A controversial new report from Asia claims that Apple's next-generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro will return to the LCD display component instead of using OLED panel technology. It has been widely reported that Apple's next-generation iPad Pro models will be the first Apple tablets to feature OLED panels, with rumors suggesting they will start shipping around the middle of next year. But according to a confusing new report from DigiTimes, that may not be the case.
access:
Apple Online Store (China)
The Taiwanese outlet now claims that Apple's upcoming 12.9-inch iPad Pro model will actually return to using LCD backlight technology, making it on par with the existing 11-inch model.
The current 12.9-inch iPad Pro features a mini-LED display, which Apple calls a "Liquid Retina XDR display," while the 11-inch model uses a less powerful LCD-based "Liquid Retina display."
The report states that the high production costs of using mini-LED backlights in the 12.9-inch iPad Pro have been "an obstacle to widespread industry adoption," and that Apple's switch back to traditional backlight technology "may be driven by the company's emphasis on scalability and market penetration."
DigiTimes added that production of the new 12.9-inch iPad may be delayed to "early 2024 at the latest" due to component changes, compared with the original plan to start production in "early November."
This latest report contains several factual inconsistencies. DigiTimes alluded to the same report in its "going to press" section on Thursday, saying that the upcoming 12.9-inch iPad Air may use LCD backlight technology instead of the mini-LED backlight technology currently used in the 12.9-inch iPad Pro.
However, the fully released report no longer mentions the so-called larger "12.9-inch iPad Air", but only mentions in passing that the "new iPad Air" will also use the same traditional LCD backlight as the next-generation iPad Pro.
What's even more confusing is that the full text seems to contradict itself. On the one hand, it repeats a widely reported statement: Apple may launch a new iPad Pro with an AMOLED display as early as 2024, mainly purchased from Samsung Display Company and LG Display Company. As for whether the OLED models refer to models other than the previously mentioned 12.9-inch iPad Pro that is said to be equipped with an LCD display, there is no specification at all.
The above inconsistencies aside, if the next-generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro reverts from Mini LED to traditional LCD panel technology, it would be considered a major step back for Apple's most premium tablet product, especially considering that OLED display technology may be the most anticipated upgrade of the next-generation iPad Pro models.
Given the contradictions in DigiTimes' reporting, not to mention its history of misrepresenting supply chain information, this claim alone should be treated with caution until confirmed by other sources.