12.9-inch iPad Pro (2021) pre-orders 'likely' to be delayed, says report

iPad Pro 2021 review
iPad Pro 2021 review (Image credit: Daniel Bader / iMore)

What you need to know

  • Another report says the new iPad Pro (2021) is likely to be delayed.
  • Digitimes reports that issues with supply for the mini-LED display will delay the first wave of pre-orders.
  • It follows a Bloomberg report to the same effect earlier this week.

A second report says that pre-orders for the new 12.9-inch iPad Pro (2021) are likely to be delayed because of supply constraints for the mini-LED display.

From Digitimes:

Delivery for the first wave of pre-orders for miniLED-backlit iPad Pro devices are likely to delay due to the issues with supplies for miniLED chips and backlight boards, according to industry sources.

The news follows a similar report from Bloomberg on Tuesday:

Apple Inc. is grappling with continued supply chain constraints for its new high-end iPad Pro, potentially compounding an already month-and-a-half wait for the company's priciest tablet. The latest iPad Pro officially goes on sale in about a week but buyers may not be able to get their hands on one until deep into July. Delivery dates for pre-orders already stretch into late June to early July. The primary issue: producing the 12.9-inch model's new MiniLED screen has so far proved challenging. Bloomberg News reported in April, before the device was announced, that the new device is facing supply constraints because of complexities surrounding the nascent technology. Apple's production partners are still struggling to produce the more intricate screens in larger quantities, people familiar with the matter said.

As Bloomberg notes only the larger iPad Pro sports the fancy new mini-LED display, meaning the 11-inch model remains unaffected.

Apple previously noted at its Q1 earnings call that it expects to miss out on $4 billion in revenue due to supply constraints in this quarter.

You can read our review of Apple's best iPad ever here.

Stephen Warwick
News Editor

Stephen Warwick has written about Apple for five years at iMore and previously elsewhere. He covers all of iMore's latest breaking news regarding all of Apple's products and services, both hardware and software. Stephen has interviewed industry experts in a range of fields including finance, litigation, security, and more. He also specializes in curating and reviewing audio hardware and has experience beyond journalism in sound engineering, production, and design.

Before becoming a writer Stephen studied Ancient History at University and also worked at Apple for more than two years. Stephen is also a host on the iMore show, a weekly podcast recorded live that discusses the latest in breaking Apple news, as well as featuring fun trivia about all things Apple. Follow him on Twitter @stephenwarwick9