Apple is rumored to be working on an OLED variant of the iPad for launch in early 2022, with the company also considering integrating display technology into cutting-edge iPad Pro and MacBook Pro models.
Citing sources familiar with the subject, DigiTimes (through MacRumors) reports that the first Apple tablet to receive OLED treatment will be a new 10.9-inch iPad scheduled to debut in early 2022.
Although an exact model was not specified in the report, the rumored specs and launch time suggest a redesign of the iPad Air. A fourth generation Air, which has a 10.9-inch LCD screen and sits between the 10.2 iPad inches and the 11-inch iPad Pro was launched in late 2020.
Manufacturing of the first OLED iPad will begin in the fourth quarter of 2021, before launch in early 2022, the sources said.
In addition to rumors of the 10.9-inch iPad model, Apple is investigating OLED versions of the 12.9-inch iPad Pro and the “16 to 17-inch MacBook Pro”, both of which will debut next year. The company has not made a final decision to move forward with the production of any of the devices, the report said.
DigiTimes has a mixed history of predicting Apple product launches, although it is known to have reliable sources within Apple’s monitor supply chain.
Today’s report follows an industry rumor referencing Apple’s early transition from LCD to new display technologies. There were rumors in November that the iPad Pro, for example, would come with OLED screens this year.
Also on the table are the mini LED and microLED panels, the first of which is expected to be integrated into some iPad Pro models and at least two variants of the MacBook Pro in 2021. As for the microLED, the next generation technology is now reaching the hands of consumers in the form of state-of-the-art televisions. Earlier rumors say Apple Watch will be the first to adopt microLED, but not before 2023 or 2024.
For more information on the future Apple product roadmap, be sure to check AppleInsider’s display of primer technology.