M3 iPad Pro tipped to bring several OLED firsts in 2024 – with a price tag to match

Apple’s iPad Pro is easily one of the best tablets you can buy right now, with the 12.9-inch model in particular leading the way. According to a new leak, though, Apple could be about to take it to new heights with some top-of-the-line tech that’s unheard of in rival devices – and with a sky-high price tag to match.

This information comes from display industry expert Ross Young, who consistently provides accurate information on upcoming products from Apple, Samsung and many other companies. This time, Young claims that Apple will soon outfit the iPad Pro with tech that no other tablet manufacturer can boast.

In a reply to a post on X (formerly known as Twitter) noting that the iPad Pro would switch from mini-LED display tech to OLED panels in 2024, Young argued that “there is a lot more that can be said about the OLED panels.” These displays will apparently be the “first OLED tablets with LTPO, first OLED tablets with a tandem stack, brightest and longest life OLEDs in tablets, lightest and thinnest OLEDs tablets as well due to glass thinning and TFE.”

There’s a lot to unpack there. In layman’s terms, it suggests that future iPad Pro tablets should be bright, light and thin while packing in superb battery life. That’s great news if you’re thinking of springing for an iPad Pro when it’s next updated.

A potentially massive upgrade

(Image credit: Apple)

Diving into the specifics, a tandem stack layer gives the OLED panel increased durability and brightness – perhaps upping the durability by as much as four times and doubling the brightness, as per Wccftech. LTPO means the OLED panels will support Apple’s ProMotion tech for adaptive refresh rates up to 120Hz, while TFE ensures that displays can be thinner than what is currently found in existing iPad models.

That all sounds extremely encouraging, and the display upgrades could allow Apple to revamp and redesign the iPad Pro, further extending its lead at the top of the tablet food chain. Throw in the added benefits of OLED – including deeper blacks and improved battery life – and there are a lot of reasons to look forward to the upcoming iPads.

That said, it’s not all rosy. While Apple’s rumored implementation of OLED tech will undoubtedly be impressive, we will likely see the iPad Pro’s price ratchet up to eye-watering levels. According to leaker Revegnus, the 11-inch iPad Pro will start at $1,500 (around £1,180 / AU$2,250), while the 12.9-inch model will cost upwards of $1,800 (around £1,420 / AU$2,695). That will make uncomfortable reading compared to the iPad Pro’s current $799 / £749 / AU$1,199 and $1,099 / £1,249 / AU$1,899 prices.

Whether Apple will actually double the iPad prices like this remains to be seen – such a severe increase seems unlikely, but we wouldn’t rule out a rise of some form. Either way, we’re likely to see a significant improvement in the iPad Pro’s displays, and if that’s what you’re in the market for, exciting times could be just around the corner.

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