Apple tosses OLED iPad plans, will focus on improved mini-LED displays instead

(Pocket-lint) - Rumours person swirled that Apple was readying connected implementing an OLED display into a aboriginal iPad exemplary - whether that beryllium the iPad Pro initially oregon the iPad Air remained chartless - however, a new report by reliable Apple expert Ming-Chi Kuo states that the institution has yet decided to jettison those plans successful favour of focusing connected implementing mini-LED crossed the full lineup, instead. 

At the moment, Apple presently uses 2 types of modern show technologies alongside the modular LCD panels recovered successful the lower-cost iPad models and Mac enactment - OLED, the astir premium offering utilized connected the iPhone 13 series and Apple Watch, and mini-LED, recovered exclusively connected the latest 12.9-inch iPad Pro. 

OLED uses pixel-by-pixel dimming techniques, meaning representation prime is astatine an all-time precocious with cleanable blacks and vivid colours. The downside, however, is that semipermanent OLED displays tally the hazard of imperishable burn-in. Mini-LED, connected the different hand, uses accepted LCD exertion with section dimming zones. While mini-LED inactive creates the accidental to replicate existent blacks, it won’t beryllium arsenic precise arsenic OLED, meaning blooming is inactive perchance beryllium an issue. However, connected the agleam broadside (pun intended), mini-LED displays tin get brighter than OLED panels. 

^{An accentuated illustration of blooming. Edited for greater visibility.}

For example, the 12.9-inch iPad Pro tin scope up to 1600 nits of highest brightness portion viewing HDR view, whereas the OLED iPhone 13 Pro tin lone scope 1200 nits erstwhile viewing HDR content. 

Almost instantly pursuing the uncover that Apple was utilizing much precocious section dimming mini-LED panels connected the larger iPad Pro portion retaining the modular Liquid Retina LCD connected the 11-inch model, analysts speculated that the institution would bring mini-LED to the smaller sibling iPad Pro astatine the company’s adjacent hardware refresh. 

Now, Kuo seems to corroborate that mini-LED volition beryllium the “focus of [the] iPad enactment successful 2022” and beyond. 

Whether oregon not mini-LED makes its mode to lower-cost iPad models specified arsenic the iPad mini and modular iPad remains to beryllium seen. However, Kuo’s wording does look to bespeak a boost to the already large iPad mini surface whitethorn beryllium lurking successful the not-so-far-off distance. 

Writing by Alex Allegro. Originally published connected 4 October 2021.