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Apple cut OLED iPad Pro orders by 20-30%, claims supply-chain report

A new supply-chain report claims that Apple has cut the number of OLED iPad Pro orders by 20-30%, as the company reportedly adopts a more pessimistic view of likely sales.

It follows a recent report stating that production of the next-generation iPad Pro models was underway, as we get closer to an anticipated spring launch …

OLED iPad Pro models

This is the year that Apple is expected to upgrade the iPad Pro from IPS LCD with miniLED backlighting to OLED. The company began its gradual adoption of OLED with the Apple Watch, then the iPhone, and the iPad is expected to be next in line, ahead of MacBook Pro models.

Bloomberg reported that the new models would be launched in the spring, and a recent supply-chain report says that the first fully-assembled OLED iPad Pro models are expected to be shipped to Apple in April.

Apple orders reportedly cut by 20-30%

Trendforce cites Aju Korea Daily in reporting that Apple has cut back on the number of iPad Pro models it has ordered from its suppliers.

Reports suggest a potential 30% reduction in the estimated order volume, indicating Apple’s cautious outlook on the new product. It’s anticipated that suppliers in the supply chain such as LG Display (LGD), TSMC, Foxconn, and Novatek will also be affected.

Aju Korea Daily, citing industry sources, reported that Apple has reduced the OLED screen orders for its new iPad Pro. The initial order of 10 million units has been adjusted to a range of 7 million to 8 million units.

A price increase may be a factor

Apple is reportedly using the most advanced form of OLED, combining a hybrid glass-polyamide film with two stack tandem OLED, which uses two layers of pixels instead of one. This increases brightness while also reducing burn-in, which has historically proven a downside of larger OLED screens.

This has led to speculation of significant price increases, though these are likely greatly exaggerated.

Photo by Pawel Czerwinski on Unsplash

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Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Ben Lovejoy

Ben Lovejoy is a British technology writer and EU Editor for 9to5Mac. He’s known for his op-eds and diary pieces, exploring his experience of Apple products over time, for a more rounded review. He also writes fiction, with two technothriller novels, a couple of SF shorts and a rom-com!


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