An OLED iPad could arrive in 2024 powered by Samsung

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Best iPad for artists
Best iPad for artists (Image credit: iMore)

What you need to know

  • Apple could launch an OLED iPad in 2024 according to a new report.
  • Samsung and Apple reportedly ditched discussions about a partnership last year.
  • Samsung could have the machinery needed for the partnership in place by next year.

Apple could launch an OLED iPad in 2024 if a report that points to a partnership with Samsung turns out to be accurate.

According to a report by The Elec, both Apple and Samsung held discussions about potentially working together on a 10.86-inch OLED iPad with the latter providing the displays. However, talks broke down last year as it became apparent Apple's orders wouldn't be large enough to make the numbers work. However, talks could be underway again.

According to the report it appears Samsung is looking to expand its Gen 8.5 IT OLED panels to provide the specifications Apple needs at a price that would work for both parties. The machinery needed to make that happen could be ordered later this year and delivered in 2023 — pushing any potential product launch into 2024.

The South Korean display panel maker's development of a vertical deposition machine, in collaboration with Japan's Ulvac, for use in Gen 8.5 IT OLED panel that started last year was ongoing as of January 2022, sources told TheElec.The equipment, along with fine metal masks (FMM) used to deposit organic materials precisely on the substrate, is a key technology needed to commercialize Gen 8.5 IT OLED panels.

Apple currently uses OLED in its iPhones and Apple Watch but not elsewhere. However, rumors that Apple has plans to bring OLED to the Mac and iPad lineups won't due and this is the latest example of that. Apple has so far preferred the mini-LED route as shown by recent iPad Pro and MacBook Pro launches.

Oliver Haslam
Oliver Haslam
Contributor

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too. Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.