Apple's upcoming iPad Pro generation with OLED technology will likely be significantly more expensive than existing OLED devices of a similar size because they require a new, costly production process.
Apple is widely expected to launch new 11.1- and 13-inch iPad Pro models with OLED rather than LCD displays next year. Procurement of the panels will account for the majority of the material costs, reported the Korean website The Elec. It is believed that Apple is currently negotiating the price for supplying the panels with Samsung and LG Display. The specifications of the panels require the use of production processes that have not previously been combined for OLED panels of the required size.
New production process doubles the brightness and quadruples the lifespan of OLED displays
One of the new production techniques is the use of a two-level tandem structure with two emitting layers, which doubles the brightness and quadruples the lifespan of the OLED displays. All Apple iPhones use a single-stack structure. Apple justifies the use of dual-stack panels for iPads by saying that tablets are generally used for longer. Another technique is the use of low-temperature oxide (LTPO) polycrystalline thin-film transistors (TFT) for a more power-efficient backplane, which is responsible for turning the individual pixels on and off, and finally a hybrid OLED structure that combines rigid OLED glass substrates with a flexible OLED thin-film encapsulation, resulting in an overall thinner panel. The price of OLED panels for existing 10-inch devices is between $100 and $150, according to The Elec, while the manufacturing costs for the 11.1-inch and 13-inch panels required by Apple are closer to $270 and $350, respectively.
Apple is expected to introduce the next iPad Pro generation in 2024
According to the report, Apple will likely pass at least some of these material costs on to consumers, which will translate into significantly higher retail prices. Currently, the 11-inch iPad Pro with LED Liquid Retina display starts at €1,049 and the 12.9-inch iPad Pro with miniLED Liquid Retina XDR display starts at €1,449. Today's report adds that LG Display is developing both 11.1-inch and 13-inch iPad OLED panels while Samsung is only developing for the 11.1-inch model, although Samsung could develop both types depending on production needs.
In this context, Samsung has reportedly decided to invest in eighth-generation OLED production lines, which should "theoretically" result in more cost-effective panels compared to sixth-generation ones. The OLED panels for the iPad Pro, scheduled to launch next year, will be manufactured on the sixth-generation line, while the panels for Apple's future OLED MacBooks will likely be manufactured on the eighth-generation line. (Image: Apple)
