Apple was working on a 10.8-inch iPad model that would have been the technology giant’s first tablet to come with an OLED display panel. Now, the report claims that Apple has canceled this project that it was developing with Samsung Display.
The device, which was likely to be the Apple iPad Air 2022 has now been canceled because of the cost, brightness, and durability problems. It is being claimed that Apple isn’t satisfied with the progress in developing the screen.
The report, coming from The Elec, cites unknown sources to reveal that Samsung aimed to produce a single-stack OLED panel while Apple wants a two-stack tandem structure. For those who are unaware, single-stack is currently used in OLED panels where Red, Green, and Blue form one emission layer.
With the two-stack structure, as the name indicates, there are two stacks of Red, Green, and Blue forming a layer that is claimed to double the brightness offered and increases the durability by four times.
Samsung Display has only commercialized the single-stack structure but the Cupertino-based tech giant kept insisting on the two-stack structure. One of the reasons Samsung isn’t keen on the two-stack structure is the profitability as the South Korean giant isn’t ready to invest in the costly process without being certain about the demand for the 10.8-inch OLED iPads in the market.
LG Display, which is also a supplier for Apple, currently has a two-stack tandem structure for its OLED panels aimed at the automotive market. However, it has a relatively small production capacity when it comes to OLED panels.
Apple is reportedly planning to launch OLED iPads and with the upcoming 10.8-inch model getting canceled, there’s a possibility of a 12.9-inch iPad Pro with an OLED screen manufactured using a different technology, launching in 2023 or 2024.
