Apple just updated its 12.9-inch iPad Pro with a gorgeous new miniLED display, and it looks like the 11.9-inch model will be upgraded with the same screen next year.
In his latest note to investors (via Apple Insider), longtime Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said he expects Apple to add a miniLED display to the 11-inch iPad Pro and the MacBook Air in 2022, the latter of which is also set to get a revamped design.
The move to miniLED with this year’s 12.9-inch iPad Pro was critical to upping the iPad’s display quality. Apple’s Liquid Retina XDR technology (which is Apple’s official name for its miniLED screens) sports a whopping 10,000 LEDs divided into 2,596 local dimming zones, which improves contrast, colour saturation, and overall brightness, with Apple’s miniLED screens capable of outputting up to 1,600 nits in certain conditions.
According to Kuo, Apple is using display manufacturer Luxshare to supply the miniLED panels for the 11-inch iPad Pro. The company uses a novel surface mount tech that could help prevent some of the low yields and other production issues that Apple ran into when making the 12.9-inch iPad Pro.
In addition to the small iPad Pro and MacBook Air’s display upgrades, Kuo says Apple may also add miniLED to the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro. Both laptops are expected to go into mass production as early as the third quarter of this year, potentially setting them up for an official release later this fall/winter.
Given the success of the 12.9-inch iPad Pro and Kuo’s most recent forecast, it seems like Apple is planning to eventually bring miniLED displays to the entire iPad and MacBook lineup, which should not only provide a big boost in image quality, but should also deliver a more consistent experience across Apple’s range of tablets and laptops.
Despite some previous rumours, it remains to be seen if Apple will upgrade iPhones with miniLED, or skip over to microLED technology.