Apple said to use OLED in second-generation iPad
Apple reportedly has started development of the second generation iPad using the same design concept as for the iPhone 4G, and will use an OLED panel, according to sources in the component industry. Apple is said to be aiming to launch …
Context & Ripple Effects
The report revives a display claim that appeared in earlier tablet coverage, which had already included an OLED version in Apple's plans. Separate March coverage also tied OLED ambitions to Apple's notebook and iPhone lines, framing the iPad claim as part of a broader product-family direction rather than an isolated screen change.
The component-industry account remains unconfirmed, but it matters because it places the iPad's second-generation design work around the same hardware-design approach being attributed to the next iPhone.
First-order effects
- If the component sources are accurate, Apple is making OLED panel selection a core specification for its second-generation iPad, affecting the device's design and component requirements.
- OLED panel makers gain a prospective Apple tablet design win, while suppliers built around alternative iPad display technologies face the risk of being designed out of that model.
Second-order effects
- A shared OLED direction across the reported iPad, iPhone, and notebook plans would concentrate more of Apple's display demand with suppliers able to meet requirements across multiple product categories.
- Apple's use of an iPhone-derived design concept for the iPad would increase the value of components that can be reused or adapted across its mobile hardware lineup.
Third-order effects
- If the reported plans translate into products, display suppliers' ability to qualify for Apple across several device families becomes a stronger competitive moat than winning a single model.
- The pattern points toward Apple treating display technology as a platform-level decision across mobile devices, rather than a feature selected independently for each product.
The trend: Apple is moving toward shared component and design choices across the iPad, iPhone, and notebook lines, with OLED positioned as a potential common display technology.