Apple Rejects Samsung’s OLED Panels for 2022 iPad Air

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Image: Apple

An iPad Air equipped with a beautiful OLED display could be further off than expected.

According to a new report from South Korean outlet The Elec, Apple and Samsung have canceled their joint project to develop a 10.86-inch version of the lightweight tablet that leverages the premium display technology. Sources suggest that Apple wasn’t happy with Samsung’s OLED panels; the manufacturer reportedly offered displays that didn’t meet Cupertino’s brightness and panel life demands.

From The Elec:

Single stack refers to the current widely used OLED panel structure where red, green and blue form one emission layer. Apple had requested a two stack tandem structure instead for the OLED panel it wanted to use on its iPad. The structure stacks two red, green and blue emission layers instead of just one.

This doubles the brightness and extends the panel’s life by up to four times. Apple had wanted this as tablets are usually used longer by consumers than smartphones. Despite the request, Samsung Display proposed a single stack structure. The display panel maker, the world’s largest OLED panel manufacturer, has so far only commercialized single stack structure.

Competitor LG Display is also capable of producing OLED panels with a two stack tandem structure, but it isn’t clear whether Apple might reach out to them, as their manufacturing is aimed at the automotive rather than IT market.

Apple is reportedly planning two additional OLED iPad models, one of which could feature a larger 12.9-inch OLED panel. They are expected to launch in either 2023 or 2024.

Source: The Elec

Tsing Mui
News poster at The FPS Review.

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