Mini-LED iPad Pro on the way this month, but good luck getting it right away

Mini-LED iPad Pro on the way this month, but good luck getting it right away

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The next iPad Pro will get a fancy new screen. Not that you'll necessarily be able to see it right away.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple’s running into production challenges with its next-gen iPad Pro, but those are not going to stop it from debuting later this month, reports Bloomberg.

Watch out, though: The next iPad Pro — notably, the larger, 12.9-inch model — could be tough to get your hands on in the early days.

The next-gen iPad Pro will be Apple’s first to boast Mini-LED display technology, offering superior screens visuals to the current LCD displays. However, this new screen tech will only be available on the larger 12.9-inch iPad Pro, not the 11-inch model. Aside from this, and speedier internals, the new iPad Pro is unlikely to change too much from its predecessor.

Bloomberg writes that:

“The Cupertino, California-based tech giant plans to showcase a new Mini-LED display technology in the 12.9-inch iPad Pro set to be announced as early as the second half of April. But the firm’s overseas suppliers are dealing with poor manufacturing yields, the people who asked not to be named discussing sensitive matters said. At least one of the Mini-LED makers has had to recently pause production as a result, one person added.”

Apple typically does a pretty good job of making sure that its new devices are available in sufficient quantities upon debut. But it’s not unheard of for constrained supplies to persist for a few months. Getting the most popular new iPhone in the most popular color can take a while. Meanwhile, hot ticket items like the AirPod Pro debuted just prior to Christmas a couple of years back, but were virtually impossible to find.

An important iPad update for Apple

The new iPad Pro will be Apple’s first hardware release for 2021. Despite the comparatively paltry upgrades this year (at least compared to the 2018 refresh which debuted Face ID and the edge-to-edge display), this year’s iPad is a big one for Apple.

The iPad line raked in $8.4 billion in revenue for Apple during the holiday quarter 2020. That’s the most money it’s made since 2014. A big part of the reason for that is remote working, with more people working and learning from home. For obvious reasons, Apple wants to keep that momentum going. That means that it’s relying on the new iPads winning over customers.

Do you have plans to buy a new iPad this year? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Source: Bloomberg