Apple expects to shift up to 8.5 million OLED iPad Pros in 2024 as launch nears

Apple's long been rumored to be working on launching a pair of new iPad Pro tablets and it's now thought that they will arrive within the next few weeks - possibly as soon as this week - which means that the wheels must be very much in motion in terms of suppliers and mass production. Now, a report claims that Apple has ordered an estimated 8.5 million OLED panels from South Korea's Samsung Display and LG Display, with no work left over for Chinese outfit BOE and others.

The lack of a Chinese OLED manufacturer is thought to have captured the attention of those in the supply chain, DigiTimes reports. In terms of production, it's thought that LG Display will be producing OLED panels for use in the 12.9-inch iPad Pro with around 4.5 million units thought to be ordered. Samsung Display will be the supplier of the displays that will be used in the 11-inch iPad Pro with around four million units ordered.

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The decision to use the two suppliers is thought to be down to concerns over the production yield of OLED displays with Apple thought to be striving for only the best display available. The OLED iPad Pro is expected to offer improved colors, better contrast, and more in order to produce the best iPad experience yet.

In terms of other upgrades, the overall design of the iPad Pro isn't expected to change although there have been rumors suggesting that Apple will move the FaceTime camera from the top of the device to the side. Such a move would mean that placing a video call with an iPad Pro would be more natural when the tablet is in landscape mode - currently, the camera is on the side when in landscape more which means that people appear to be looking off to the side.

Other improvements are thought to include an upgraded chip with the M3 replacing the M2 that is currently used in the iPad Pro. The M3 chip will be based on the 3nm manufacturing process used by TSMC and should allow for improved speed as well as better battery life.

Alongside the new iPad Pro models Apple is also expected to unveil an updated iPad Air in 11-inch configuration, but that won't be all. Rumors suggest that Apple will also bring a 12.9-inch iPad Air to the lineup, offering a cheaper alternative to the iPad Pro for those who would prefer a larger display.