Upcoming 12.9-Inch iPad Pro Supplies Could Be Limited Due to Mini-LED Production Issues

Apple's upcoming 12.9-inch iPad Pro may be in short supply when it launches due to production issues of the mini-LED display being used in the device, reports Bloomberg.

iPad Pro Mini LED
Apple suppliers are experiencing poor manufacturing yields of the display, and at least one mini-LED maker has had to pause production as a result of these issues.

Though there are troubles with mini-LED display manufacturing, Apple is still intending to introduce new 11 and 12.9-inch ‌iPad Pro‌ models as early as this month, and as prior rumors have suggested, the mini-LED display will be exclusive to the larger 12.9-inch ‌iPad Pro‌.

Mini-LED technology will offer multiple benefits, such as a better contrast ratio and improved brightness.

Bloomberg in March said that the refreshed ‌iPad Pro‌ models would come as early as April, but there is still no narrower timeline available. It is not clear if the new tablets will be introduced via press release or if Apple has some kind of event in the works, as the iPad mini is also expected to see a refresh.

Along with a mini-LED display, the new ‌iPad Pro‌ models are expected to feature an A14X chip with M1-like performance and Thunderbolt connectivity.

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

Popular Stories

imac video apple feature

Apple Unveils First New Products of 2026

Monday January 26, 2026 1:55 pm PST by
Apple today introduced its first two physical products of 2026: a second-generation AirTag and the Black Unity Connection Braided Solo Loop for the Apple Watch. Read our coverage of each announcement to learn more:Apple Unveils New AirTag With Longer Range, Louder Speaker, and More Apple Introduces New Black Unity Apple Watch BandBoth the new AirTag and the Black Unity Connection Braided...
Apple Logo Black

Apple Just Made Its Second-Biggest Acquisition Ever After Beats

Thursday January 29, 2026 10:07 am PST by
Apple today confirmed to Reuters that it has acquired Q.ai, an Israeli startup that is working on artificial intelligence technology for audio. Apple paid close to $2 billion for Q.ai, according to sources cited by the Financial Times. That would make this Apple's second-biggest acquisition ever, after it paid $3 billion for the popular headphone and audio brand Beats in 2014. Q.ai has...
iPhone 5s

iPhone 5s Gets New Software Update 13 Years After Launch

Monday January 26, 2026 3:56 pm PST by
Alongside iOS 26.2.1, Apple today released an updated version of iOS 12 for devices that are still running that operating system update, eight years after the software was first released. iOS 12.5.8 is available for the iPhone 5s and the iPhone 6, meaning Apple is continuing to support these devices for 13 and 12 years after launch, respectively. The iPhone 5s came out in September 2013,...
Apple Creator Studio

Apple's Next Launch is Today

Tuesday January 27, 2026 2:39 pm PST by
Update: Apple Creator Studio is now available. Apple Creator Studio launches this Wednesday, January 28. The all-in-one subscription provides access to the Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, Pixelmator Pro, Motion, Compressor, and MainStage apps, with U.S. pricing set at $12.99 per month or $129 per year. A subscription to Apple Creator Studio also unlocks "intelligent features" and "premium...
apple silicon 1 feature

Apple Responds to Skyrocketing RAM and Storage Chip Prices

Thursday January 29, 2026 2:40 pm PST by
On an earnings call with equity analysts today, Apple CEO Tim Cook responded to fast-rising RAM and SSD storage chip prices in the supply chain. Cook said that rising memory chip prices had a "minimal impact" on Apple's gross margin in the fourth quarter of the 2025 calendar year, but he does expect a "bit more of an impact" on the company's gross margin in the current quarter. Cook added ...

Top Rated Comments

JPack Avatar
63 months ago

how is mini LED better than OLED? OLED can turn light off per pixel, so it’s inherently better at accurate blacks (miniLED pixels have to share backlighting, so if some are supposed to be black and others are not, the device has to compromise, which causes halos or other artifacts). OLED has better viewing angles. MiniLED more or less wins only for absolute brightness and lack of burn in, unless i’m forgetting something.
Mini LED can more easily achieve full color gamut (Rec. 2020) compared to OLED. It's the next step after DCI-P3. Mini LED also offers higher luminance without the lifetime tradeoffs compared to OLED. All other things are roughly equal, including power consumption.

There seems to be this whole religion on "true blacks" offered by OLED. If you ask what creative professionals actually want, that's not high on their list. Wide color gamut and luminance is.

Every single time MacRumors posts an article about iPad Pro and MacBook Pro moving to mini LED, a number of posters seem genuinely surprised with that news. "Why would iPad Pro get mini LED while iPad Air gets OLED? OLED is clearly better than mini LED, right!?" If it wasn't obvious with the XDR, it should be abundantly clear by now. Mini LED offers more advantages compared to OLED.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
wouwout Avatar
63 months ago
why not OLED? Samsung has large OLED tablets. Better than mini LED will ever be
(don't start about burn in, your iphone doesn't have burn in either)
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheralSadurns Avatar
63 months ago
I say... shut up and take my money :D



Attachment Image
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
0924487 Avatar
63 months ago
By the time Apple releases this miniLED, microLED will be just a few more months away :rolleyes:
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MacFan23 Avatar
63 months ago

why not OLED? Samsung has large OLED tablets. Better than mini LED will ever be
(don't start about burn in, your iphone doesn't have burn in either)
Rene Ritchie has said in the past that it's due to a number of factors: brightness uniformity, off-axis colour shift, burn in, pulse-width modulation at lower frequencies:

Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mr. Dee Avatar
63 months ago
This one you probably wanna wait out.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)