OLED iPad Pro screen orders already getting cut, claims questionable rumor

Posted:
in Future Apple Hardware

A questionable report from the supply chain says that Apple has already cut iPad Pro OLED screen orders from one supplier down from what was originally requested, leaving the other supplier unaffected.

The 12.9-inch 2022 iPad Pro
The 12.9-inch 2022 iPad Pro



The OLED iPad saga has lurched on for several years, with the most recent rumors suggesting that it is finally arriving in early 2024. However, if a new report from the China supply chain is accurate, one of Apple's screen suppliers is feeling the impact of an order cut.

According to a report from Asia Daily, Apple had about 10 million screens ordered for the new OLED iPad Pro lineup. Of those, LG was expected to supply 6 million, and Samsung had orders for 4 million.

Reportedly, the order given to Samsung is unchanged. LG, on the other hand, is said to see the brunt of the cuts, with it now only expected to deliver between 3 million and 4 million screens.

The report on Thursday morning cites "a person in the display industry" in saying that there may be caution about initial demand. Another source for the publication says that the average price of OLED panels for smartphones is between $50 and $60, which other sources have told AppleInsider in the past to be almost twice what Apple is paying per OLED screen.

LG Display is reportedly preparing to use a new OLED material set known as "RDE" in the OLED panel used in the iPad Pro. The material change will apparently be included in models launching in 2024.

The OLED panels used in the current iPhone displays are known as a "single-stack product," which uses one light-emitting layer. The RDE material LG Display wants to use has a two-stack tandem structure, where two light-emitting layers are stacked on top of each other.

The benefit of the two-stack system is that it can produce the same brightness as a single-stack panel, but consumes less power in the process. Efficiency and lifespan are also anticipated for the panel.

All this is said to come at a steep cost. The most recent pricing rumor, which is similarly questionable to Thursday's report, says that the OLED iPad Pro line will start at $1500 and rapidly escalate from there.

Asia Daily has a decent track record reporting from inside Apple's supply chain. It has a notably less accurate one divining what Apple will do, or why it has done something from that data. It's not clear if Thursday's report is actually a reduction in what LG was expecting to see, or an actual cut by Apple.


Rumor Score: Possible

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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 2
    thttht Posts: 5,452member
    8m iPad Pros? In 2024 only?

    That’s a really good number imo, if so. Really good number for iPad Pros. About $10b for just iPad Pros in 2024. 

    Apple’s tablet ASP is about $450, though I have not seen recent numbers. That means Apple sells about 2x to 4x more iPads and iPad Airs than iPad Pros. So, an 8m unit run sounds really good. 

    Always hope Apple leans into the iPad and make them more flexible. Like, have an option for no back cameras, flush back cameras, or 3D back cameras, 2 USB4/TB ports, SD card, unlimited State Manager, Terminal.app, etc. 


  • Reply 2 of 2
    entropysentropys Posts: 4,168member
    Only time I use an iPad camera is for QR codes.
    I will have to get a new IPP for personal use as I am changing jobs and will lose this work one.  The new job starts first week of March though . Terrible timing. I guess I will have to put a lot of thought into backups. Assuming I can afford one
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