Apple’s 2024 iPad Pro models with OLED displays, released last May, are seeing lower demand than expected, according to a report from Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC). Initially forecast for 10 million units in 2024, the forecast was reduced to 6.7 million units. A drop of around a third which comes at a bad time, with Apple already having difficulty selling its latest iPhones.
A significant drop for the iPad Pro M4
In detail, shipments of the 11-inch iPad Pro M4 are expected to drop 40% in the third quarter and 30% in the fourth, while the 13-inch model faces steeper declines of 50% and 90%. , respectively.
Ross Young, analyst at DSCC, blames slowdown in sales This is due to several factors, including high prices – $999 for the 11-inch model and $1,299 for the 13-inch model – which may deter buyers who view tablets as secondary devices. Additionally, while the M4 processor and OLED technology are the most advanced on the market, they don’t add enough value to warrant an upgrade for many users. The limitations of Apple’s iPadOS software may also contribute to the lack of enthusiasm, as we’ve explained several times in the past. Despite everything, iPadOS 18 is very pleasant, iPadOS 17 already was, and coupled with the new Magic Keyboard (at 400 euros all the same), the iPad Pro M4 is a superb machine. Remember that in France, it starts at a difficult €1,219…
Price seems to us to be the biggest problem with the iPad Pro. If OLED competes with mini-LED on the television side, despite a higher price, on the tablet market the gap is more difficult to justify. Users do not see the benefit of technology on a small screen. But the problem is that the slowdown in sales could even delay Apple’s plan to release an OLED iPad Air, which was rumored for 2026.
Despite disappointing sales of the iPad Pro M4, Ross Young remains optimistic about the future of OLED in Apple’s MacBook range, recalling that OLED MacBook Pros could be launched as early as 2026. OLED technology could improve the brightness, contrast and energy efficiency, which could allow future MacBooks to be thinner and benefit from greater battery life. Not to mention that they are designed for work, play and entertainment, which justifies the evolution. Still, Apple will have to keep the same price list to convince.
