The 12.9-inch iPad Pro's new Mini-LED screen might cause stock shortages

By Oliver Haslam
published

11-inch iPad Pro
11-inch iPad Pro (Image credit: iMore)

What you need to know

  • Apple is strongly rumored to be launching a Mini-LED 12.9-inch iPad Pro soon.
  • A new Bloomberg report says that new screen could cause stock shortages.

Apple could be set for a supply issue for a product that hasn't even been announced yet. The refreshed iPad Pro, at least in 12.9-inch guise, is expected to ship with a new Mini-LED screen and it's that part in particular that could cause stock issues for those looking to bag a new tablet.

That's according to a new Bloomberg report which notes that the tech is proving difficult to produce, with poor manufacturing yields set to cause a shortfall in overall production numbers.

The Cupertino, California-based tech giant plans to showcase a new MiniLED 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 MiniLED makers has had to recently pause production as a result, one person added.

The report says that Apple still intends to go ahead with a launch as soon as this month, although it's possible the 12.9-inch iPad Pro could ship at a later date due to the screen issues. The smaller 11-inch model is expected to retain the same screen it's used in recent years and thus won't suffer from the same shortages.

The current iPad Pro is still one of the best iPads you can buy, while the updated model will likely benefit from a faster processor and other improvements.

Oliver Haslam
Oliver Haslam
Contributor

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too.

Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.

1 Comment
  • iPad sales are booming. There is no way Apple is going to crap on its own sales by using a technology that is not ready. Apple is never at the leading edge for stuff like this anyway. If these reports are true, then a new iPad Pro is NOT going to have a Mini LED screen. The current screen is perfectly fine for another couple years.