So far, Apple has relied on traditional screen technology for iPads – just as it does for its MacBooks. It has been rumored for months that the regular LCD screens will be replaced by energy-saving and bright mini-LED hardware in the future. Now a South Korean trade journal dares to come up with a new thesis: Allegedly, the mini LEDs for Apple are only a temporary solution.

LCD, mini-LED and then OLED Instead, the group is aiming, writes The Elec , from the end of 2020 to install large OLED screens in tablets for the first time. That would be a novelty for Apple – so far, organic light-emitting diodes have only been used in iPhones. However, never before as many models as this year – both iPhone 12 and 12 mini as well as iPhone 11 Pro and 12 Pro Max use this. With his 2019 he entry-level model, the iPhone 11, a regular LCD screen was still used.

The iPhone shows that Apple is increasingly interested in larger OLEDs 12 Pro Max, which was released this fall. It comes with the largest screen of its kind that Apple has ever used – 6.7 inches and now it is almost borderless. For the iPhone 11 Pro Max from 2019 only a 6.4 inch OLED was integrated. According to The Elec Apple has already agreed with its screen suppliers Samsung and LG that they should now also supply OLEDs for the iPad. These will supposedly end up in the iPad Pro from the end of the year.

Research also on micro LEDs Before that, in the first half of the year, the first iPads with mini LED backlights are planned. Such displays have several advantages. They allow lighter and thinner components, but also offer high dynamic range support plus high contrast. Local dimming is also possible, which saves electricity and ensures an overall better picture. Observers assume that Apple is already researching the successor technology, the micro-LEDs – they could initially be intended for the Apple Watch computer clock. It currently contains OLED technology.

Apple’s latest iPad Pro models came in spring 2020 on the market. Your innovations were limited. They delivered a LIDAR sensor and a slightly improved main processor – the A 12 Z-Bionic SoC with an additional graphics core. It remains to be seen whether users will have to wait until autumn for an update. (bsc)