BOE, the display maker in question, has rejigged part of one of its Chinese factories to make larger OLED displays, according to a report from The Elec (opens in new tab) (via MacRumors (opens in new tab)). Apparently this refitted production line will be capable of making OLED panels as large as 15 inches. We’ve heard some talk of an even larger 15-inch iPad being developed by Apple, but at that size, Apple could easily fit out a MacBook with OLED as well. Currently, Apple uses LCD or mini-LED displays for its iPads and Macs. Introducing OLED technology to these product lines would result in brighter displays with richer blacks and greater power efficiency, as we’ve already seen BOE achieve with the OLED displays of the iPhone 13 series, for which it was one of the contributing display manufacturers alongside Samsung Display and LG. Unique to these upcoming OLED panels however is their dual-stack structure. Unlike a typical OLED display which uses a single RGB emission layer, these BOE-made screens will have two layers instead. This could make for an even brighter screen. There’s a possible downside to this mov, however. As The Elec reports, this factory rework by BOE comes at the expense of the original plan to make another production line focussing on flexible displays. This could mean that the iPhone Flip or any other foldable Apple device is even further away than we thought, or that it will be produced in smaller quantities. Equally, Apple may have other display partners in mind for flexible screens, and therefore BOE’s new plan won’t have any bearing on foldable iPhones, iPads or any other products. The iPad Pro 2022, the next generation of Apple’s premium tablet, is probably going to miss out on this new OLED tech. That’s because it’s due to launch in just a few months, which doesn’t leave enough time for BOE to get its new production line up to speed. It may still boast upgrades like wireless charging, a new notched display and a refreshed chipset though.
