According to MacRumors, Apple analyst Ming-Chi-Kuo has got some hush-hush updates regarding the new display tech. Remember the days when the world was going gaga over OLED screens, and Apple stayed rather … err … reserved? Well, Kuo claims Apple is planning a set of at most six products with the new mini-LED display tech over the next two to three years. But, with the widespread epidemic halting production in most of the factories, mass-production of mini-LED chips, panels, assembly and terminal assembly may have been pushed back a little further.
It was rumoured that Apple would launch multiple products (specifically a high-end 12.9 inch iPad Pro, an updated 16-inch Macbook Pro and a 14.1-inch MacBook Pro) with mini-LED displays by the end of 2020. But due to the current crisis, the products are going to be delayed slightly, getting pushed back to as late as early 2021.
What is a mini-LED powered display?
Compared to a traditional LCD, a display with mini-LEDs uses many more LEDs, resulting in a higher contrast ratio, higher brightness, deeper blacks and more power efficiency. It also has a certain edge over OLED displays as it is less prone to burn-ins (discolouration of the screen due to high brightness).
And while a traditional display uses hundreds of LEDs, a mini-LED display could use more than thousands. In fact, Apple is said to be exploring mini-LED displays that could use as much as 10,000 LEDs!
What does Apple’s transition mean?
Kuo has claimed that Apple’s transition to mini-LED will result in thinner and lighter products offering the same (if not more) benefits as OLED. From the looks of it, Apple is planning to transition much of its iPad and Mac lineup to mini-LED displays.
Reportedly, Apple is also working on micro-LED technology but instead will start with mini-LEDs in iPads and Macs because of the high production cost of micro-LED technology. And while Micro-LEDs may be the future we can expect, mini-LED is almost here.
Kuo estimates that Apple’s mini-LEDs assertion will also force competitors to adapt to the technology in the next few years, helping the mini-LED technology boom until, well, Micros take over. Whether mini-LED-powered displays are costlier than OLEDs is yet to be seen, but it surely is a promising upgrade.