12.9-inch mini-LED iPad Pro coming early 2021: Report

New York

Apple is reportedly planning to launch a 12.9-inch mini LED-backlit iPad Pro in early 2021 and a mini LED-backlit MacBook in the second half of next year.

According to a report in Taiwan-based industry publication DigiTimes, display maker Epistar will supply over-10,000 mini LEDs used in each iPad Pro tablet.

Meanwhile, Apple is expected to recruit Osram Opto as another supplier of mini LEDs for a new "high-end" MacBook, which lines up with supplier information cited by known Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

"Micro-LED has the double advantage of offering less power consumption than the current Apple Watch screens, and of being thinner, too," the report said.

It also offers a faster update rate and a wider viewing angle.

The main barrier to adoption is the micro-LED manufacturing process, which is complicated.

The increased supply capacity and competition among suppliers will reportedly drive Apple's cost for mini-LED display dies from $75-$85 down to around $45.

For 2021, Kuo is expecting 30-40 per cent of the total iPads to ship with a mini-LED display and 20-30 per cent of the total MacBook shipments.