Kuo: Mini-LED 12.9-inch iPad Pro to Enter Mass Production in 'Mid-to-Late April'

Apple's new 12.9-inch mini-LED iPad Pro will enter mass production in the second half of April, according to a new note by Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. The prediction adds further credence to a Bloomberg report just yesterday that said next month would be the earliest time we should expect the new models to appear.

iPad Pro Mini LED
In an investors note obtained by MacRumors, Kuo says that mass production for the new ‌iPad Pro‌ with a mini-LED display will now begin in "mid-to-late April."

We expect EMS to start mass production of mini LED iPads beginning mid to late April. The supply bottleneck, TSMT's yield rate, will increase significantly in 2Q21, and overall supply chain shipment momentum will also increase significantly in 2H21.

We have predicted in several previous reports that the mini LED iPad will be mass-produced in 1H21. Although this mass production date is slower than the market’s overly-optimistic expectation of February or March, it will provide a good entry point if the related supply chain stock price corrects.

Over the past few days, there has been widespread chatter about a possible event on March 23, when Apple was said to be to announcing the new 12.9-inch ‌iPad Pro‌ with a mini-LED display, amongst other products.

Credible sources such as Bloomberg and ‌Ming-Chi Kuo‌ have now both signaled that no launches will take place before April, and as things stand, it looks like there will be no March announcement from Apple either, despite earlier claims by some leakers.

The new 12.9-inch ‌iPad Pro‌ is expected to have "on par" performance with the performance of the M1 Apple Silicon. It's also rumored to include a Thunderbolt port and improved cameras. The device is expected to adopt mini-LED display technology, which offers improved brightness, improved contrast ratios, and color in its larger 12.9-inch iPad model. However, the smaller 11-inch variant is not expected to be updated with the mini-LED display technology anytime soon, according to rumors.

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

Popular Stories

iphone 17 models

No iPhone 18 Launch This Year, Reports Suggest

Thursday January 1, 2026 8:43 am PST by
Apple is not expected to release a standard iPhone 18 model this year, according to a growing number of reports that suggest the company is planning a significant change to its long-standing annual iPhone launch cycle. Despite the immense success of the iPhone 17 in 2025, the iPhone 18 is not expected to arrive until the spring of 2027, leaving the iPhone 17 in the lineup as the latest...
duolingo ad live activity

Duolingo Used iPhone's Dynamic Island to Display Ads, Violating Apple Design Guidelines

Friday January 2, 2026 1:36 pm PST by
Language learning app Duolingo has apparently been using the iPhone's Live Activity feature to display ads on the Lock Screen and the Dynamic Island, which violates Apple's design guidelines. According to multiple reports on Reddit, the Duolingo app has been displaying an ad for a "Super offer," which is Duolingo's paid subscription option. Apple's guidelines for Live Activity state that...
Clicks Communicator Feature

'Clicks Communicator' Unveiled — Will You Carry This With Your iPhone?

Friday January 2, 2026 6:35 am PST by
The company behind the BlackBerry-like Clicks Keyboard accessory for the iPhone today unveiled a new Android 16 smartphone called the Clicks Communicator. The purpose-built device is designed to be used as a second phone alongside your iPhone, with the intended focus being communication over content consumption. It runs a custom Android launcher that offers a curated selection of messaging...
Low Cost MacBook Feature A18 Pro

Low-Price 12.9-Inch MacBook With A18 Pro Chip Reportedly Launching Early This Year

Friday January 2, 2026 9:08 am PST by
Apple plans to introduce a 12.9-inch MacBook in spring 2026, according to TrendForce. In a press release this week, the Taiwanese research firm said this MacBook will be aimed at the entry-level to mid-range market, with "competitive pricing." TrendForce did not share any further details about this MacBook, but the information that it shared lines up with several rumors about a more...
Low Cost A18 Pro MacBook Feature Pink

Apple's 2026 Low-Cost A18 Pro MacBook: What We Know So Far

Friday January 2, 2026 4:33 pm PST by
Apple is planning to release a low-cost MacBook in 2026, which will apparently compete with more affordable Chromebooks and Windows PCs. Apple's most affordable Mac right now is the $999 MacBook Air, and the upcoming low-cost MacBook is expected to be cheaper. Here's what we know about the low-cost MacBook so far. Size Rumors suggest the low-cost MacBook will have a display that's around 13 ...
Apple Fitness Plus hero

Apple Announces New Fitness+ Workout Programs, Strava Challenge, and More

Friday January 2, 2026 6:43 am PST by
Apple today announced a number of updates to Apple Fitness+ and activity with the Apple Watch. The key announcements include: New Year limited-edition award: Users can win the award by closing all three Activity Rings for seven days in a row in January. "Quit Quitting" Strava challenge: Available in Strava throughout January, users who log 12 workouts anytime in the month will win an ...
Mac Pro Feature Blue

What's Happening With the Mac Pro?

Wednesday December 31, 2025 9:59 am PST by
Apple hasn't updated the Mac Pro since 2023, and according to recent rumors, there's no update coming in the near future. In fact, Apple might be finished with the Mac Pro. Bloomberg recently said that the Mac Pro is "on the back burner" and has been "largely written off" by Apple. Apple apparently views the more compact Mac Studio as the ideal high-end pro-level desktop, and it has almost...

Top Rated Comments

TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
63 months ago
Not sure where there is a delay coming from. But it will be released when it’s ready
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kiranmk2 Avatar
63 months ago
If this gets delayed too much it will fall into the old iPad trap of launching and then being outperformed by the next iPhone a few months later (I expect A15 single core performance to exceed A14X performance).
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jimmy_uk Avatar
63 months ago
Damn, I was looking forward to new toys this month.

Apple struggled to keep up with demand for all its 2020 products so this is possibly the cause in timetable shift.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mr. Dee Avatar
63 months ago
My strategy is wait until the end of the year, then wait a few more months for a good discount.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Rogifan Avatar
63 months ago
I hope these models have more RAM. I get app refreshes all the time, especially Safari and Music.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
newyorksole Avatar
63 months ago

I haven’t said anything in particular about Kuo, I don’t keep track of who has said what. However, there have been rumours for the mini-led iPad Pro for quite a long time and today is the first time we are hearing the mass production will start in April. This suggests launch in the second half of the year which is also something we are hearing about for the first time.
I find it VERY hard to believe that the mass production will start in April. For such a major product I would expect it to be released at a Spring Event and not WWDC and definitely not a September or October Special Event.

Either way... I’m itching to see this thing.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)