iPad Pro 2020: Will the next version have a whole new display tech?
The latest iPad Pro was released just weeks ago but a strikingly different tablet is on its way from Apple, it seems. The long-rumored move to Mini LED display technology looks set to happen in 2021.
A new report from TrendForce, picked up by 9to5Mac, claims that Apple will release its first iPad Pro with Mini LED display tech in the first quarter of next year.
Trendforce explains the benefits of the technology simply enough:
“Mini LED backlight displays have high brightness and high contrast ratios, which can reach upwards of 1,000,000:1, compared to the 10,000:1 contrast ratios of current mainstream displays. Furthermore, Mini LED displays are also highly reliable, as they can maintain their proper functioning and deliver a consistent brightness in harsh environments with temperatures between 60 degrees to -10 degrees Celsius.”
Mini LED panels can also be thinner and lighter which may influence product design. Mini LED does not suffer from burn-in as some other technologies, such as OLED, do.
The 12.9in iPad Pro display will have a lot of Mini LED chips – 10,384 of them, to be exact – and the technology’s high contrast levels and high color saturation are achieved through local dimming.
The market-intelligence company points out that the challenge will be for supplies to be able to meet demand at low cost and with a high yield rate. Trendforce expects Taiwanese manufacturers to be key, thanks to earlier LED research and development than China and the fact that they provide a more stable supply chain by avoiding U.S.-China trade issues.
How much faster will the next iPad Pro be?
In a separate report from the same company, it seems Apple is starting to mass-produce what’s called Apple Silicon, the new chips bound for Macs. The company making these chips, TSMC, are already making the A14 Bionic chip designed for the iPhone 12 and it’s this chip, or a cousin of it, the A14X Bionic System on Chip, that is expected to power the 2021 iPad Pro models.
These are 5nm chips, meaning they can cram many more transistors into a set space than the 7nm chips Apple has been using since the A12 onwards. Since many smartphones and tablets are still using 10nm chips, it’s part of the reason Apple’s recent products are significantly faster than the competition.
Follow me on Instagram by clicking here: davidphelantech and Twitter: @davidphelan2009
More on Forbes:
