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

Oled iPads and MackBook Pro Notch

5 Apple Products to Get OLED Displays

Thursday August 20, 2026 6:50 am PDT by
Apple plans to upgrade several iPads and Macs with OLED displays over the next three years, according to a new DigiTimes report. The following five devices will receive OLED displays between 2026 and 2029, according to the Taiwanese publication's industry sources:iPad mini: 2026 MacBook Pro: Late 2026 or early 2027 iPad Air: 2027 iMac: 2028 or 2029 MacBook Air: 2028 or 2029OLED...
iOS 27 Next to iPhone

Here's When iOS 27 Rolls Out Today in Every Time Zone [Update: It's Out]

Sunday September 13, 2026 3:00 am PDT by
Update 10:04 a.m.: iOS 27 is rolling out now, though it may take a bit for all users to see it, so keep checking! Apple is about to release iOS 27, which will finally deliver more advanced Siri AI capabilities as well as a variety of other refinements, improvements, and new features to iPhones. It's Apple's biggest software update of the year, and Apple announced at Wednesday's iPhone event...
iOS 27 Icon iPhone

iOS 27 Available Now With These 8 New Features

Monday September 14, 2026 9:00 am PDT by
Update — 10 a.m. Pacific Time: Apple has released iOS 27. During its iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo event last week, Apple announced that iOS 27 will be released widely on Monday, September 14. iOS 27 should be available around 10 a.m. Pacific Time / 1 p.m. Eastern Time today via the Settings app, under General → Software Update. Below, we have highlighted eight new features and...

Top Rated Comments

200 months ago
Just give me retina and I will finally get an iPad.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Yamcha Avatar
200 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)
200 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
200 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
200 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)
200 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