12.9-inch iPad Pro, 16-inch MacBook Pro with mini-LED may launch in 2020

It has been rumored for quite some time that Apple is planning on switching to mini-LED display technology (from LCD in some products, and from OLED in others) for its products at some point in the future. And now one analyst believes that could start in 2020.

According to a new investor note from renowned analyst Ming-Chi Kuo (via 9to5Mac), Apple is planning on adopting mini-LED display technology in two separate devices before the end of 2020: the 12.9-inch iPad Pro and the 16-inch MacBook Pro. Moreover, Apple is apparently planning to introduce four to six different products with mini-LED over the next two to three years.

The switch will start in the third quarter of 2020 if Kuo’s timeline is accurate. That would be the introduction of the 12.9-inch iPad Pro with mini-LED (and an A14X processor). And then, in the fourth quarter of 2020, Apple will reportedly introduce the 16-inch MacBook Pro with a mini-LED-equipped display. That would mark just one year since the 16-inch MacBook Pro’s initial launch.

Back in September, Kuo believed that Apple was planning to introduce mini-LED display technology in the iPad and MacBook Pro lineup sometime between “late 2020 and early 2021”, so it appears Apple is still moving right along with its own internal plans (if all this pans out, of course).

Back in April of this year it was rumored that Apple’s switch to mini-LED display tech would start with a 31.6-inch standalone display, which would be introduced in 2019. However, that obviously did not pan out.

Kuo believes that Apple wants to switch to mini-LED for various reasons, including its support for high dynamic range (HDR), localized dimming, wide color gamut, and high contrast ratios. The technology is said to be more power efficient as well, thanks to its thinner panels.

Kuo also believes that Apple is speeding up the adoption of mini-LED display technology for its products, which could suggest that Apple is confident in the technology now. As a result, we may see a lot of products with mini-LED displays in the near future.