Apple was expected to roll out the 12.9-inch iPad Pro to consumers by May 21, as per John Lewis & Partners, a London-based retailer that stocks up on Apple devices. However, you may not see the device arrive at your doorstep on that date.
Bloomberg reports that customers who have pre-ordered the device may have to wait until June or July before they can get their hands on the latest Apple tablet. The delay is said to be due to display production issues. The iPad Pro sports a new Liquid Retina XDR that uses more than 10,000 LEDs across the entire display to increase the contrast ratio and improve its brightness, with 1,000 nits of maximum full-screen brightness and 1,600 peak brightness. It also provides 2,596 local dimming zones.
The mini-LEDs are smaller than those found in normal LCD screens, and Apple"s display suppliers are said to be having difficulties producing them in huge volumes to meet the company"s demands. That said, the production issue isn"t expected to affect the target release date of the 11-inch iPad Pro.
Both tablet models were announced in April with Apple"s M1 chipset, promising improved performance compared to their predecessor, with a 50% faster CPU and 40% faster graphics. Even before the product"s debut, the display shortage was already expected. The delay could contribute to the revenue losses Apple is expecting for the current quarter due to ongoing semiconductor shortages, estimated at up to $4 billion.
Source: Bloomberg