2024 OLED iPad Pros Set to Be a Lot Pricier Due to Costly Panel Production Process

Apple's upcoming OLED iPad Pro models are likely to be significantly more expensive than existing OLED devices of a similar size due to the costly new production processes involved, claims a new report out of Korea.

iPad Pro OLED Feature 2
Apple is next year widely expected to launch new 11.1-inch and 13-inch ‌iPad Pro‌ models featuring OLED instead of LCD displays, and its panel procurement will account for the largest proportion of material costs, according to Korean-language website The Elec.

Apple is currently believed to be in discussion with Samsung and LG Display about the price of supplying the panels, the specifications for which will require the use of production processes that have not been combined before for OLED panels of the required size.

One of the new production processes is the use of a two-stack tandem structure, which has two emission layers, thus doubling brightness and quadrupling OLED display lifespan. All of Apple's iPhones use a single-stack structure, and Apple's rationale for requiring two-stack panels for iPads is that tablets tend to be used for longer periods.

Another process is the use of low-temperature polycrystalline oxide (LTPO) thin film transistors (TFT), for a more power efficient backplane that is responsible for turning individual pixels on and off, and lastly, a hybrid OLED structure that combines rigid OLED glass substrates with flexible OLED thin-film encapsulation, resulting in an overall thinner panel.

According to The Elec, the supply price of OLED panels for existing 10-inch devices is around $100 to $150, whereas the outlay for the processes involved in making Apple's required 11.1-inch and 13-inch panels is closer to $270 and $350, respectively.

As the report notes, Apple will likely pass on at least some of these material costs to the consumer, which will be reflected in significantly higher retail prices. Currently, the 11-inch ‌iPad Pro‌ with LED Liquid Retina display starts at $799, while the 12.9-inch ‌iPad Pro‌ with mini-LED Liquid Retina XDR display starts at $1,099.

Today's report adds that LG Display is developing both 11.1-inch and 13-inch iPad OLED panels, whereas Samsung is developing only for the 11.1-inch model, although Samsung may end up developing both types depending on production requirements.

In related developments, Samsung has reportedly decided to invest in eighth-generation OLED production lines, which should "theoretically" result in lower-costing panels compared to those made on the sixth-generation line. The OLED ‌iPad Pro‌ panels coming out next year are to be made using the sixth-generation line, but the panels for Apple's future OLED MacBooks are likely to be made by the eighth-generation line.

Related Roundup: iPad Pro
Buyer's Guide: iPad Pro (Don't Buy)

Popular Stories

iphone 16 pro ghost hand

5 Reasons to Skip This Year's iPhone 17 Pro

Thursday July 10, 2025 4:54 am PDT by
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 series in two months, and the iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to get a new design for the rear casing and the camera area. But more significant changes to the lineup are not expected until next year, when the iPhone 18 models arrive. If you're thinking of trading in your iPhone for this year's latest, consider the following features rumored to be coming...
apple tv 4k new orange

New Apple TV Expected Later This Year With These New Features

Saturday July 12, 2025 3:09 pm PDT by
A new Apple TV is expected to be released later this year, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the next Apple TV, according to rumors. Rumors Faster Wi-Fi Support The next Apple TV will be equipped with Apple's own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. He said the chip supports ...
macbook pro blue green

M5 MacBook Pro No Longer Coming in 2025

Thursday July 10, 2025 12:38 pm PDT by
Apple does not plan to refresh any Macs with updated M5 chips in 2025, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Updated MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models are now planned for the first half of 2026. Gurman previously said that Apple would debut the M5 MacBook Pro models in late 2025, but his newest report suggests that Apple is "considering" pushing them back to 2026. Apple is now said to be...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 16 New Features

Friday July 11, 2025 12:40 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are only two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:A redesigned Dynamic Island: It has been rumored that all iPhone 17 models will have a redesigned Dynamic Island interface — it might ...
iphone 16 pro pro max

iPhone 17 Pro Models With BOE Displays Will Be Sold in China Only

Thursday July 10, 2025 11:59 pm PDT by
iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max models with displays made by BOE will be sold exclusively in China, according to a new report. Last week, it emerged that Chinese display manufacturer BOE was aggressively ramping up its OLED production capacity for future iPhone models as part of a plan to recapture a major role in Apple's supply chain. Now, tech news aggregator Jukan Choi reports...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

Apple Says iPhone Driver's Licenses Will Expand to These 8 U.S. States

Tuesday July 8, 2025 11:26 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. Unfortunately, this feature continues to roll out very slowly since it was announced in 2021, with only nine U.S. states, Puerto Rico,...
iPhone 17 Air Colors Thumb 2

iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air Rumored to Come in These 9 Colors

Friday July 11, 2025 12:30 am PDT by
The iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air will be available in a total of nine color options, according to new information coming out of Asia. The iPhone 17 Air's expected color options. According to the leaker going by the account name "yeux1122" on the Korean blog Naver, accessory manufacturers are now producing camera protector rings for the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air in colors to match their...
11th gen ipad blue

Apple to Launch New Low-Cost 11-Inch iPad in the Spring

Friday July 11, 2025 3:40 am PDT by
Apple will launch a new 12th generation entry-level iPad in the spring of next year, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Apple is said to have two versions of the entry-level 11-inch iPad in development, codenamed J581 and J582. These could refer to different storage capacities – in which case, Apple may be planning to drop the existing lowest capacity option. The current iPad 11 is...

Top Rated Comments

SD449 Avatar
31 months ago
Introducing the new iPad Pro with a Pro-posterous price!
Score: 43 Votes (Like | Disagree)
scrapesleon Avatar
31 months ago
Well that’s one way to price yourself out the market
Score: 37 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tomscott1988 Avatar
31 months ago
As if they aren't expensive enough. Add pencil and keyboard its already at 14" pro territory. Killing itself.
Score: 31 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ersan191 Avatar
31 months ago
Make it run macOS and I won't really care about a price increase. I don't understand who's buying these things priced like laptops with such a limited OS.
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
T'hain Esh Kelch Avatar
31 months ago
Good, those few thousand people globally who could afford the current model were too many!
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Pezimak Avatar
31 months ago
That's a ludicrous price for an OLED panel, and I don't buy Apples excuse people use iPads for longer than iPhones either for requesting new expensive manufacturing techniques, not with 6 plus inch iPhones these days. Some people only have an iPhone.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)