Rekindled rumors of OLED iPads and MacBooks now suggest that LG could be a key supplier of foldable displays for Apple's rumored future devices.
Korean supply chain industry sources report that LG is collaborating with Apple to develop a flexible OLED panel with ultra-thin glass (UTG) on top, instead of polyimide like the first Samsung Galaxy Fold used. Samsung now uses UTG in the Z Fold and Z Flip lineup, but LG is the only display maker to deploy the technology in a larger device so far: the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold.
Previously leaked information from known tipster Ming-Chi Kuo indicates that we could see an OLED iPad before an OLED MacBook, and the early stages of this rumor track with the rumored launch date of Apple's OLED devices around 2024 or 2025.
At the moment, Apple is the only laptop maker that doesn't produce an OLED-equipped model. Given its reliance on the mini-LED in its current iPads and MacBooks, it makes sense to hold off a switch to OLED until they can make it fold.
As always, these are still just rumors and possibly wishful thinking by Apple watchers and should be taken with a large grain of salt.
Analysis: Apple will be fashionably late
At this point, we all know that Apple is rarely the first to adopt bleeding-edge features and technologies. Cupertino's approach is to wait until it can refine a feature to near-perfection before announcing it on a new iPhone, iPad, MacBook, etc. Foldables and OLED won't be an exception to this strategy.
Foldables have been improving exponentially since the first few popped up. Will Apple be too late to the party by the time it finally releases its foldables, or will a foldable iPad be a catalyst for the rest of the industry?
