Apple Begins Certifying Components for 2012 iPad 3, OLED Unlikely - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

Apple Begins Certifying Components for 2012 iPad 3, OLED Unlikely

ipad 2 oblique

Digitimes reports that Apple has begun certifying components for the iPad 3 with many Taiwan-based manufacturers actively participating.

Taiwan-based component makers for backlight modules and light bars have received certification from Apple, however, the certification of panels is still in progress, added industry sources.

While there has been talk about Apple considering the use of OLED panels for the next iPad, Digitimes' sources believe that this is unlikely with the iPad 3 and that the next generation iPad will use 9.7" LCD panels.

The timing of the launch for the iPad 3 is in 2012 according to the component makers.

Related Roundup: iPad
Buyer's Guide: iPad (Don't Buy)
Related Forum: iPad

Popular Stories

Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature 1

Foldable iPhone Still Faces Production Hurdles, Report Says

Thursday July 23, 2026 5:18 am PDT by
Apple's foldable iPhone still faces production hurdles that leave its exact launch timing undecided, according to a new report from DigiTimes, even as Foxconn carries out what supply chain sources describe as "final mass-production adjustments." The report says Apple has assigned Foxconn to lead the device from new product introduction (NPI) through to mass production, citing the assembler's ...
iPhone 5c Yellow

Apple Pulls Ability to Restore iPhone 5c, iPad Mini, and More [Updated]

Thursday July 9, 2026 5:31 am PDT by
Apple has stopped signing several older versions of iOS for a group of legacy iPhone and iPad models, cutting off the paths to reinstall or downgrade the affected software. Apple will no longer validate over-the-air (OTA) or direct IPSW installs of the builds in question. Once a version is unsigned, there is no longer a way to restore or install it through Finder or iTunes. The change is...
m3 ipad air mint

Apple Adds 36-Month Carrier Financing for Cellular iPads

Wednesday July 15, 2026 7:41 am PDT by
Apple has introduced 36-month financing for cellular iPad purchases through AT&T and Verizon, adding to the 12-month option previously available via Apple Card. The new financing, first reported by 9to5Mac, replaces Apple Card Monthly Installments as the sole route to spreading out a cellular iPad purchase. That plan paid off the balance interest-free over 12 months; the new carrier options...

Top Rated Comments

198 months ago
Just give me retina and I will finally get an iPad.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Yamcha Avatar
198 months ago
I personally don't think a quad core is necessary on a device like this, but thats just my opinion, I just don't think any task would make any use of all four cores..

I have no intention of buying an iPad :P, but I think a higher resolution screen is what would be a worth while upgrade.. 1024x768 isn't the best for todays web experience..
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
198 months ago
2048x1536 would be more than just welcome, it would be enough for me to replace my 64GB iPad2.

The only other improvement that would get me to replace my iPad2 would be lighter weight.


Quad-core ARM won't be ready in 2012 and is not needed. I think we'll see a switch to 64-bit ARM in the iPad before we see quad-core. The A5 is already fast for everything an iPad can do. The original iPad was a bit slow, but the iPad2 is snappy. I'm not sure I could notice if it were faster.


So you want a 2048x1536 resolution, but dont see a need for a quad core? Whats going to drive this massive resolution? Especially in games?
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
8CoreWhore Avatar
198 months ago
OLED is poor in bright light... non-starter for Apple.

From Wiki:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organic_light-emitting_diode#Disadvantages

Power consumption: While an OLED will consume around 40% of the power of an LCD displaying an image which is primarily black, for the majority of images it will consume 60–80% of the power of an LCD – however it can use over three times as much power to display an image with a white background[69] such as a document or website. This can lead to reduced real-world battery life in mobile devices.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BlindMellon Avatar
198 months ago
The most important thing to come from this article is that fools can stop thinking there will be an iPad3 release this year.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
198 months ago
DO you think it will be redesigned to be thinner and lighter?

Indeed, the iPad 3 will be a flexible sheet of glass. ;)
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)

🔗 Related Apple News & Rumors

Stay updated with the latest Apple ecosystem news and verified rumors