Apple is seemingly preparing for high demand for its upcoming redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros, and, as a result, has reportedly enlisted a second supplier for its mini-LED displays ahead of their launch.
According to DigiTimes, Apple has added Luxshare Precision Industry as the second supplier for surface mounting technology (SMT) for mini-LED displays. Apple had previously only contracted SMT, or Taiwan Surface Mounting Technology as its supplier for SMT processes in the mini-LED 12.9-inch iPad Pro and the upcoming MacBook Pros.
Apple first introduced a mini-LED display in its high-end 12.9-inch iPad Pro this past April. While the new iPad was announced in April, shipments of the device did not begin until later in May due to high demand and difficult production yield rates. Fueled by a global chip shortage and the continued global health crisis, Apple and its suppliers have faced challenges the past year in maintaining production of new devices.
The upcoming MacBook Pros are expected to be in high demand thanks to several long-awaited features and changes. Alongside a more powerful Apple silicon chip, the new MacBook Pros are rumored to include the first major redesign to the MacBook Pro since 2016, including flat-edges, removing the Touch Bar, and additional ports.
DigiTimes says the new MacBook Pros are expected to launch in the fourth quarter of the year, which runs from October through December. The publication previously cited sources claiming an end-of-third-quarter launch for the new models, but early fourth quarter is more in line with industry expectations. Apple last year announced its M1 Apple silicon processor and an updated Mac mini, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro at a digital event in November.
