This past year was a weird time for Apple. The company revealed two new MacBook Pros within ten months. It showed off the massive gamble that is its $3,500 Vision Pro headset. Its latest Apple Watches were a very bare refresh. Plus, the company didn’t reveal any new version of its iPad line. That could be a strategic move, though, as Apple’s next tablet refresh could bring us much better displays than they’ve had in the past.
South Korean tech news site Chosun Ilbo reported that Samsung and display-maker LGD are in pricing talks for new OLED displays. These two companies will mass-produce those organic displays starting next year, though those new screens could be pricey. Production is expected to begin in February.
It follows rumors earlier this year that Apple could be readying a big drop in 2024. And by big, we do mean Big. Some rumors have hinted at a 16-inch iPad as well as OLED options. The switch to OLED is a big deal considering the current 12.9-inch iPad Pros use its own mini-LED screens called its “Liquid Retinae” displays, but many of the smaller or past models like the iPad Air still use LCD. OLED is known for having better color contrast and reducing overall power drain since the screens don’t need to be backlit.
The Korean site’s report notes that the displays cost “three times” as much as a smartphone OLED panels, and that price could be passed on to consumers. The 10th-gen iPad Pros with M2 start at $799 for the 11-inch display and go upwards of $1,099 for the 12.9-inch XDR display.
Apple did not reveal any new iPad for 2023. It was the first time the Cupertino company skipped out on any new tablet series since they first released the first-gen iPad in 2010. The last Apple event of the year, Scary Fast, came and went without a peep about new tablets.
There was nothing explicitly wrong with the 10th-gen iPads, but they have been looking the same year after year, despite the move to the proprietary M-series chips, most recently the M2 silicon for the iPad Pro.
Next year could also see a big jump for the Apple Watch. The series 10, which may go the whole Jason Vorhees route by calling it “Series X.” Bloomberg’s Apple guru Mark Gurman previously reported the next watch could come with a thinner case and magnetic watch bands.