Apple will release a new iPad and Macbook with Mini-LED displays in 2020, according to reports from reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
According to a research note from TF International Securities, Apple will add around 10,000 LEDs to its next iPad and MacBook displays – significantly more than the 576 used in the company’s new Pro Display XDR.
However, each LED is expected to be smaller than 200 microns in size, much smaller than those in the Pro Display, hence the ‘Mini LED’ name.
Kuo has previously suggested that Apple will introduce new iPad and MacBook models measuring between 10-12 inches and 15-17 inches respectively and added that these devices will be considered “high end” due to the cost of the Mini LED components.
That suggests these new iPads and MacBooks will sport the Pro branding, but that hasn’t been confirmed by Kuo just yet.
In recent years, the production of OLED displays for medium-sized devices has improved significantly.
However, Apple wants to switch to Mini-LED to avoid burn-in issues and reduce its current dependence on Samsung, who currently supply many of its OLED displays.
LG Display is expected to supply the new Mini-LED display panels for the upcoming iPad and MacBook refresh, and Apple has also lined up Epistar, Zhen Ding, Radiant Opto-Electronics, Nichia, Avary Holding, and TSMT as suppliers for future Mini LEDs.
According to Kuo, switching to Mini LEDs allows Apple to create even thinner and lighter designs, whilst offering great color gamut performance and high contrast.
What’s more, the devices will be able to be dimmed locally, dimming the backlight behind the screen that displays black pixels whilst keeping the bright parts of the screen bright, improving battery performance and extending the lifespan of the device.
Apple will introduce this new Mini LED iPad in the fourth quarter of 2020 or the first quarter of 2021, with a similar timeline for the MacBook, according to Kuo’s research note.
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