Apple May Tap Samsung Display for iPad Air OLED Panels Amid Production Capacity Edge

An article published on August 8, 2024, by IT Home, reports that Apple, the multinational American technical giant company, is reportedly considering employing Samsung Display for iPad as their main supplier of OLED displays for their upcoming iPad Air. The company is considering this decision because Samsung Display can make more LTPS than its competitor LG Display.

According to the IT Home reports, Samsung Display is currently supplying OLED panels for the new iPad Pro. The latest reports suggest that Apple is expected to introduce OLED panels for the iPad Air and iPad mini only in 2026; hence, preparation has been started by major supply chain manufacturers. 

As of now, Samsung Display has a monthly A3 production mass-production output for OLED panels used in iPhones and iPad Pros of 135,000 pieces. In comparison, LG Display’s E6-1~3 production lines have a monthly production capacity of 45,000 pieces and supply OLED panels to iPhone, while its E6-4 has 15,000 pieces for iPad.

Market research firm Omdia stated in July that Apple’s iPad Air product line is expected to introduce OLED display panels beginning in 2026 and the iPad mini in 2027. But Korea-based ET News and ZDNET reported that both models will be upgraded to OLED screens in 2026, although Apple may postpone releasing a 13-inch OLED iPad Air until 2027. 

There’s also word that the OLED iPad Air will retain the 11-inch display, with the iPad Mini potentially growing from 8.3 inches to 8.7 inches. Unlike the new iPad Pro, which uses a dual-stack LTPO OLED panel, the iPad Mini and iPad Air are supposed to use a single-stack LTPS panel. As a result, these panels may be dimmer, not support just ProMotion technology, and hit lower costs, which are exactly what Apple needs.