Apple Mini-LED Display Supplier Says Demand Shrinking As Rumors Suggest Transition to OLED in Coming Years

One of Apple's leading mini-LED suppliers says demand for displays in consumer products is shrinking while demand for mini-LED in other use cases is rising as Apple eyes a transition to move its iPad and MacBook line to OLED displays in the coming years.

Oled iPads and MackBook Pro Notch
A new report from DigiTimes today cites industry sources within Epistar, which has been providing mini-LED displays to Apple for some time, saying that demand for mini-LED displays for use in consumer electronic devices is decreasing and that it expects demand for mini-LED displays for use in dashboards and displays for vehicles to spike in 2023.

A report last week suggested Samsung is now prioritizing the development of specific types of OLED displays that Apple plans to use in upcoming iPad Pro models. According to reports, Apple is expected to announce the first iPad Pro with an OLED display in 2024, which has sparked mini-LED suppliers to eye other applications for its displays, according to DigiTimes.

Alongside an OLED ‌iPad Pro‌, Apple is also rumored to launch a 13-inch MacBook Air with an OLED display in 2024. Apple is also considering using an OLED panel in an upcoming iPhone SE refresh, but the company is debating between using an LCD or OLED display, according to reliable display analyst Ross Young.

Popular Stories

iPhone Air

Report: 'Virtually No Demand' for iPhone Air

Wednesday October 22, 2025 3:22 am PDT by
Apple is "drastically" cutting production of the iPhone Air and shifting focus toward the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro models, Nikkei Asia reports. The business publication claims to have learned of a major cut to iPhone Air production motivated by weaker-than-expected consumer interest, nearly to "end of production levels." Despite early reports of the iPhone Air selling out within hours of...
sam sung auction

Former Apple Employee Sam Sung Changed His Name to Avoid Attention

Wednesday October 22, 2025 4:44 pm PDT by
Back in 2012, an Apple retail employee named Sam Sung went viral because his name is similar to Samsung, one of Apple's main competitors. In a recent interview with Business Insider, he detailed that period in his life, how Apple responded, and he explained why he ultimately changed his name. Someone posted an image of Sung's Apple business card on Reddit in 2012, and it spread rapidly....
iOS 26

iOS 26.1 Coming Soon With These 8 New Features for Your iPhone

Wednesday October 22, 2025 6:15 am PDT by
The upcoming iOS 26.1 update includes a handful of new features and changes for iPhones, including a toggle for changing the appearance of the Liquid Glass design, "slide to stop" for alarms in the Clock app, and more. iOS 26.1 is currently in beta testing. The update will likely be released in the first half of November, and it is compatible with the iPhone 11 series and newer, but some...
cadillac lyric infotainment

GM to Remove CarPlay from All Future Vehicles, Including Gas Cars

Wednesday October 22, 2025 11:34 am PDT by
General Motors began phasing out support for CarPlay in its electric vehicles back in 2023, leading to complaints from iPhone users, but the company has no plans to back down. In fact, GM is going further and plans to remove CarPlay from all future gas vehicles, too. In an interview with The Verge, GM CEO Mary Barra said that the company opted to prioritize its platform for EVs, but the...
All Screen iPhone 2027 Feature 1

Apple's Plan to Launch Three New iPhone Designs Allegedly Revealed

Wednesday October 22, 2025 6:24 am PDT by
Apple plans to launch a new type of iPhone every year for the foreseeable future, according to an Asia-based source. The detailed information was shared by the account "yeux1122" in a blog post on the Korean platform Naver, citing domestic trend and component research companies. Corroborating other reports, Apple will apparently launch its first foldable iPhone in 2026, featuring a...
ios 26 1 liquid glass opaque

iOS 26.1 Beta 4 Lets Users Control Liquid Glass Transparency with New Toggle

Monday October 20, 2025 10:57 am PDT by
With the fourth betas of iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, and macOS 26.1, Apple has introduced a new setting that's designed to allow users to customize the look of Liquid Glass. The toggle lets users select from a clear look for Liquid Glass, or a tinted look. Clear is the current Liquid Glass design, which is more transparent and shows the background underneath buttons, bars, and menus, while tinted ...
All Screen iPhone 2027 Feature 1

Report: Apple to Skip 'iPhone 19' Name for 'iPhone 20'

Thursday October 23, 2025 4:28 am PDT by
Apple's new iPhone lineup launched in the fall of 2027 will be called the "iPhone 20" models, rather than the "iPhone 19," according to research firm Omdia. Speaking at a conference in Seoul (via ETNews), Omdia Chief Researcher Heo Moo-yeol corroborated rumors that Apple plans to move the launch of its standard iPhone to the first half of the year and provided some additional clarity about...
maxresdefault

Apple's iPhone Air Experiment Fails as Supply Chain Cuts Production by 80%

Wednesday October 22, 2025 10:48 am PDT by
iPhone Air demand failed to meet Apple's expectations and the company's supply chain is scaling back shipments and production, reports Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Suppliers are expected to reduce capacity by more than 80 percent between now and the first quarter of 2026, and some components with longer lead times will be discontinued ...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

iPhone Driver's License Feature in Apple Wallet App Launches in Another U.S. State

Thursday October 23, 2025 7:44 am PDT by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Starting today, the feature is available to residents of West Virginia. To set it up, open the Wallet app and tap on the plus sign in...

Top Rated Comments

Bustycat Avatar
37 months ago

Apple didn't move to OLED in a long time because these displays degrade faster than LCD. Then why is Apple now considering to switch?
Then you can buy more frequently.
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jmho Avatar
37 months ago
I have an LG C2 OLED next to my Pro Display XDR, and 16" miniLED MacBook Pro and the OLED absolutely destroys them both in terms of picture quality when watching films and TV.

If burn in is solved then I can't wait for OLED.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Le0M Avatar
37 months ago
Apple didn't move to OLED in a long time because these displays degrade faster than LCD. Then why is Apple now considering to switch?
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Radon87000 Avatar
37 months ago

OLED will be used on consumer Apple products, mini-LED on prosumer ones. Apple needs HDR across the board, sufficiently bright OLED is a “cheap” way to get there. But it won’t replace miniLED and local dimming any time soon. Next evolutionary step is then micro-LEDs which will replace both.
I would say it’s the opposite. OLED is far superior to MiniLED in HDR as it has effectively millions of dimming zones vs; 2500 on the MiniLED making for a much more impressive contrast ratio. Yes it isn’t as bright but it doesn’t need to hit the same brightness due to higher perceived contrast. This is a-art from the much better Color volume OLED provides especially QD OLED

I have an OLED monitor, OLED TV AMD a MiniLED iPad and in the dark the OLED just crushes the MiniLED.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Bonte Avatar
37 months ago
No need for OLED unless the technique improved a lot, miniLED is more than capable for the current form factors.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
37 months ago
I’m ready for that OLED iPad 16” Display.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)