Skip to main content

Kuo: Apple will release a mini-LED iPad and MacBook Pro next year

Apple may be planning to release four to six products over the next few years with mini-LED displays, according to respected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

The products will likely include a high-end 12.9-inch iPad Pro with an A14X chip during the third quarter of next year, and a 16-inch MacBook Pro in the fourth quarter of 2020, MacRumors reports.

Recommended Videos

According to Kuo, the mini-LED displays will “significantly improve productivity and the entertainment experience” in the devices. Kuo’s recent mini-LED statement adds to a similar statement made by the analyst in September.

In previous discussions, Kuo has noted that the displays will allow products to be thinner and lighter while offering things like high contrast and dynamic range and a wide color gamut performance. Essentially, you’re going to be able to get a much better-looking display in a much smaller package.

The move to mini-LED would also allow Apple to further decrease its reliance on Samsung for parts. Kuo has said that he thinks the mini-LEDs for the devices are likely to be made by LG rather than Samsung. Epistar, Zhen Ding, Radiant Opto-Electronics, Nichia, Avary Holding, and TSMT may also contribute to the products.

Kuo has said that the displays will contain around 10,000 LEDs, and will offer similar quality to an OLED display while avoiding the burn-in issues that can affect OLED displays.

That technology is expensive. For now, we’re likely to only see mini-LEDs used in Apple’s high-end products rather than its entry-level devices. That’s to say that if you have your sights set on getting one of the devices when they launch, you should be prepared to pay a premium price for it. You’re also likely to only find these in things like the top-of-the-line iPad and MacBook Pro rather than in the MacBook Air or any other entry-level devices.

Emily Price
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Emily is a freelance writer based in San Francisco. Her book "Productivity Hacks: 500+ Easy Ways to Accomplish More at…
Samsung’s next tablet may have a big edge over the iPad Pro
Recent apps view on the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra.

Over the past few weeks, we’ve come across a few purported product renders of the next flagship Samsung tablet, along with some details of its key specs. Now, leaker Evan Blass has shared an alleged render of the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra that reveals one stunning detail.

Alongside the bottom edge of the tablet, we get not one, but two USB Type-C ports. This isn't the first time we have seen this feature, but it is a fresh approach for Samsung tablets. The rest of the design — including its slim metallic shell, dual cameras, thin bezels, and notch — is carried over from its predecessor, the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra.

Read more
Is a new iPad mini coming soon? One Apple insider thinks so
The Apple Pencil attaches to the iPad mini magnetically.

September 2021 is when the current iPad mini was released. Since then, two generations of iPad Air and iPad Pro models have been launched, as well as one regular iPad. In other words, it’s been a long time since Apple showed some love for its smallest tablet.

According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, that “could” soon change. The reason for the optimism is the low stock for several of the current iPad mini configurations and, of course, knowing that it's been almost three years since the last refresh.

Read more
How I turned my iPad Air into a great work machine for just $90
The iPad Air 2024 in a Zagg Crystal Palace folio case with the Keychron B1 Pro keyboard.

The Apple iPad Air (2024) is a brilliant all-rounder, and I find working on it to be just as convenient and fast as working on my MacBook Air M1. However, I’ve been put off really recommending it as a “laptop alternative” because the Magic Keyboard accessory costs so much. It’s $300 for the 11-inch or $350 for the 12.9-inch version, so surely I could come up with a way to reduce the price but not my productivity?

I set out to do precisely that, and in the process, I turned my iPad Air into a lovely work machine -- all for just $90. Here's how I did it.
Apple's Magic Keyboard is brilliant

Read more