Today, Ming-Chi Kuo released the latest Apple research report, stating that assembly manufacturers will start mass production of mini LED iPads in mid-to-late April. iPads will use both mini LED and OLED screens in 2022.
Kuo pointed out in the report that the MacBook is the most important application of mini LED, while the iPad focuses on high-end models. The new MacBook Air is expected to use mini LED in 2022, and only high-end iPad models will use mini LED.
The report believes that after MacBook adopts Apple Silicon, due to the significant improvement in product competitiveness, the shipment growth in the next few years will be better than iPad. It is expected that the new MacBook Air will also adopt a mini LED in 2022, which will help increase the adoption rate of the MacBook mini LED. In contrast, only high-end iPad models will use mini LEDs, and the overall growth momentum may be lower than MacBook.
The report predicts that the iPad will use both mini LED and OLED screen technologies in the future. The latest industry survey pointed out that if the iPad adopts an OLED screen in 2022, it will use the low-end iPad Air, while the high-end iPad Pro will still use mini LED. Because the OLED used in the iPad is a rigid board type and the PPI is significantly lower than the iPhone, the production difficulty is lower, and the cost is close to the current LCD display used in the iPad Air.
According to the report, as mini LED production costs are reduced, Apple’s high-end products will eventually adopt mini LED displays.
Ming-Chi Kuo stated in the report that assembly manufacturers are expected to start mass production of mini LED iPads after mid-to-late April. The latest survey pointed out that the current production yield and quality of (mini LED iPad) have reached Apple’s high standards.
The report predicts that the mini LED MacBook Pro will be mass-produced in 2H21. As the production difficulty of MacBook’s mini LED display is lower than the iPad, the new MacBook Pro is expected to significantly boost the shipment of mini LED displays in 2H21. It is estimated that the shipments of mini LED displays in 2021 and 2022 will be 10 million and 20-30 million, respectively.