Supply chain analysts expect OLED iPad in 2023, Touch Bar to be killed

Posted:
in iPad edited July 2021
New Apple iPad models equipped with OLED displays and released in 2023 could boost the tablet market to more than $1 billion, according to a display industry analyst.

The 2023 iPad could use OLED
The 2023 iPad could use OLED


Rumors continue to surface around the prospect of an iPad with an OLED display. Apple already updated the 12.9-inch iPad Pro with a mini-LED display in May 2021. An OLED addition would mean another display technology shift in less than three years.

According to Display Supply Chain Consultants, Apple will release an OLED iPad in 2023. The report says Apple's use of OLED will boost the tablet market to more than $1 billion by 2024.

OLED tablets will achieve 57% year-over-year revenue growth in 2023, its highest growth during the forecast period, according to the report. This means Apple's addition to the OLED tablet market will likely dominate sales in the segment.

Apple already uses OLED in its iPhone 12 lineup. The Display Supply Chain report says that Apple will release its "iPhone 12s" earlier in Q3 than the iPhone 12, so year-over-year revenue in Q4 OLED shipments will likely go down around 4%.

Annual AMOLED Panel Revenue Forecast, 2021-2025 from DSCC
Annual AMOLED Panel Revenue Forecast, 2021-2025 from DSCC


In the first quarter of 2021, Apple had a 26% share of OLED smartphone shipments, followed by Samsung with a 20% share. The use of OLED in smartphones continues to be the number one application of the technology with smartwatches in second.

Touch Bars are the third-place application for OLED, but tablets will overtake this when Apple releases the OLED iPad. Display Supply Chain's sources suggest that Apple may cancel the Touch Bar in the future.

Supply chain analysts attempt to understand company's future plans by analyzing component orders and other figures. These analyses can often be incorrect at predicting Apple's moves, since Apple's supply chain is vast and difficult to follow accurately.

The Display Supply Chain analyst Ross Young previously shared Apple would use LTPO in its iPhone lineup to enable 120 Hz displays. This rumor still hasn't played out, though there is still some possibility of the technology being used in the 2021 iPhone.

Apple uses LCD for all of its iPad models except the 12.9-inch iPad Pro. Currently, the mini-LED technology isn't viable for smaller displays, so an OLED 10.9-inch iPad is possible. However, Apple tends to aim for less complex supply chains, so having three different display technologies in use by the iPad lineup may be a long shot at present. As always, rumors must be taken with some level of skepticism until Apple's official announcement.

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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 20
    BeatsBeats Posts: 3,073member
    Touch Bar discontinued? That would be two steps forward one step back.

    Just make it better and since it’s software based, it’s upgradeable.
    missiongreypscooter63kiehtan
  • Reply 2 of 20
    doozydozendoozydozen Posts: 539member
    Beats said:
    Touch Bar discontinued? That would be two steps forward one step back.

    Just make it better and since it’s software based, it’s upgradeable.
    I agree. Touch Bar has evolved and it’s a useful tool with the pro applications I use. I save at least 20% time on my workflow with custom hot keys when coding. Without it I’d have to buy an Elgato Stream Deck to achieve the similar results. Counterpoint: Touch Bar is expensive component for MBP and that margin could be used instead for other advancements yet-to-be-announced. 
    edited July 2021 missiongreypatchythepiratepscooter63am8449BeatsStrangeDayswatto_cobra
  • Reply 3 of 20
    missiongreymissiongrey Posts: 208member
    If anything, I would love to see a bigger Touch Bar with haptic feed back. I’m waiting for the day that the keyboard is removed and it’s a full touch interface. That would be awesome for me with Adobe and 3D graphics programs. 
    doozydozenstevenozfastasleepevolutwatto_cobra
  • Reply 4 of 20
    dysamoriadysamoria Posts: 3,430member
    [...]I’m waiting for the day that the keyboard is removed and it’s a full touch interface.
    NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
    Fidonet127bestkeptsecretblastdoorStrangeDays
  • Reply 5 of 20
    Sounds like wishful thinking on the part of the report's authors. Who paid for the report?
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 6 of 20
    croffordcrofford Posts: 96member
    Still waiting on a 65” iPad 
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 7 of 20
    missiongreymissiongrey Posts: 208member
    dysamoria said:
    [...]I’m waiting for the day that the keyboard is removed and it’s a full touch interface.
    NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
    Haha 🤣
  • Reply 8 of 20
    apple_evoapple_evo Posts: 14member
    OLED iPad Mini = perfect travel e-reader / media consumption device. APPLE MAKE IT SO.  
  • Reply 9 of 20
    I’d like to see the Touch Bar replaced with buttons with screens on them… you get the dynamic nature of changing the screens while retaining the tactile feeling of buttons (haptic feed back is not the same, it can’t yet simulate the feeling of rubbing against the edges of the buttons).  We’d lose the “features” of sliders, gestures, and the like, but I’ve not found those that useful.  Really only changing the picture of “button” on the bar has been useful instead of having to remember what each “F” key did for each application.
  • Reply 10 of 20
    BeatsBeats Posts: 3,073member
    Beats said:
    Touch Bar discontinued? That would be two steps forward one step back.

    Just make it better and since it’s software based, it’s upgradeable.
    I agree. Touch Bar has evolved and it’s a useful tool with the pro applications I use. I save at least 20% time on my workflow with custom hot keys when coding. Without it I’d have to buy an Elgato Stream Deck to achieve the similar results. Counterpoint: Touch Bar is expensive component for MBP and that margin could be used instead for other advancements yet-to-be-announced. 

    But if you’re paying for Pro gear it should come with pro features like this.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 11 of 20
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    How about all the function keys and a touch bar?  OK, I know, cost.
    doozydozen
  • Reply 12 of 20
    blastdoorblastdoor Posts: 3,258member
    The Touch Bar is not without value. But for people who are accustomed to typing without looking at the keyboard, it’s a strange concept. 

    I wonder if it would make more sense to move it to the magic track pad? Make the trackpad a touch display (but keep the current feel)? And/or to support simultaneous use of multiple magic trackpads? You could have one in “trackpad” mode and another in “touch control pad” mode. Or just keep current track pad as is and add a “touch control pad”. 
    netroxwatto_cobra
  • Reply 13 of 20
    robabarobaba Posts: 228member
    I’m assuming this means OLED for the lower end iPads and the Pro iPads retain miniLED.  Anything else seems counterproductive.
    muthuk_vanalingamwatto_cobra
  • Reply 14 of 20
    Beats said:
    Touch Bar discontinued? That would be two steps forward one step back.

    Just make it better and since it’s software based, it’s upgradeable.
    Apple should buy Bettertouchtool and use the Aquatouch presets. They're a game-changer for unlocking the potential of the Touch Bar.
    doozydozenwatto_cobra
  • Reply 15 of 20
    MplsPMplsP Posts: 3,911member
    dysamoria said:
    [...]I’m waiting for the day that the keyboard is removed and it’s a full touch interface.
    NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
    Well, with the way they’re moving on the keyboards the keys will have a 30 micron travel distance soon so they might as well just have a touch keyboard like the ipad.
    Beats said:
    Touch Bar discontinued? That would be two steps forward one step back.

    Just make it better and since it’s software based, it’s upgradeable.
    Apple should buy Bettertouchtool and use the Aquatouch presets. They're a game-changer for unlocking the potential of the Touch Bar.
    Part of the problem is the touch pad was never universally used even by Apple. None of the desktops had it and the low end laptops were missing it as well. It makes a mess for both users and developers and I can understand why a developer wouldn’t spend time writing extra code for a feature that is only available in half the machines.
    edited July 2021
  • Reply 16 of 20
    MplsPMplsP Posts: 3,911member
    robaba said:
    I’m assuming this means OLED for the lower end iPads and the Pro iPads retain miniLED.  Anything else seems counterproductive.
    How much of a difference is there between miniLED and OLED? The LCD screens Apple uses in its products are very good and the vast majority of consumers don’t notice a difference anyway.
  • Reply 17 of 20
    emoelleremoeller Posts: 574member
    I am a huge proponent of the Touch Bar - once configured for my workflow it saves me 20-30% on the time it takes to get things done.  IMHO it is one of the most innovative tools Apple has created.

    It is programable, and while Apple initially did a very poor job of adding support (especially for its own Pro applications and WORK suite) others have stepped in to provide high quality options.

    Top apps in 2021 using the Touch Bar:
    https://www.imore.com/best-touch-bar-apps-macbook-pro

    Apple only provides very rudimentary instructions for Touch Bar modifications:  https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/customize-the-touch-bar-mchl5a63b060/mac
    https://developer.apple.com/documentation/appkit/touch_bar/creating_and_customizing_the_touch_bar
        (a bit more detail from Apple)

    But other sites provide much more:
    customizationhttps://vas3k.com/blog/touchbar/
    https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/best-touch-bar-apps-for-macbook-pro/

    Today there are a lot of resources to utilize the full extent of the Touch Bar's capabilities (including much improved documentation from Apple, thank you very much!).

    But most folks purchase MacBook Pro's (the only device Apple now has with a hardware Touch Bar) as much for consumption (ie. movies, social, music, etc) as for getting things done.  As a result for those folks they feel that they are paying for hardware they don't need (or want).   I get that.

    So if Apple does remove the Touch Bar (and I hope they don't) I have a suggestion:  Apple please create a platform (iOS, AppleTV, MacOS, etc) unified Touch program (similar to what it has done in MacOS 15 for pop up Notes).   Have a pop up Touch Bar such that it can be programmed and utilized across all Apple devices.   For example it could be on your iPhone but control content on your Mac or iPad or vice versa as an example.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 18 of 20
    jcs2305jcs2305 Posts: 1,336member
    robaba said:
    I’m assuming this means OLED for the lower end iPads and the Pro iPads retain miniLED.  Anything else seems counterproductive.
    11in iPad Pro does not have the Mini LED screen. That is only available for the 12.9in model.


    I have the 11in 2020 Pro and would love to see an upgraded screen on the smaller size.


    watto_cobra
  • Reply 19 of 20
    wood1208wood1208 Posts: 2,905member
    No brainer that Touch Bar should have been gone for MBP. It can help reduce build cost means lower price and future maintenance cost.
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