Apple's new 12.9-inch mini-LED iPad Pro will enter mass production in the second half of April, according to a new note by Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. The prediction adds further credence to a Bloomberg report just yesterday that said next month would be the earliest time we should expect the new models to appear.
In an investors note obtained by MacRumors, Kuo says that mass production for the new iPad Pro with a mini-LED display will now begin in "mid-to-late April."
We expect EMS to start mass production of mini LED iPads beginning mid to late April. The supply bottleneck, TSMT's yield rate, will increase significantly in 2Q21, and overall supply chain shipment momentum will also increase significantly in 2H21.
We have predicted in several previous reports that the mini LED iPad will be mass-produced in 1H21. Although this mass production date is slower than the market’s overly-optimistic expectation of February or March, it will provide a good entry point if the related supply chain stock price corrects.
Over the past few days, there has been widespread chatter about a possible event on March 23, when Apple was said to be to announcing the new 12.9-inch iPad Pro with a mini-LED display, amongst other products.
Credible sources such as Bloomberg and Ming-Chi Kuo have now both signaled that no launches will take place before April, and as things stand, it looks like there will be no March announcement from Apple either, despite earlier claims by some leakers.
The new 12.9-inch iPad Pro is expected to have "on par" performance with the performance of the M1 Apple Silicon. It's also rumored to include a Thunderbolt port and improved cameras. The device is expected to adopt mini-LED display technology, which offers improved brightness, improved contrast ratios, and color in its larger 12.9-inch iPad model. However, the smaller 11-inch variant is not expected to be updated with the mini-LED display technology anytime soon, according to rumors.
