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Apple could release an OLED iPad Pro by the end of next year

Apple will transition its iPad Pro line from LCD displays to OLED screens by the end of 2021, according to a report by The Elec.

According to the Korean publication, Samsung Display and LG Display are developing an OLED panel for the high-end tablet line expected to launch in the second half of 2021.

While both Samsung and LG already supply OLED displays for Apple’s iPhone range, Samsung is reportedly in the process of renovating one of its factory production lines to get ready to produce the new iPad displays.

Read our review of the iPad Pro

According to those familiar with the matter, Apple will require higher specs for the OLED screen in its iPad Pro over its existing iPhone OLED display.

The renovations are rumoured to include the addition of a distribution chamber to the organic material deposition chamber, which will allow Samsung to deposit red, green and blue at the same time. This single layer of RGB can then be sent back to the front of the production line and stacked with an emitting layer.

According to The Elec, stacking multiple emitting layers is the key to preventing the new iPads from experiencing burn-in and losing their brightness over time. The process extends the life of the display, making the displays better suited to the iPad as tablets tend to be replaced less often than smartphones.

While the OLED iPad Pro is expected to ship out by the end of next year, Apple is also rumoured to be releasing an LCD iPad Pro with mini LED backlighting in early 2021. According to the report, this launch could end up delaying the OLED models depending on the scale of the adoption of the mini LED model.

Respected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicts that the mini LED tech will debut first on the next iPad Pro model, followed by at least six iPad and Mac products by the end of 2021.

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