iPad Pro 2022: Mini-LED display adoption is expected to expand to 11-inch tablet next year

Apple introduced its first device with a mini-LED display earlier this year, but more could come in 2022. A new report from a renowned analyst is predicting that the tech giant could expand the mini-LED adoption to the next 11-inch iPad Pro.

Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, known for his oft-accurate predictions, has said in a new investor note (via Apple Insider) that Apple is planning to launch more devices with mini-LED display in 2022, including next year’s 11-inch premium tablet. The list includes the next 12.9-inch iPad Pro and a redesigned MacBook Air.

Apple has reportedly reached out to Luxshare to join the lineup of manufacturers that provide mini-LED surface mounting technology for the Cupertino, California-based tech giant. This suggests Apple is eyeing an increased production of mini-LED panels, hinting that more devices would carry the component next year.

The 12.9-inch iPad Pro became the first Apple device with a mini-LED panel when it was launched last April. Unlike the traditional backlighting solution, the tablet now uses 10,000 custom mini-LEDs that are grouped in 2,500 local dimming zones.

Mini-LED displays are often favored by tech companies as they deliver high contrast and high brightness. Specifically, in the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, its mini-LED solution is said to enable the device to achieve a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio, with 1000 nits full brightness, and 1600 nits peak brightness for HDR content.

Screen burn-in is one of the most common issues of devices that use OLED panels, and it could be one of the reasons Apple has opted for the mini-LED solution on their premium tablet series. However, mini-LEDs do come with their own caveats.

Shortly after the 12.9-inch iPad Pro was shipped last May, users started to discover one of the potential deal-breakers in having a device with a mini-LED display. Several people have reported experiencing a blooming effect on their screens, especially when they are using the device in dark rooms or turn Dark Mode on. It is, technically, not a screen defect, though. “The Liquid Retina XDR display improves upon the trade-offs of typical local dimming systems, where the extreme brightness of LEDs might cause a slight blooming effect because the LED zones are larger than the LCD pixel size,” Apple said on a support page.

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