If you’re looking to upgrade your iPad, the time is almost here as another rumored OLED iPad Pro model starts production.
As reported by The Elec, Samsung has started production on OLED panels for 11-inch iPad Pros, just after LG started production on the 13-inch line. According to the report, these are both due to be released in March, though The Elec suggests LG might not be able to keep up with demand.
LG will also be supplying panels for the 11-inch model and Samsung is set to eventually start production on 13-inch panels, but The Elec says “Cupertino could ask Samsung Display to manufacture more if LG Display’s yield proves unsatisfactory, as it has done so in the past for iPhones.”
In this same report, The Elec stated that LG displays are currently more expensive to manufacture due to a new process, whereas Samsung’s is cheaper. This could be one of the factors as to why the rollout of the iPad screens from the two companies has been staggered.
Close to launch
This is linked to a report from Digitimes which says Apple's biggest manufacturing partner has started its annual Lunar New Year recruitment drive. In this report, it specifically notes that Apple is preparing to launch new iPads in March or April, and as such says "Foxconn will have to make preparations if it wants to be able to respond to customer demands at that time."
This lines up with The Elec’s report, though The Elec thinks that wider mass production will begin in March for a proper launch in April. We haven’t seen a refresh to the iPad Pro lineup since the M2 iPad Pro in 2022, which was preceded by the M1 iPad Pro in 2021. This is an unusually large gap for the iPad lineup and the OLED screen could be part of the reason why. Hopefully, it will be worth the wait.
