Next Gen iPad Could Have an OLED Screen

Rumors suggest that the next generation iPad will use the same design concept as the iPhone, and it will feature an OLED panel, despite high costs.

Since its release on April 3rd, the iPad has quickly become the media darling of the tech crowd. If it were a person, we would no doubt be gossiping about who the iPad was dating, and what it would be wearing to its next big event. We love it, and we can’t get enough, so it is hard to keep news and rumors from circulating, especially regarding any potential changes to the design and repercussions to the price.

Taiwanese publication DigiTimes is reporting that according to industry insiders, Apple may be considering a move to the more expensive OLED panels for the next generation.

The current iPad features a 9.7-inch LCD screen that costs around $60-$70 per unit. The same size OLED screen would cost about $500 each. The report also claims that there is a price drop coming in the OLED market as more manufacturers are investing in OLED products, but that the price gap between the LCDs and OLED isn’t likely to narrow significantly through 2011.

The report is fueled by earlier reports from TGDaily that Apple has quietly cornered the market on all 10.1-inch LCD and OLED screens. This report suggested that the current iPads would feature OLED screens, which proved to be incorrect, but it could bolster claims that Apple has plans for OLED screens.