iPad Pro killer upgrade just leaked — and it’s coming from Samsung

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iPad Pro leak reveals OLED upgrades are coming

iPad Pro OLED display rumor
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Forget next year’s iPad Pro - 2022 will see the iPad Pro get a major display upgrade with Apple’s tablet finally making the jump over to OLED panels. 

According to a SamMobile report, South Korean media has claimed that the display arms of Samsung and LG have been approached by Apple to start supplying OLED screens for iPads in 2022. That means while we can expect Mini-LED displays for iPads next year, it might be worth waiting an additional 12 months for an iPad with a killer OLED screen. 

While OLED panels feature in a lot smartphones, including the iPhone 12, they’ve yet to make it over to many tablets or laptops. That's down to OLED displays being rather expensive to manufacture and they have problems with burn-in due to the organic nature of their pixels. That can result in a persistent static image/

OLED burn-in isn’t really a problem with smartphones given they’re constantly displaying different content. And the case would be the same for tablets. 

Apparently, the panels LG and Samsung will prince for Apple will be hybrid OLED displays that are thinner than normal, thus making them suitable for use in tablets. How this will be achieved wasn’t clear in the leak. 

Going by this report, it looks like Apple may have reached an agreement with Samsung and LG to produce OLED displays for its future iPads at a price that won’t make the tablets prohibitively expensive to manufacture. But this is all speculation.

Samsung has made OLED displays for Apple in the past (with the iPhone X and later), so it's no surprise that it's being tapped to provide such screens for other devices Cupertino is working on. 

Given OLED displays deliver near infinite contrast and true blacks, as well as impressively bright and colorful images, an iPad Pro with such a display should be pretty compelling. 

But for 2021, we’ll reportedly need to make do with Mini-LED displays on the next iPad Pro. That’s no bad thing as this display tech promises to deliver the clarity and chromatic pop of an OLED at a lesser cost, though ultimately OLED will offer the superior viewing experience. 

SamMobile reported that there’s scope for future iPad Pros to use OLED displays while cheaper iPads will get Mini-LED panels. 

Aside from display upgrades in 2021 and 2022, we’d expect the new iPad Pros to come with more powerful A series chips and standard iPads to get a design that’s reminiscent of the latest iPad Air. 

Roland Moore-Colyer
Roland Moore-Colyer

Roland Moore-Colyer a Managing Editor at Tom’s Guide with a focus on news, features and opinion articles. He often writes about gaming, phones, laptops and other bits of hardware; he’s also got an interest in cars. When not at his desk Roland can be found wandering around London, often with a look of curiosity on his face.