There have been so many OLED iPad reports that it’s hard to even count, and the latest one suggests that Samsung is making plans to build an advanced OLED production line designed specifically for Apple panels for “tablets and PC line-ups.”
The plan is to begin production in 2024, but one interpretation might suggest the first OLED iPads launching as soon as next year …
Background
We’ve talked before about the gradual transition Apple is making in terms of display tech.
- IPS LCD with conventional backlighting. This is still used in older Macs and cheaper iPhones.
- IPS LCD with miniLED backlighting. Apple switched to this for iPad Pro models, and is now using it in the new MacBook Pro. It allows for darker blacks and brighter whites, and makes a surprising difference.
- OLED. Apple first adopted this in the Apple Watch before bringing it to the iPhone, starting with the iPhone X. Apple has not yet used this in either iPads or MacBooks, but is expected to do so sometime in the 2023-2026 timeframe.
- MicroLED. Despite the similarity in name to miniLED, this is a completely different technology. It’s effectively a much more sophisticated version of OLED. It’s brighter, more power-efficient, and doesn’t suffer from burn-in. Apple’s interest in microLED dates back to at least 2014, and while there have been some signs of progress, this tech is still at a very early stage of development. As with OLED, it’s likely to come first to the Apple Watch, then iPhone, iPad, and Macs, in that order.
Some sources have claimed that Apple would skip OLED altogether, while most say OLED iPads are in the works, but disagree over launch dates – with everything from 2022 to 2026 reported.
Growing number of OLED iPad reports
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo last year suggested that the first OLED iPad would launch in 2022, but subsequently said this plan had been abandoned.
Apple has three display suppliers, and all three have been reported to be working on a new generation of OLED panel technology likely geared toward Apple.
Samsung’s panel design was said to double the brightness and boost longevity. LG was reported to be readying itself for orders for OLED iPad displays, preparing to double the production of a plant dedicated to making advanced displays in the right size range for iPads. Finally, BOE was recently said to be joining the OLED iPad panel party – though the company isn’t exactly in Apple’s good books at present.
Samsung plans for OLED iPad panel production
Building on earlier Samsung reports, TheElec gets a little more specific, suggesting that the company is working on plans to create a new advanced OLED production line for ‘tablets and PCs’ specifically for Apple.
Samsung Display is likely to build its first Gen 85 OLED line with a capacity of 15,000 substrates per month, TheElec has learned.
Gen 8.5 (2200x2500mm) substrates are larger than the Gen 6 (1500x1850mm) used widely for smartphones. This means it is more efficient and productive for making larger OLED panels aimed at IT products such as tablets and notebooks.
The line is aimed at Apple, which is planning to adopt OLED panels more for its tablets and PC lineups. If Cupertino decides to more widely adopt them going forward, Samsung Display will likely invest to add another 15,000 substrates per month in capacity.
The new Gen 8.5 line will likely start production in 2024.
However, the piece also suggests that we could see OLED iPads before then.
Apple’s first OLED tablets __ which will come in 11-inch and 12.9-inch sizes, will utilize Samsung Display and LG Display’s existing Gen 6 lines.
Photo: Daniel Romero/Unsplash
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