Weak iPad Pro sales prompt OLED supplier to switch to making more iPhone screens

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Lower than expected sales of the latest iPad Pro have reportedly left production lines under-used, with LG Display planning to repurpose them for the iPhone.

Person using a stylus on a tablet displaying a vibrant digital cityscape with colorful signs and traffic lights.
Apple's ultra-thin OLED iPad Pro fails to spark sales surge



As well-received as the 2024 iPad Pro and its OLED screen was, it failed to spark as many buyers to upgrade as expected. Now a new report says that the low demand, and little prospect of it increasing, has prompted LG Display to change from iPad Pro to iPhone screens.

According to The Elec, despite switching from one size OLED screen to another, the repurposing of the production line is a major endeavor. The work will cost an estimated $1.4 billion.

Making the iPad Pro screen production line originally cost the company $2.3 billion. Despite the extra new investment, the result is said to be that LG Display will save money, as well as increase its iPhone screen production.

LG Display already has three iPhone screen production lines. Switching the iPad Pro line over to the iPhone would allow it to produce 15,000 more screens per month.

As well as the size difference, the iPhone and iPad Pro screens require several different processes. The iPad Pro, for instance, uses a two-tandem OLED panel instead of one, and also uses a glass substrate while the iPhone utilizes a polyimide one.

Making the iPhone display reportedly entails different equipment to produce the touch screen. There are other differences that are sufficient that LG Display must get approval from Apple.

It's possible that LG Display is actually aiming to create a production line that will be able to switch between the two screens. Even so, it's thought the company has an inventory of iPad Pro screens and so will presumably switch to the iPhone as soon as possible.

The OLED screen was one of the key selling points of the 2024 iPad Pro, along with its M4 processor, and a dramatically thinner design. The iPad Pro used to also be the sole iPad with a larger, 12.9-inch screen, but the slower and cheaper iPad Air now has that as an option.

So it's likely that the iPad Air has taken some of the iPad Pro's market, despite having only an M2 processor. Nonetheless, the iPad remains Apple's second biggest device despite its long term sales decline.



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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 9
    nubusnubus Posts: 678member
    $1.4b for 15k displays per month? These are 15k glass substrates. There are a far more displays.
    muthuk_vanalingam
     1Like 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 2 of 9
    Zirlinzirlin Posts: 25member
    Put the MacOS on the iPad and watch sales skyrocket.
    Cesar Battistini Mazierowatto_cobraSupersillyus
     3Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 3 of 9
    DAalsethdaalseth Posts: 3,133member
    Maybe because a lot of us already upgraded to an Apple Silicon iPad Pro and there is no reason to upgrade again. My M1 iPP does everything I want and need. OLED doesn’t add anything that would make me upgrade. Slightly darker blacks? I’m an artist and I don’t care about that. What I do care about is burn in and the long term stability of the OLED screen. That has not been demonstrated and I’m staying put until it is.
    watto_cobra
     1Like 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 4 of 9
    danoxdanox Posts: 3,511member
    Or maybe wait for the quarter earnings report to see what really happened? During the Christmas season?
    raybowatto_cobra
     2Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 5 of 9
    Zirlin said:
    Put the MacOS on the iPad and watch sales skyrocket.
    You’ve not been here long, have you?
    williamlondonappleinsideruserwatto_cobra
     2Likes 0Dislikes 1Informative
  • Reply 6 of 9
    canukstormcanukstorm Posts: 2,765member
    As nice as the M4 iPad Pro is, it's very expensive.  Here in Canada, there's a $600 to $700 difference between the the M2 iPad Air and M4 iPad Pro, depending on screen size.
    watto_cobrabikertwin
     2Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 7 of 9
    charlesncharlesn Posts: 1,296member
    Funny thing: another often quoted "source" for Apple sales data (despite no data coming from Apple, of course!), CIRP, stated that for the most recently reported quarter that ended Sept 30th, the iPad Pro was the absolute star of the iPad line grabbing 45% of iPad sales. Apple, itself, said iPad revenue was up about 8% YOY for the quarter, and this was before the new Mini launched. But now, 12 weeks later, while knowing nothing about Apple's holiday sales, the sky is falling, the iPad Pro is doomed and LG is spending billions to convert its iPad Pro screen production to iPhone??? Yeah, right. 
    edited January 3
    1LAKingsFan4Liferaybowatto_cobra
     3Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 8 of 9
    Yeah, I couldn’t agree more… I think this is a bunch or happy horse sh*t writing to get a bunch views and clicks. Let’s remember this when the quarterly report comes out, and iPad Pro is up about 10%. This article is garbage.

    charlesn said:
    Funny thing: another often quoted "source" for Apple sales data (despite no data coming from Apple, of course!), CIRP, stated that for the most recently reported quarter that ended Sept 30th, the iPad Pro was the absolute star of the iPad line grabbing 45% of iPad sales. Apple, itself, said iPad revenue was up about 8% YOY for the quarter, and this was before the new Mini launched. But now, 12 weeks later, while knowing nothing about Apple's holiday sales, the sky is falling, the iPad Pro is doomed and LG is spending billions to convert its iPad Pro screen production to iPhone??? Yeah, right. 

    raybo
     1Like 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 9 of 9
    Trow macos on the iPad and see it fly of the shelves. 
    watto_cobraSupersillyus
     2Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
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