Later this year, Apple was supposed to release products that use tens of thousands of mini-LED backlights instead of LED backlighting, providing local dimming for deeper blacks, richer color and sharper image. However, the coronavirus situation appears to have spoiled those plans and prompted the iPhone maker to push back its mini-LED product roadmap to 2021.
According to a new report today, citing recent supply chain checks, from reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of TF International Securities, seen by MacRumors, the global health crisis appears to have prompted Apple to delay adoption of this technology in the short-term.
Kuo said mini-LED chip, panel, assembly and terminal assembly are expected to begin mass production in the third quarter of 2020, the fourth quarter, the end of the fourth quarter, and the first quarter of 2021, respectively.
The revered analyst believes that investors shouldn’t lose sleep over this delay due to the fact that mini-LED is viewed as a key technology the company will promote in the next 5 years.
“Even if the short-term schedule is affected by the new coronary pneumonia, it will not damage the long-term positive trend,” reads an excerpt from Kuo’s note to clients.
For those wondering, we were supposed to get mini-LED-enabled iPads, MacBooks, standalone displays and other products. Taiwanese trade publication DigiTimes even reported last December that five suppliers would soon receive orders from Apple for mini-LED screens.