Apple could adopt hybrid OLED technology for future iPads

Rumors that Apple plans to switch to OLED technology for future iPad models may involve the use of “hybrid” OLED technology that combines both rigid and flexible OLED panel materials, according to The elect (original version in Korean).

The report claims that Apple is hesitant to rely solely on the flexible OLED technology it uses in its iPhone models because the panels tend to “crease” and the effect is more noticeable as screens are getting bigger.

From a machine translation of the original Korean report:

When word got out that Apple was planning to apply hybrid OLED to the first OLED iPad, the industry assumed the cause was cost cutting.

However, it’s understood there’s a reason Apple preferred hybrid OLED other than this cost reduction. A parts industry official said, “Apple hated that part of the product’s display could appear wrinkled to the user’s eyes when using a flexible OLED.” He said: “The iPhone OLED has a 5-7 inch screen, so these characteristics are not well revealed, but it is relatively noticeable in large-screen (10-20 inch) computer products. a-t -he explains.

While hybrid OLED technology has yet to be perfected and it will take at least a year to become commercially viable before it can be integrated into an OLED ‌iPad‌ by around 2024, the report says Samsung and LG are looking for ultra-thin glass substrates measuring just 0.2mm thick for use with the technology, down from the current standard of around 0.5mm.

The report says Apple can still choose to use flexible OLED panels in ‌iPad‌ models if the shortcomings can be ironed out, but at least for now it looks like hybrid panels might be a better option because they’re more thinner than rigid panels and less expensive than flexible. panels.