DigiTimes: 12.9-inch iPad Pro with mini-LED screen that should no longer be sold until at least April

Apple will not launch a new 12.9-inch iPad Pro with a mini-LED screen until at least the second quarter of the year, which begins April 1, according to industry sources cited by DigiTimes.

From today’s report:

Epistar has become the exclusive supplier of miniLED chips to be used in the 12.9-inch backlit ‌iPad Pro‌ miniLED, with almost 50% of the corresponding production capacity reserved for the tablet and volume shipments starting in the second quarter of 2021 , the sources said.

Last week, DigiTimes reported that the new 12.9-inch PiPad Pro‌ could be launched in late March or the beginning of the second quarter. The publication is now changing, explicitly stating that mass shipments of the new iPad will begin in the second quarter. At the same time, speculation has soared over the past week that Apple will host an event on Tuesday, March 23.

It is rumored that this event, yet to be confirmed, includes the launch of AirTags, AirPods 3 and new ‌iPad Pro‌ models. If DigiTimes it is to be believed, however, the new 12.9-inch ‌iPad Pro‌ with a mini-LED screen will not be released until at least April.

Apple has several products in preparation with mini-LED screens. Compared to regular LCDs, the mini-LED offers greater brightness, an improved contrast ratio and is expected to become the new standard among future Apple products, including a 14-inch MacBook Pro.