The OLED iPad Air could arrive in 2023 instead of next year

At the end of last month we passed along a rumor stating that next year's iPad Air tablet will be the first slate from Apple to sport an OLED display. But Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC) just released its latest quarterly OLED Shipment Report calling for the first OLED equipped iPad to launch in 2023. DSCC doesn't name the tablet and just refers to it as a 10.8-inch model expected to be released in 2023.

Basically, both tips refer to the iPad Air with one calling for the OLED model to debut in 2022 with the other looking for the launch to occur in 2023. Speaking of OLED, DSCC sees revenue from OLED sales rising 9% this year to reach $42.5 billion thanks to higher sales of smartphones packing OLED displays. For 2025, DSCC now expects OLED revenue for that year to be 11% higher at $60.6 billion. Once again, demand from smartphone manufacturers is expected to lead the way.

DSCC expects that the number of tablets shipping with an OLED display will rise each year over the next five years with revenue growth peaking at 57% year over year. The actual number of OLED tablets to be shipped is forecast to hit 5.7 million units next year up from the estimated 5.4 million to be delivered this year.

Smartphones continue to be the number one mobile device using OLED screens with 82% and 76% shares of units shipped during Q1 and Q2 of this year, respectively. Apple had 26% of OLED smartphone shipments followed by Samsung's 20% slice of the pie. Based on revenue, smartphones accounted for 91% of Q1 devices shipped with an OLED panel and 87% during Q2 while smartwatches were second with 14.9% of units delivered and 6% of revenue for the first quarter.

Were you wondering which display manufacturer delivered the most OLED panels for smartphones during the first quarter this year? Samsung Display was responsible for a whopping 73.7% of the revenue during Q1. LG Display saw its share decline in Q1 from 11% to 8% while BOE was next with 6.6% of the total.