Apple's Third Potential Supplier of Mini-LED Display Chips Hits Certification Hurdle

[MacRumors]

Apple's search for additional mini-LED display suppliers has hit a speed bump after its primary candidate's latest attempt to pass certification failed, according to a new industry report.

Apple's 2021 M1-powered 12.9-inch ‌iPad Pro‌ was the first Apple product to feature the company's Liquid Retina XDR display with mini-LED, rather than traditional LCD or OLED. Last year also saw redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models featuring mini-LED displays, and more devices are expected to follow that utilize the newer display technology.

Apple currently uses just two suppliers of mini-LED chips, the main one being Taiwan-based Epistar and the other Germany-based Ams Osram. Epistar intends to expand its already fully utilized chip production capacity to Taiwan and China, while Ams Osram began supplying Apple in the second half of 2021.

China-based LED chipmaker Sanan Optoelectronics was thought to be next in line to pick up Apple's business, with Sanan originally expected to become the third supplier of mini-LED chips for Apple as soon as the fourth quarter of last year.

However, the company is still languishing at the stage of small-volume trial production, according to DigiTimes, with the suggestion being insufficient stability in quality and/or patent issues have been holding the supplier back.

As Apple requires that its supply chain makers have sufficient tech licenses of their own or from others to avoid patent infringement, Sanan's failure to pass certification, besides quality problems, is possibly related to patent issues, the sources suggested.

Sales of Apple's existing mini-LED based products are expected to increase significantly in 2022, and Apple is believed to be working on more products that use mini-LED technology, including a new 27-inch iMac, a redesigned MacBook Air, and potentially refreshed iPads.

Because there are more LEDs and more dimming zones than in cold cathode fluorescent lighting used for LCD panels, mini-LED displays can offer deeper, darker blacks, brighter brights, richer colors, and better contrast because there's more control over what's displayed on the screen with so many LEDs.

Based on rumors, it appears Apple's ultimate plan is to transition much of its iPad and Mac lineup to mini-LED display technology over the next year or two.

Article Link: Apple's Third Potential Supplier of Mini-LED Display Chips Hits Certification Hurdle

 

[FlyingDutch]

I’m Really really happy that Apple is moving toward mini-LED skipping the OLED technology entirely. I’m looking forward to mini-LED iPhone too…

 

[lukarak]

mini led is a backlight technology, it is still an LCD screen.

 

[apparatchik]

The screen is one of the many reasons the new MBP’s were priced higher and are in such a short supply, and why the high-end Mac Mini can’t come soon enough for those of us that would like the cpu and gpu power but don’t need all the rest (mini led screen, sound, battery, camera, keyboard, etc.) as we work from a desktop setup.

Surely a 1K-1.2K Mac Mini Pro / Max is not far away.

 

[JippaLippa]

The screen is one of the many reasons the new MBP’s were priced higher and are in such a short supply, and why the high-end Mac Mini can’t come soon enough for those of us that would like the cpu and gpu power but don’t need all the rest (mini led screen, sound, battery, camera, keyboard, etc.) as we work from a desktop setup.

Surely a 1K-1.2K Mac Mini Pro / Max is not far away.

Oh believe me, half the forum waits.
There's hope for this march but in the end, whi knows.
Also mini-LEDs, as lovely as they are, have lots of limitations.
I tested a 16" before sending it back and the blacklight fails to update fast enough, causing delays in the adaptation when there's a stark change in the image (often when the camera cuts).
Also the displays suffer from some horrible ghosting...

 

[arobert3434]

I'm going to be waiting out the whole mini-LED generation in iPads/Macs so I hope it is not a lengthy one. If they run into supplier trouble and have to release a few "regular"-LED products in the meantime, so much the better. ?

 

[darngooddesign]

mini led is a backlight technology, it is still an LCD screen.

"...rather than traditional LCD"

 

[svish]

Hopefully issue is resolved and production does not suffer

 

[44267547]

I'm going to be waiting out the whole mini-LED generation in iPads/Macs so I hope it is not a lengthy one. If they run into supplier trouble and have to release a few "regular"-LED products in the meantime, so much the better. 😀

Well, You’re going to be waiting for a long while then. What else would you possibly be waiting for? Micro LED?

 

[enc0re]

I’m Really really happy that Apple is moving toward mini-LED skipping the OLED technology entirely. I’m looking forward to mini-LED iPhone too…

Like many, you are confusing micro- and mini-LED. The nomenclature isn't great.

 

[darngooddesign]

Like many, you are confusing micro- and mini-LED. The nomenclature isn't great.

Why do you think they are confusing the two?

 

[Shirasaki]

Patent issue huh… and quality issue.

Apple is trying to diversify, too bad we only have so many plants potentially qualified to build proper mini-LED display. Hope we don’t need to roll screen lottery like iPhone 6s days rolling processor lottery.

 

[FlyingDutch]

Like many, you are confusing micro- and mini-LED. The nomenclature isn't great.

No, I’m not.
Micro-LED is not a thing, yet. Surely not ready for mass production.
Mini LED is something I’m already using on my iPad Pro M1.

 

[xsdeus]

The market hasn’t used cold cathode fluorescent lighting since at least 20 years ago. The LCD switched to LEDs a long time ago. Micro-LEDs aim to replace OLEDs and LCDs, while Mini-LEDs is just miniaturization of the LEDs in the display backlight

Because there are more LEDs and more dimming zones than in cold cathode fluorescent lighting used for LCD panels, mini-LED displays can offer deeper, darker blacks, brighter brights, richer colors, and better contrast because there's more control over what's displayed on the screen with so many LEDs.

 

[GP-SE]

Who manufactures the screen in the 16" M1 MacBook Pro?

 

[enc0re]

No, I’m not.
Micro-LED is not a thing, yet. Surely not ready for mass production.
Mini LED is something I’m already using on my iPad Pro M1.

I’m Really really happy that Apple is moving toward mini-LED skipping the OLED technology entirely. I’m looking forward to mini-LED iPhone too…

Mini LED, which is an LCD, is not a technology that skips over OLED. OLED is better than mini LED for most applications. iPhone will not go from OLED to mini LED. If you want a mini LED iPhone, your best hope is that they release a cheapo model, like an SE, with mini LED. But I doubt even that will happen.

Micro LED will be the successor to OLED from the current looks of it.

 

[bgillander]

The market hasn’t used cold cathode fluorescent lighting since at least 20 years ago. The LCD switched to LEDs a long time ago. Micro-LEDs aim to replace OLEDs and LCDs, while Mini-LEDs is just miniaturization of the LEDs in the display backlight

I would have said 15 years, but yeah, I’m reading “cold cathode fluorescent” and thinking I stepped through a time warp, and was looking for a PowerMac mention. Next they’re going to tell me there is a new Matrix movie! Wait, what…?

 

[jonpais]

I’m Really really happy that Apple is moving toward mini-LED skipping the OLED technology entirely. I’m looking forward to mini-LED iPhone too…

Not sure why that is. (1) Viewed side-by-side, the OLED iPhone picture is vastly superior to that of the XDR miniLED MBPs. (2) There are no plans to implement miniLED displays in iPhones. (3) Apple is not skipping OLED entirely at all. In fact, Apple’s next gen MacBook Pros will reportedly have dual stack OLED. (4) Something smells fishy about your post. Any regular macrumors reader knows your statements have no basis in fact.

 

[arobert3434]

Well, You’re going to be waiting for a long while then. What else would you possibly be waiting for? Micro LED?

Micro LED, OLED, or mini-LED with the ability to disable local dimming like TVs allow you to. I think it was five years to duck the butterfly keyboard, I survived that, I don't need to upgrade every year.

 

[FlyingDutch]

Mini LED, which is an LCD, is not a technology that skips over OLED. OLED is better than mini LED for most applications. iPhone will not go from OLED to mini LED. If you want a mini LED iPhone, your best hope is that they release a cheapo model, like an SE, with mini LED. But I doubt even that will happen.

Micro LED will be the successor to OLED from the current looks of it.

My 12.9” iPad Pro is not a “cheapo model” and it is using Mini-LED. OLED is not any better.

 

[FlyingDutch]

Not sure why that is. (1) Viewed side-by-side, the OLED iPhone picture is vastly superior to that of the XDR miniLED MBPs. (2) There are no plans to implement miniLED displays in iPhones. (3) Apple is not skipping OLED entirely at all. In fact, Apple’s next gen Macs will reportedly have dual stack OLED. (4) Something smells fishy about your post. Any regular macrumors reader knows your statements have no basis in fact.

Sure.

In the meanwhile:

Apple's 27-Inch 'iMac Pro' With Mini-LED Display Expected in Spring 2022

Apple's next-generation larger-screened "iMac Pro" is expected to launch next spring, according to a forward looking article on...

www.macrumors.com

so at least this “regular marcumors reader“ entirely missed the news from last week.