New iPad Pro and MacBook models with mini LED displays would be relaunched this year

Taiwanese company Ennostar will begin production of mini LED backlight units for an upcoming 12.9-inch iPad Pro at the end of the first quarter or second quarter of this year, according to industry sources. DigiTimes

Ennostar is a holding company jointly founded in January 2021 by LED-related manufacturers Epistar and Lextar Electronics.

Apple is expected to unveil the new 12.9-inch iPad Pro with Mini LED backlighting in the first half of this year, with Epistar being the exclusive supplier of Mini LED chips packaged in backlight units by Lextar. the report said. . This time frame has been rumored several times, with some reports limiting a release to the first quarter, so it is possible that the new iPad Pro will be launched in March.

The new 12.9-inch iPad Pro is also expected to feature a faster A14X chip and support for 5G networks on models with cellular connectivity.

It’s unclear whether Apple plans to launch a new 11-inch iPad Pro at the same time, as many rumors have only mentioned the 12.9-inch iPad Pro. One possibility is that Mini-LED backlighting will be limited to the 12.9-inch model, with the main new features of the 11-inch model limited to the A14X chip and 5G support, but it’s unclear.

Apple will also likely use Mini LED backlighting for new MacBook models to be unveiled in the second half of this year, the report said. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo expects new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models to launch in the second half of 2021 with a new design, the return of an HDMI port and SD card reader, the removal of the Touch Bar, classic MagSafe charging with a breakaway power cable and more.