By Tim Hardwick
OLED panel supply issues may be partly to blame for Apple's iPad Pro delay, according to reports out of Korea.
Apple's original plan was to rely on different OLED display suppliers for future iPad Pro models: Samsung Display would exclusively produce 11-inch panels, and LG Display would be responsible for the required ~13-inch panels. panels.
The division of labor is said to have occurred due to changes in Apple's demand forecasts for OLED iPad Pro models, as well as unstable production capacity and profitability of the two suppliers, both of which are still struggling to cope with Apple's demands. for new panel technologies.
According to preliminary data, new models may appear as early as this month. However, according to Korean news site hankooki.com, Samsung recently experienced poor production of 11-inch OLED panels and was unable to meet Apple's order volume. The shortage forced Apple to transfer some orders for the smaller LG Display panel. The latter is expected to increase its order by hundreds of thousands of units next month.
Given the reallocation, LG Display is now likely to supply 60% of the panels for future iPad Pro models. The company has invested millions of dollars into its sixth-generation small-to-medium OLED production line and has now passed Apple's quality control standards for smaller panels, allowing it to compensate for Samsung's shortcomings.
Rumor has it that Apple is aiming for “unmatched” display quality in new models iPad Pro. which will use a tandem OLED structure. Tandem structure is a method of stacking two layers of OLED light-emitting layers. It is superior in brightness (screen brightness) and service life to a single OLED structure with a single light-emitting layer. The iPhone currently uses a single-layer OLED display with a single light-emitting layer. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple will introduce new iPad Pro models along with new iPad Air models in early May. Apple is apparently working on “refining software for new devices,” and the iPad Pro models also require “sophisticated new manufacturing technologies,” which Gurman said contributed to the delay. Related review: iPad Pro: A Guide for buyer: 11″. iPad Pro (do not buy), iPad Pro 12.9 inches (do not buy) Forum on topic: iPad[ 65 comments ]
