While the big iPad Pro 12.9 (2021) switched to a mini-LED screen, the smaller models may go for OLED. Korean publication ETNews reports that Apple will leapfrog with iPads coming out in 2022. It will be the first Apple tablets not to use some kind of LCD (even mini-LED technology is LCD-based).
Samsung and LG are the likely suppliers of OLED panels. They are currently working on OLED screens for the iPhone 13 (splitting the order 65/30 with BOE occupying a small share of 5%). Image quality, weight and design were reportedly the most important considerations in the decision to move away from LCD.
But while phone-size OLED screens are produced in large numbers, tablet sizes are rare. Some Android tablets use them, but Apple moves about 50 million iPads a year, so companies will have to invest in expanding the capacity of their factories.
Apple is likely to start with a few models in the beginning and add more as capacity expands. These things do not happen overnight – equipment must be ordered this year so that the factories can be expanded in 2022, then they are ready to start production in 2023.
