iPad Pro Said to Adopt OLED Displays in Late 2021 Following Mini-LED Model in Early 2021

Korean website The Elec today claimed that Apple plans to release at least one iPad Pro model with a Mini-LED display in the first half of 2021, as has been widely rumored for many months, but the report added an interesting new twist.

ipad pro display apple pencil
Following the release of the first iPad Pro model with Mini-LED backlighting in the first half of 2021, The Elec claims that Apple plans to release new iPad Pro models featuring OLED displays in the second half of the year. Samsung and LG are already in the process of developing the OLED displays for the iPad Pro, according to the report.

Many of the rumors to date have claimed that Mini-LED backlighting may be limited to a new high-end 12.9-inch iPad Pro launching around March, so it is possible that the rest of the iPad Pro lineup will continue to use traditional LCDs until they are upgraded with OLED displays later in the year, but the roadmap is unclear at this point.

Mini-LED and OLED displays share many of the same benefits over traditional LCDs, including higher brightness, improved contrast ratio, and increased power efficiency. Apple already uses OLED technology for most recent iPhones and the Apple Watch.

Apple last refreshed the iPad Pro in March 2020, but it was a relatively minor update, with new features including an A12Z Bionic chip that is essentially an A12X chip with an extra GPU core enabled, an Ultra Wide camera, a LiDAR Scanner for enhanced augmented reality, and better sounding microphones. It was the first update to the iPad Pro since the device received a major redesign in October 2018.

Update: Noted display analyst Ross Young has disputed the claim with a simple "Nope."

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Top Rated Comments

DHagan4755 Avatar
60 months ago
That makes no sense.
Score: 76 Votes (Like | Disagree)
PickUrPoison Avatar
60 months ago
Not sure this makes any sense at all.
Score: 37 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Apple Knowledge Navigator Avatar
60 months ago
Hmm... I think communication broke down during this rumour.
Score: 30 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AmazeSE Avatar
60 months ago
This is the worst rumour I have ever heard. This will not be happening.
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cmaier Avatar
60 months ago
That makes no sense. Why bother with the interim step of miniLED if they are willing to go to OLED? And if the plan was to go to OLED, they could have done it already. And why two new display techs in the same year.

Seems very false.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Moonjumper Avatar
60 months ago
And then AMQLED (electroluminescent quantum dots) from BOE in early 2022? But seriously, I don't expect two screen technology changes to the same product range in a year (product range meaning iPads, not specific models).
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)