iPad Pro Launch Delays Possibly Linked to OLED Panel Production Challenges

Rumors from Korea indicate that issues with the supply of OLED panels might have caused a delay in the release of Apple’s iPad Pro. Initially, Apple had planned to use OLED displays from suppliers for the iPad Pro models with Samsung Display focusing on making around 11-inch panels and LG Display handling the approximately 13-inch panels.

More About the iPad Pro Launch Delay

This division of work was reportedly due to changes in Apple’s demand forecasts for OLED iPad Pro models. The production challenges faced by both suppliers as they adjusted to meet Apple’s specifications for panel technologies.

While early reports suggested that the new models could launch this month recent information from news site hankooki.com indicates that Samsung is facing difficulties with yields of the 11-inch OLED panels leading to a shortage in meeting Apple’s orders. As a result, Apple has reassigned some orders for the panels to LG Display which is expected to increase its production by hundreds of thousands of units in the month.

Following this adjustment, LG Display is predicted to provide 60% of the panels, for the iPad Pro models. The company has put a lot of resources into upgrading its generation medium-sized OLED production line and has successfully met the quality requirements set by Apple for the larger panels, which helps offset Samsung’s production gap.

Recently Apple ordered a batch of 8.5 million OLED display panels from suppliers in South Korea, which is slightly lower than the 10 million units anticipated for 2024 in the previous year.

Rumors suggest that Apple is striving for “unrivaled” display quality with the new iPad Pro models, which will feature a tandem OLED structure. This technology stacks two layers of OLED light-emitting layers, offering superior luminance and lifespan compared to a single OLED structure. Current iPhones utilize a single-stack OLED display with one light-emitting layer.

According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is now expected to unveil the new iPad Pro models alongside new iPad Air models in early May. Gurman notes that Apple is finalizing software for the new devices and that the iPad Pro models require complex new manufacturing techniques, which have contributed to the delay.

FAQs