplier due to its advantages in Oxide LCD display production, with LG also in the running to be a secondary vendor. The panel suppliers will reportedly produce limited supply in May and begin mass production in July and August.

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has a respectable track record at reporting on Apple's upcoming product plans, also forecasted in November that the iPad Pro would be equipped with an oxide panel for "high resolution, quick response, and high color saturation," with manufacturing difficulties pushing mass production of the tablet into the second quarter of 2015.

Oxide LCD technologies, one of the most popular being "IGZO," have been used since the original iPad Air and allow for thinner and more power efficient displays. Expected to have a large 12.9-inch screen, it would make sense for the iPad Pro to have an Oxide LCD display to ensure that the extra screen real estate is not a drain on battery life.

Bloomberg Business reported late Wednesday that Apple missed the mark on second quarter production of the iPad Pro and that manufacturing of the tablet is now slated to begin around September. The larger-screened tablet, rumored to potentially have USB 3.0 ports for faster data transfer, could help Apple reverse four quarters of declining iPad sales as overall tablet market growth has slowed.

Related Roundup: iPad Pro
Buyer's Guide: iPad Pro (Buy Now)

Popular Stories

iPhone SE 4 Vertical Camera Feature

iPhone SE 4 Production Will Reportedly Begin Ramping Up in October

Tuesday July 23, 2024 2:00 pm PDT by
Following nearly two years of rumors about a fourth-generation iPhone SE, The Information today reported that Apple suppliers are finally planning to begin ramping up mass production of the device in October of this year. If accurate, that timeframe would mean that the next iPhone SE would not be announced alongside the iPhone 16 series in September, as expected. Instead, the report...
iPhone 17 Plus Feature

iPhone 17 Lineup Specs Detail Display Upgrade and New High-End Model

Monday July 22, 2024 4:33 am PDT by
Key details about the overall specifications of the iPhone 17 lineup have been shared by the leaker known as "Ice Universe," clarifying several important aspects of next year's devices. Reports in recent months have converged in agreement that Apple will discontinue the "Plus" iPhone model in 2025 while introducing an all-new iPhone 17 "Slim" model as an even more high-end option sitting...
Generic iPhone 17 Feature With Full Width Dynamic Island

Kuo: Ultra-Thin iPhone 17 to Feature A19 Chip, Single Rear Camera, Semi-Titanium Frame, and More

Wednesday July 24, 2024 9:06 am PDT by
Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today shared alleged specifications for a new ultra-thin iPhone 17 model rumored to launch next year. Kuo expects the device to be equipped with a 6.6-inch display with a current-size Dynamic Island, a standard A19 chip rather than an A19 Pro chip, a single rear camera, and an Apple-designed 5G chip. He also expects the device to have a...
iPhone 16 Pro Sizes Feature

iPhone 16 Series Is Less Than Two Months Away: Everything We Know

Thursday July 25, 2024 5:43 am PDT by
Apple typically releases its new iPhone series around mid-September, which means we are about two months out from the launch of the iPhone 16. Like the iPhone 15 series, this year's lineup is expected to stick with four models – iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max – although there are plenty of design differences and new features to take into account. To bring ...
icloud private relay outage

iCloud Private Relay Experiencing Outage

Thursday July 25, 2024 3:18 pm PDT by
Apple’s iCloud Private Relay service is down for some users, according to Apple’s System Status page. Apple says that the iCloud Private Relay service may be slow or unavailable. The outage started at 2:34 p.m. Eastern Time, but it does not appear to be affecting all iCloud users. Some impacted users are unable to browse the web without turning iCloud Private Relay off, while others are...
iPhone 17 Plus Feature Purple

iPhone 17 Rumored to Feature Mechanical Aperture

Tuesday July 23, 2024 9:32 am PDT by
Apple is planning to release at least one iPhone 17 model next year with mechanical aperture, according to a report published today by The Information. The mechanical system would allow users to adjust the size of the iPhone 17's aperture, which refers to the opening of the camera lens through which light enters. All existing iPhone camera lenses have fixed apertures, but some Android...

Top Rated Comments

goodcow Avatar
123 months ago
Ok, what the hell is Oxide LCD? What type of LCD do the iPads use now? And what are its advantages?

It'll be the technology that best protects Apple's profit margins.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DavidTheExpert Avatar
123 months ago
Ok, what the hell is Oxide LCD? What type of LCD do the iPads use now? And what are its advantages?
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Crosscreek Avatar
123 months ago
I don't get 13" iPad unless it capable of doing both IOS and OS X.

I won't buy another iPad just because it's 13" with the same apps.

I must be missing something.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
neilw Avatar
123 months ago
I'm more interested in the resolution, 12.9" would surely best be widescreen preferably 16:9 so would be bigger and wider than current 2048 x 1536 res. I believe what Kuo is saying, so we will have bigger ipad and hopefully software than can take full advantage of that bigger display *hint2* split screen multitasking...

Honestly, if the iPad Pro doesn't some kind of split-screen multitasking kind of thing (whatever implementation Apple comes up with) then I don't see the point.

Other than size, 3 most obvious distinguishing features would be:
1) split screen multitasking (though why they couldn't add this to the regular iPads I have no idea)
2) digitizer/stylus support
3) ports

Of course they could pull something else out of their hats. It will be interesting to see how they position this, since all of the above items would be a significant departure from past iPad philosophy.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Joe Rossignol Avatar
123 months ago
Ok, what the hell is Oxide LCD? What type of LCD do the iPads use now? And what are its advantages?

From the context of the news story, it seems that perhaps Oxide LCD display panels are less expensive, does that mean lower image quality or pixel depth?

Thanks for actually making an informational post. The Google Police have supplanted the Grammar Police as the annoying scourge of Internet forums everywhere...

Your first paragraph might have been a more relevant part of the MR article than just the simple recap of the USB and timeline rumors they put in there again.

I have updated the front page article with more context about Oxide LCD displays and their advantages.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
The Barron Avatar
123 months ago
Here's the answer.

Oxide LCD technology, also referred to as “IGZO,” boasts a higher electron mobility than traditional LCD panels. In a nutshell, that means they are faster and more power efficient than the LCD displays Apple currently uses in its iPad lineup.

Power efficient components will be essential for a 12.9-inch iPad Pro — which will obviously require more power than its smaller siblings during normal use — if Apple intends to keep the device as slim as the iPad Air 2 and not introduce a thicker battery.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)