Apple Could Release OLED iPad With Samsung Display Panel in 2024

Apple might release an iPad with an OLED display provided by Samsung in 2024, according to a report from The Elec. Samsung is developing the necessary equipment to create the OLED panels that Apple wants for its iPads, but Apple will need to make a big enough order to make the project financially viable.

OLED iPad Air
The Elec says that Apple and Samsung were working together to create a 10.86-inch OLED panel in 2021, but work on the display was halted in the third quarter. Apple asked for panels with a "two stack tandem structure," but the project was too expensive for Samsung and Samsung was not able to manufacture enough of the panels at the right price.

For the second collaboration, if Apple places a "large enough order," Samsung will be able to finalize its spending plans during the second quarter of 2022, ordering the necessary equipment during the third quarter. The equipment is expected to be delivered in 2023 for Samsung to manufacture displays destined for a 2024 OLED ‌iPad‌.

The report suggests that Samsung is working to expand its Gen 8.5 IT OLED panels to offer the technology that Apple wants at the price Apple wants, but it needs new machinery to do so as well as Apple's approval. Samsung's current Gen 5.5 and Gen 6 substrates make the panels too expensive because there are not enough units cut out per substrate.

The South Korean display panel maker's development of a vertical deposition machine, in collaboration with Japan's Ulvac, for use in Gen 8.5 IT OLED panel that started last year was ongoing as of January 2022, sources told TheElec.

The equipment, along with fine metal masks (FMM) used to deposit organic materials precisely on the substrate, is a key technology needed to commercialize Gen 8.5 IT OLED panels.

The launch of a 2024 OLED ‌iPad‌ may depend on whether Apple decides to order a substantial number of OLED display panels from Samsung, but Apple could also opt to go with panels from another display provider.

Recent rumors have suggested that Apple is working with BOE on larger-sized OLED panels destined for Macs and iPads, with BOE's recently converted factory able to manufacture OLED displays that are up to 15 inches in size.

At the current time, Apple uses OLED displays for the iPhone and the Apple Watch, but Macs and iPads are limited to LCD and mini-LED. There have been continuous rumors about Apple's interest in OLED panels for devices like Macs and iPads, but the technology may still be a few years away due to the high cost of OLED display panels.

Related Roundup: iPad Pro
Buyer's Guide: iPad Pro (Caution)

Popular Stories

Apple CarPlay Ultra instrument cluster themes 01

Apple's 'CarPlay Ultra' Experience Now Available

Thursday May 15, 2025 5:07 am PDT by
Apple today announced that its next-generation CarPlay experience, now dubbed "CarPlay Ultra" begins rolling out today, starting with Aston Martin vehicles. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. CarPlay Ultra is now available with new Aston Martin vehicle orders in the U.S. and Canada. It will also be available for existing models that feature the brand's next-generation ...
Apple CarPlay Ultra instrument cluster themes 01

Apple's CarPlay Ultra Is Here – Does Your iPhone Support It?

Thursday May 15, 2025 5:17 am PDT by
Apple's recently announced CarPlay Ultra promises a deeply integrated in-car experience, but not all iPhone users will be able to take advantage of the new feature. According to Apple's press release, CarPlay Ultra requires an iPhone 12 or later running iOS 18.5 or later. This means if you're using an iPhone 11, iPhone XR, or any older model, you'll need to upgrade your device to access...
CarPlay Ultra Climate Controls

Apple Says These Vehicle Brands Plan to Offer All-New CarPlay Ultra

Thursday May 15, 2025 8:13 am PDT by
Apple today announced the launch of CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. CarPlay Ultra features deep integration with a vehicle's instrument cluster and systems, built-in Radio and Climate apps, customizable widgets, and more. The interface is tailored to each vehicle model and automaker's identity, and drivers can also adjust...
iPhone 12 Made in India

Trump Tells Tim Cook to Stop Building iPhones in India

Thursday May 15, 2025 2:21 am PDT by
President Donald Trump has asked Apple CEO Tim Cook to halt the company's manufacturing expansion in India, in a potential disruption of Apple's plan to shift iPhone production away from China. "I had a little problem with Tim Cook yesterday," Trump said during his state visit to Qatar, according to Bloomberg. "He is building all over India." "They [India] have offered us a deal where...
apple music

Apple Music Gets New Transfer Tool to Make Switching From Spotify Easier

Wednesday May 14, 2025 5:17 pm PDT by
Apple this week introduced a new feature designed to allow prospective Apple Music users to import their saved music and playlists from third-party music services to Apple Music. The feature is either in an expanded testing phase or it has started rolling out, and it is available in Australia and New Zealand according to an Apple Support document. Signs of the transfer option first surfaced...
maxresdefault

Here's the First Real-World Look at Apple's CarPlay Ultra

Thursday May 15, 2025 5:52 am PDT by
The first videos of Apple's CarPlay Ultra experience are now available, providing a never-before-seen look at the long-anticipated iPhone-linked infotainment software. British automaker Aston Martin today shared the first video of Apple's CarPlay Ultra experience in-action, followed by a detailed walk-through of the CarPlay Ultra system on Top Gear's YouTube channel, which provides the...
iOS 18

Apple Releases iOS 18.5 With New Wallpaper, Screen Time Changes, Carrier Satellite Support for iPhone 13 and More

Monday May 12, 2025 10:06 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 18.5 and iPadOS 18.5, the fifth updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating systems that came out last September. iOS 18.5 and iPadOS 18.5 come a little over a month after Apple released iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. The iOS 18.5 update has a...
fortnite apple logo 2

Epic Resubmits Fortnite to U.S. App Store After Not Hearing From Apple for 120+ Hours

Wednesday May 14, 2025 1:01 pm PDT by
On Friday, Epic Games submitted Fortnite to the U.S. App Store, and since then, we've been waiting to see if Apple would approve the game and allow it back on the iPhone and the iPad. There's been no word from Apple so far, but Epic Games opted to pull its first App Store review request, and has now resubmitted Fortnite. Fortnite leaker Shiina shared the news, with the information reposted by...

Top Rated Comments

justiny Avatar
44 months ago

as someone who personally very much dislikes mini LED on my iPad & MacBook Pro, this would be great. My iPhone has no blooming and looks amazing in all conditions. My iPad and MacBook Pro are unreadable with black backgrounds. I wish MiniLED had never happened.
I’m honestly not trying to provoke. Blooming is a non-issue for me, and really only if I crank the brightness ridiculously high with 95% of the display pure black and I’m trying to look for it.

The mini-LED on my MBP 16 is gorgeous. If it was unreadable, which I would believe to be a deal-breaker on any laptop, I’d return it.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
adamjackson Avatar
44 months ago
as someone who personally very much dislikes mini LED on my iPad & MacBook Pro, this would be great. My iPhone has no blooming and looks amazing in all conditions. My iPad and MacBook Pro are unreadable with black backgrounds. I wish MiniLED had never happened.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GMShadow Avatar
44 months ago
I just don’t see Apple investing millions and millions into mini LED just to abandon it for OLED a few years later.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
james2538 Avatar
44 months ago

I'm confused though. Isn't mini LED superior to OLED except for the blooming issue? Better HDR experience on mini-LED vs OLED.
You're confusing Micro and Mini LED.

Display quality wise: Micro-LED (Doesn't exist in commercial products yet) > OLED (TVs, iPhones, Watch) > Mini-LED (MacBook/iPad Pros) > Full Array LED (More Expensive LCD TVs) > Edge Lit LED (Cheaper LCD TVs)

With Micro-LED and OLED each individual pixel can be lit and unlit so there is no need for a backlight; thus giving an infinite contrast ratio with perfect blacks. While OLED do have burn-in issues, that has gotten much better within the past few years. Both Mini-LED and Full Array LED suffer from blooming. They essentially are the same thing, with Mini-LED just shoving a ton more individual dimming zones in its backlighting. Edge Lit LED have the worst contrast ratios since there is no way to dim only certain parts of the screen.

As far as HDR is concerned it's a subjective experience. OLED can provide a wider contrast ratio but all other LED based displays can get much brighter. Personally I prefer my retinas not to be seared out when watching a movie on a TV in a dark room. However in a laptop/tablet used outdoors Mini-LED makes more sense as a stop gap until Micro-LED matures.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mi7chy Avatar
44 months ago
Wasn't it BOE the other day? For the price you're paying you should get a Samsung OLED panel and not BOE though. iPadOS needs to retire though and replaced with MacOS.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
RONS67 Avatar
44 months ago
BREAKING NEWS!
Apple might release an iPad with an OLED display provided by Samsung in 2023. The launch of a 2023 OLED ‌iPad‌ may depend on whether Apple decides to order a substantial number of OLED display panels from Samsung, but Apple could also opt to go with panels from another display provider. Or not. You read it here first!
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)