12.9-inch iPad Pro with mini-LED display coming Q1 of 2021, says DigiTimes

A new report has reiterated claims Apple will release a new iPad Pro (12.9-inch) in Q1 of 2021, suggesting an announcement is just weeks away.

From DigiTimes:

Epistar has received orders for backlighting-use miniLED chips from several vendors, Fan indicated, adding that if market response is good, subsequent demand for miniLED backlighting will see explosive growth.

Apple is expected to launch 12.9-inch miniLED-backlit iPad Pro possibly in first-quarter 2021 and Samsung Electronics its miniLED-backlit LCD TVs in the first quarter as well, stimulating demand for miniLED backlighting, according to industry sources.

For context, the report notes that manufacturer Epistar "has expressed optimism" about shipments for mini-LED products later in the year, through Q2 and 3 of 2021. According to company president Fan Chin-Yung, "large-volume shipments" have been deferred from the end of 2020 into the new year due to delays in product certification. It is unclear whether any Apple products were delayed by this reported hold up, however, reports early on in 2020 claimed Apple would release a new mini-LED product (or several) at the back end of the year, this didn't materialize, however.

Epistar is reportedly shifting much of its production capacity to mini-LED to cope with demand, but Fan claimed that production for high-end LEDs including mini-LED would not be sufficient to meet demand.

DigiTimes, as well as other sources, have previously suggested Apple is working on several new products with mini-LED displays including The Elec and supply chain guru Ming-Chi Kuo. Previous reports have noted benefits could include switching off LEDs individually to increase contrast ratios, a big improvement in display quality.