Apple to Launch New iPad Pro with OLED Display, Facing Potential Shortages
Apple has announced a special event scheduled for May 7th at 10 PM, where it is expected to unveil its new iPad series, including the highly anticipated iPad Pro powered by the M3 chip with a first-time use of an OLED display. However, display analyst Ross Young reported that the 11-inch version of the new iPad Pro may face shortages at the initial launch due to supply issues with the OLED panels.
Young pointed out that the OLED display shipments for the 12.9-inch iPad Pro currently exceed those for the 11-inch version. This is because one of the suppliers, Samsung, encountered technical challenges in producing the two-stack tandem structure panels for the display. Young believes this situation will persist into May and may affect the supply of the 11-inch iPad Pro at launch.
It’s worth noting that Young previously predicted a delay in the launch event of the new iPad Pro due to production limitations of the new display. LG is responsible for producing all the 12.9-inch OLED panels, while both LG and Samsung will supply the 11-inch version.
To support Young’s report, tech website 9to5Mac discovered the next-gen OLED display drivers from Samsung and LG in the testing version of iPadOS 17.5, which is expected to come pre-installed on the new iPads. Apart from adopting OLED displays, the new iPad Pro is expected to feature a thinner design.
From the pattern on the event invitation, it’s evident that this event will focus on the new iPads. In addition to the highly anticipated M3 chip in the new iPad Pro, there are rumors that Apple will launch the iPad Air 6 with the M2 chip as well as the first ever 12.9-inch screen for the iPad Air.
Apple will also release an upgraded Magic Keyboard for the new iPad Pro, featuring an aluminum frame to give the iPad Pro a more laptop-like appearance. Furthermore, according to the findings by 9to5Mac, the upcoming Apple Pencil 3 will support a new “squeeze” gesture and will integrate with Apple’s “Find My” network.
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