Apple May Adopt Hybrid OLED tech for iPad by 2024

According to a new report, Apple could adopt hybrid OLED technology for the new iPad by 2024. Apple has signed up Taiwan SMT, which could eventually lead to Apple using hybrid OLED displays in the iPad Pro. In the case of one supply chain addition, Apple could be preparing for a massive iPad change.

Apple May Adopt Hybrid OLED tech for iPad by 2024

Taiwan Surface Mounting Technology (SMT) is to become a supplier, handling SMT processes for mini LED backlighting for the iPad Pro and MacBook Pro lines. If the reports are accurate, this will be Taiwan SMT’s first time in the Apple supplier ecosystem.

Apple is said to have supported Taiwan SMT financially. Furthermore, the report claims that Apple is assisting with the expansion of its production lines using dedicated hardware for mini LED deposition.

By combining rigid OLED glass substrates with flexible OLED thin-film encapsulation, the hybrid OLED technology is said to make OLED panels thinner than rigid OLED panels. The process also reportedly produces lower production costs than flexible OLED panels because it doesn’t require a backlighting layer.

A hybrid display seeks to fix a problem with existing folding displays. The report further revealed that Taiwan SMT’s inclusion seems to be more to expand mini LED backlight usage while hybrid OLED matures and gets close to commercialization. This would mean Apple needs to continue using mini LED as the main display technology until 2024 at the earliest.

Currently, Apple is working with Samsung and LG to develop the displays. The only Apple devices that use mini-LED are the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro and the 12.9-inch ‌iPad Pro‌. All three devices are expected to be refreshed with M2 chips before the end of the year.

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