-November 3, 2021 at 9:20 AM Pacific Time

Earlier today, a report from The Elec indicated that the first OLED MacBook has been postponed, and there is no indication that a product with a micro-LED display is the successor of the miniLED. Now, a report from Nikkei Asia says that Apple is in an "active development plan" for new products using this technology.

Not only from today, there are rumors that Apple will add micro-LED displays to its Mac and iPad, because this is the natural evolution of mini-LED displays. In Nikkei Asia’s report today, Hideaki Ryugen talked about the difference between OLED and mini-LED:

In particular, medium-sized OLED panels used in tablets and notebooks pose greater manufacturing challenges than small panels used in smartphones. The limited production scale leads to higher costs for such displays.

At the same time, mini-LED displays share many of the same components with traditional mass-produced LCDs, thereby reducing costs while achieving image performance close to OLED screens.

Mini-LED screens also have better brightness. The brightness of the latest MacBook Pro and iPad Pro is as high as 1,600 nits, which is more than 30% higher than the OLED-equipped iPhone 13 Pro.

In the article, Nikkei Asia pointed out that the width of mini-LEDs is usually "from about 100 microns to hundreds of microns", while the size of the iPad Pro is "approximately 200 microns." Then, at the end of the story, Nikkei gave a glimpse of Apple still looking forward to bringing micro-LED displays in the future:

In the long run, industry insiders predict that smaller micro LEDs with dimensions below 100 microns and capable of expressing primary colors without the use of filters will emerge.

Apple has acquired micro LEDs, and it is said that there are active development plans in this area.

Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said in a report in August that from 2023 to 2024, “the production cost of Micro LED will increase significantly” and “starting from 2023, it may become the focus of the market.”

"We believe that Apple is developing Micro LED technology, but the production schedule has not yet been determined. We also believe that if Mini LED succeeds, it will help more companies invest in Micro LED design and development and help achieve mass production of Micro LED."

Apple is not the only company betting on mini-LED and micro-LED. For example, Samsung, which makes Apple displays, is betting on these two technologies on its TVs. It may only be a matter of time before a computer or tablet adopts one of these technologies.

Kuo said that although The Elec report twice confirmed that Apple is developing OLED iPad and OLED MacBook Pro, both have been postponed or cancelled because the rumored next-generation iPad Air will not be equipped with an OLED display.

FTC: We use car affiliate links that earn revenue. more.

Check out 9to5Mac on YouTube for more Apple news:

Apple’s premium laptops have 13-inch and 16-inch screen sizes. Each model includes 2-4 USB-C ports for charging, accessories and data transfer. High-end models also include a touch bar.

The new iPad Pro is equipped with an A12Z processor and a new camera setting on the back. Apple also introduced a new Magic Keyboard with trackpad for iPad Pro.

Brazilian technology reporter. The author of 9to5Mac. Previously worked for tv globo, a major television broadcaster in Latin America.

Any tips, feedback or questions? jose@9to5mac.com

Roundup: All the rumors about the iPhone 14 so far

Concept: A larger version of the basic iPad

Yes, we reviewed the Apple polishing cloth

Subscribe to 9to5Mac Daily!