Apple's M4 iPad Pro launched more than a year ago, and there are still no signs of an upgrade from the company. The Cupertino giant is working on its next-gen M5 chip, which could be introduced later this year with the new MacBook Pro models, and we are hoping that the company will see fit to upgrade the iPad Pro as well with the same chip. However, the company also has plans to upgrade the design of the iPad Pro models with slimmer bezels, as it is considering LG Innotek's chip-on-film technology for future models.
LG’s Chip‑on‑Film display technology may enable a sleeker, more refined iPad Pro design with narrower bezels and enhanced visual appeal
We are not sure if the company will switch to a new design after just a single generation, but it is a much-needed change. All iPad models feature more or less the same design, and the iPad Pro has lost its uniqueness. However, the new M4 iPad Pro is significantly thinner than the rest of the lineup, which makes it quite different, but you cannot really tell the difference from the front. In contrast, Samsung's Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra features significantly slimmer bezels than the OLED iPad Pro.
The Elec reports that Apple will either approve or reject LX Semicon's display driver integrated circuit this month, which would go alongside the LG CoF technology. Suppose you are not familiar with the mechanism. In that case, the CoF tech connects the display driver chips to the panels using heat compression on flexible film, which sends signals to control individual pixels through the thin-film transistors.
The combination of the components working together ensures tighter integration of the panel with the edges of the display. This will allow the bezels to be significantly thinner than they are right now, making room for more screen real estate while the form factor of the device remains the same. There is also another major benefit of the deal, which includes better battery life and improved signal processing; however, there are no concrete details available on this specific aspect.
Apple has been exclusively relying on Samsung System LSI for display driver ICs for the OLED iPad Pro, but adding LG to the list of suppliers would diversify and expand the company's supply chain. Ultimately, this could also lead to reduced component costs over time. The report does not mention if the new CoF technology would be oriented towards the iPad Pro, but DigiTimes separately notes that it will be designed for the 'Pro' models. Do you think Apple will upgrade the M5 iPad Pro's design?
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