New iPad Pro with mini-LED display expected to launch as soon as April — date may be pushed back

Apple iPad Pro
(Image credit: Future)

Apple is expected to reveal its new 12.9-inch iPad Pro with mini-LED display panels at its rumoured March Apple event. But the release of the updated tablet may have slightly been pushed back.

A new report from the DigiTimes (via MacRumors) suggests the new iPad Pro won't be released until sometime in the second quarter of 2021. While this still means it could release in April as previously reported, industry sources originally told DigiTimes it would launch as soon as March. So close, yet so far...

According to the report, mini-LED supplier Epistar stated it will start shipping out the Apple tablets at the beginning of the second quarter of 2021. That starts on April 1.

Epistar is the "exclusive supplier of the mini-LED chips" for the upcoming iPad Pro models, taking up 50% of its production capacity. This could mean other Apple products using mini-LEDs could be shipped out, much like the rumoured iPad mini 2021.

This suggests that while the expected Apple event taking place on Tuesday, March 23 would still reveal the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, fans may not see it on shelves at the beginning of April.

There's also rumours of a new 11-inch iPad that could be releasing this April, thanks to a bit of a mishap at Target. Whether Apple is now going full mini-LED on all of its iPad products, we can't say for sure. Hopefully, we won't have to wait much longer to find out.

That's not the only Apple product with a pushed back release date, as the much-anticipated Apple AirPods 3 are now expected to launch further down the line in 2021. At the very least, those Apple AirTags are looking like a sure thing.

Darragh Murphy
Editor

Darragh Murphy is fascinated by all things bizarre, which usually leads to assorted coverage varying from washing machines designed for AirPods to the mischievous world of cyberattacks. Whether it's connecting Scar from The Lion King to two-factor authentication or turning his love for gadgets into a fabricated rap battle from 8 Mile, he believes there’s always a quirky spin to be made. With a Master’s degree in Magazine Journalism from The University of Sheffield, along with short stints at Kerrang! and Exposed Magazine, Darragh started his career writing about the tech industry at Time Out Dubai and ShortList Dubai, covering everything from the latest iPhone models and Huawei laptops to massive Esports events in the Middle East. Now, he can be found proudly diving into gaming, gadgets, and letting readers know the joys of docking stations for Laptop Mag.