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New iPad Pro and MacBook Models With Mini-LED Displays Again Rumored to Launch This Year

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Taiwanese company Ennostar will begin production of Mini-LED backlight units for an upcoming 12.9-inch iPad Pro in the late first quarter or second quarter of this year, according to industry sources cited by DigiTimes.

iPad Pro Mini LED
Ennostar is a holding company that was jointly established in January 2021 by LED-related manufacturers Epistar and Lextar Electronics.

Apple is expected to unveil the new 12.9-inch iPad Pro with Mini-LED backlighting in the first half of this year, with Epistar serving as the exclusive supplier of Mini-LED chips that will be packaged into backlight units by Lextar, the report claims. This timeframe has been rumored several times, with some reports narrowing down a release to the first quarter, so it is possible the new iPad Pro will be introduced in March.

The new 12.9-inch iPad Pro is also expected to feature a faster A14X chip and support for 5G networks on models with cellular connectivity.

It's unclear if Apple plans to introduce a new 11-inch iPad Pro at the same time, as many rumors have only mentioned the 12.9-inch iPad Pro. One possibility is that Mini-LED backlighting will be limited to the 12.9-inch model, with the 11-inch model's key new features limited to the A14X chip and 5G support, but it is unclear.

Apple will likely also adopt Mini-LED backlighting for new MacBook models to be unveiled in the second half of this year, according to the report. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo expects new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models to launch in the second half of 2021 with a new design, the return of an HDMI port and SD card reader, the removal of the Touch Bar, classic MagSafe charging with a breakaway power cable, and more.

Related Roundup: iPad Pro
Tag: Mini-LED Guide
Buyer's Guide: iPad Pro (Neutral)

Top Rated Comments

chucker23n1 Avatar
chucker23n1
67 months ago

The current generation of MacBook Pro is approximately 227 PPI (2012-2021). The Smartphones are approximately 428-458 PPI by 2021.
Yes, but, 1) smartphones are much closer to your face, so a higher ppi is warranted, and 2) the ppi of OLEDs is misleading. Better to compare against a recent TFT iPhone, the iPhone 11 at 326.


It's a significant amount of difference in pixel density and Apple want to fix that problem by improving the PPI on the next generation of 2021 MacBook Pro.
I don't think they will.


You can see why Apple Laptop market share is less than 7% and it's shockingly bad.
Nor do I think increasing ppi will have measurable effect on sales.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jdoll021 Avatar
jdoll021
67 months ago
Fingers crossed for a March release of a 12.9” iPad Pro. I’m on the first gen 12.9” Pro and the touch screen is becoming increasingly less responsive. It’s really starting to get on my nerves!
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Z
Zen_Arcade
67 months ago
Hope the touch bar disappears. And that Magsafe and other ports return.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macduke Avatar
macduke
67 months ago
I'm toying around with the idea of upgrading my 2018 12.9" iPad Pro this year. My grandpa's iPad Air 2 is on life support with frequent reboots, even after a DFU restore from scratch. He's also having a harder time seeing it. I was thinking about giving him my 12.9" and setting it up in zoomed mode so he can see everything clearly. Then I can get this new one and upgrade to an Apple Silicon Mac in 2022 to spread out my upgrades.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ChedNasad Avatar
ChedNasad
67 months ago
If only it were micro led. I guess certainly better than no improvement and I don’t think OLED is a great choice for laptops at this point. For iPad however OLED would be great. My galaxy tab s5e was purchased strictly due to the screen being so phenomenal. (And the lower price point)
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
C
calstanford
67 months ago
What kind of useless rumor is that?

'to launch this year'

yea please what else is new? Will there be an iPhone 13? Any rumours? Who knows! Maybe there'll even be an M1X/M2 laptop? This year!


One thing I can say is: if Apple gives up on advancing the 11" Pro I won't upgrade my 2018 yet again. 2020 upgrade was a joke. The Air is not an upgrade from the 2018 11" and now it seems like maybe an A14x will be the only upgrade for the current 11". Yea no. Sorry.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
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